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Son of George Washington & Nancy HIGHNITE Roberts; husband of Bertha ARBAUGH Roberts, married 4 March 1917 in Johnson County, Arkansas.
Elijah Roberts is most likely buried in the Radford-Freewill Cemetery near Red Star, Madison County, Arkansas, since his grandmother, Nancy Belle HOLLAND Roberts, was buried in that cemetery in 1918; and Elijah's family lived nearby. There are many fieldstone marked graves in this cemetery, but there is not a tombstone with Elijah's name on it here (nor in any other cemetery in the area).
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From Madison County Record, 15 Sept 1921
School...
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Son of George Washington & Nancy HIGHNITE Roberts; husband of Bertha ARBAUGH Roberts, married 4 March 1917 in Johnson County, Arkansas.
Elijah Roberts is most likely buried in the Radford-Freewill Cemetery near Red Star, Madison County, Arkansas, since his grandmother, Nancy Belle HOLLAND Roberts, was buried in that cemetery in 1918; and Elijah's family lived nearby. There are many fieldstone marked graves in this cemetery, but there is not a tombstone with Elijah's name on it here (nor in any other cemetery in the area).
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From Madison County Record, 15 Sept 1921
School Director Murdered Near Pettigrew
The following news dispatch is taken from the Arkansas Gazette. No other news of the tragedy has reached Huntsville, even the sheriff not having been notified of its occurrence. Possibly the killing was done just over the line in Newton County and the officers of that county have the matter in hand.
Pettigrew, Sept. 12th – Elijah Roberts, living on Big Buffalo River, about 10 miles northeast of here, was lured from his house at midnight Saturday night by a noise at the barn, and was shot and killed. Roberts lived until 7 o’clock Sunday morning, and in his dying statement to his neighbors named a man as the assassin. Roberts is survived by his wife and three small children.
The killing took place only three miles from Wild Mountain – Clifty Creek region, where Robert Stepp was shot and killed at a dance in a tent by Roscoe Dixon last Wednesday night.
Roberts was a school director of the Valley Grove School, where Miss Bertha Whitmire, daughter of a minister, is teaching school. Recently she punished a pupil for violation of the school rules, and then two young women and their brother assaulted her and beat her with their fists, but the plucky schoolmarm still is sticking to her post. Roberts championed her side of the dispute, and it is believed that this caused his death. No arrests have been made.
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From Madison County Cemetery Book #4, page 274:
"Libby TROTTER Roberts states "one little old lady told us she remembered a George Roberts around Fallsville, not too far from Red Star, and he had a son, Elija. Elija was murdered by John Cranford and Charlie Burns over some school thing. She said she was a little girl at the time, but does remember it caused quite a stir at the time."
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Arkansas Gazette, May 12, 1922 - Appeals to Supreme Court
Transcript of appeal yesterday was filed in the Supreme Court in the case of Charles Burns, sentenced in March in the Newton Circuit Court to life imprisonment for the killing of Elijah Roberts. Roberts was shot at his home on the night of September 3, 1921; and before his death the next morning charged Burns with the shooting. Burns denied ever having had any trouble with Roberts, but testimony was introduced to show that there had been ill-feeling due to a family quarrel. John Cranford was jointly indicted with Burns, but a severance was taken and Cranford's trial has not been held.
Arkansas Gazette, September 2, 1922 - Transcript is Filed
Transcript of appeal yesterday was filed in the Supreme Court in the case of John Cranford, indicted for murder in the first degree in the Newton Circuit Court and sentenced to life imprisonment. Cranford was indicted jointly with Charlie Burns for the killing of Elijah Roberts a year ago, but the cases were severed and Burns has not been tried. Cranford pleaded not guilty, testifying that he had known Roberts from the time the two were six years old and that they had never had any trouble. Burns was shot down (NOTE: should be Roberts) near his home on the night of September 2, 1921, and before his death was said to have implicated Burns, who had been with Cranford that night.
Arkansas Gazette, September 26, 1922 -
"The Supreme Court decided yesterday" ...."That Charles Burns of Newton County must serve a life sentence in the penitentiary for the killing of Elijah Roberts".......Sentences are Affirmed: Sentences of four men who had been convicted of various forms of homicide were affirmed. Two were for life imprisonment. They were J. H. Maddox of Union County; Charles Burns of Newton County; George Graves of Lincoln County; and Buck Outler of Montgomery.
Burns was sentenced to life imprisonment in the penitentiary for the killing of Elijah Roberts. Roberts was a school director and had taken the part of a young woman teacher who had had trouble because she had punished the children of a man named Cranford. Burns, who was working for the Cranfords, took up the quarrel. Roberts was aroused late one night by a noise in his barn. When he went to investigate he was shot. He died the following morning after telling several persons that Burns had shot him.
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