Home > United States of America > Kansas > Douglas County > Lawrence > Oak Hill Cemetery > Leonard B. Arms

Leonard B. Arms

1 / 1

❮ ❯

Leonard B. Arms

Birth	:	1820 Adams, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA
Death	:	20 Apr 1860 Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, USA
Burial	:	Oak Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.9589005, -95.2118988
Inscription	:	The original headstone no longer exists. The lot contains several graves, but all of its headstones have deteriorated.
Description	:	Leonard B. Arms was a deputy US Marshal. On 20 April 1860, he was shot and killed by John Ritchie, who was resisting arrest. An annotated version, of an informed account of the incident and its aftermath, follows: Kansas Press (Council Grove, Kansas Territory), 30 April 1860, page 2. Samuel N. Wood, editor. Homicide at Topeka Our exchanges, especially from Topeka, are filled with accounts of the late [viz., 20 April 1860] homicide [of Deputy US Marshal Leonard B. Arms] at that place. We [editor Samuel N. Wood Samuel N. Wood, who... Read More	Leonard B. Arms was a deputy US Marshal. On 20 April 1860, he was shot and killed by John Ritchie, who was resisting arrest. An annotated version, of an informed account of the incident and its aftermath, follows: Kansas Press (Council Grove, Kansas Territory), 30 April 1860, page 2. Samuel N. Wood, editor. Homicide at Topeka Our exchanges, especially from Topeka, are filled with accounts of the late [viz., 20 April 1860] homicide [of Deputy US Marshal Leonard B. Arms] at that place. We [editor Samuel N. Wood Samuel N. Wood, who repeatedly refers to himself in this way, in this article,] happened to be in Topeka at the time, and will briefly state the circumstances, as we understood and witnessed them. Leonard Arms, the murdered man, was a citizen of Wyandotte [Kansas Territory] and a Deputy U.S. Marshal. At the time of his death, he had some two hundred warrants or other processes against men in Southern Kansas; amongst others, there were two warrants against John Ritchie, of Topeka. Arms had been at Lawrence and served papers, without any opposition; among others, he had served one on [James] H. Lane, without any resistance; at Topeka, he had done the same, and no one thought of resisting his authority, until, in a quiet way, he went to the house of John Ritchie. We were at Ritchie’s house within twenty minutes after the occurrence, and attended the Coroner’s [Dr. George W. Spencer’s] inquest; the [pistol] ball had entered Arms’ throat just under the chin, passing directly through and lodging near the back of the neck; his neck was broken. Arms had evidently died instantly, without a word or a struggle. A revolver lay by his side, the hammer resting between two tubes, showing that it had not been cocked. The gentleman [Mr. — Davidson] who accompanied Arms to Ritchie’s testified that he remained in the carriage—that instantly after the report of the pistol in the house, Ritchie ran around the house and shot three times at the carriage. Miss [Isabella] Garrison [the Ritchies’ hired girl] testified the same at the inquest. The facts, as we gathered them, are these: Ritchie and Arms were well acquainted; Ritchie having been a member of the [July 1859] Wyandotte Constitutional Convention, he boarded at Arms’ [Wyandotte, Kansas Territory,] hotel [i.e., the Eldridge House, which he managed for the Eldridge brothers, who were his in-laws]; they met in Ritchie’s yard in a friendly way; Arms informed him that he was a Deputy [US] Marshal, which Ritchie knew before, and that he had warrants for his arrest. Without any words, they passed into the house together—Ritchie arming himself with a revolver, Arms told him he would have to go—Ritchie said he would die first; high words passed, both parties drawing revolvers. Arms finally put up his revolver, and said he would get the [federal] troops [to help him arrest Ritchie], and Ritchie would have to go, and started to leave, but immediately turned around and informed Ritchie that he must go, then advancing toward him. Ritchie drew his revolver and told him to stand back or he would shoot him. Arms then drew his revolver and said if he did, he must shoot first. Ritchie retreated backwards to the door. Arms advanced to take him. Ritchie fired and Arms fell, and died as above stated. Arms was accompanied to Topeka by Mrs. [Shalor W.] Eldridge [a.k.a. Mary R. Norton Eldridge], a [sister-in-law], and her little boy [two-year-old Shalor W. Eldridge, Jr.]. Being a friend of the family, we [Samuel N. Wood] remained over night at Topeka, laid out the body, packed it in ice, and left, at 5 o’clock in the morning [21 April 1860], with it for Lawrence, a distance of twenty-five miles. At the request of the family, we [Samuel N. Wood] returned to Topeka the same evening [21 April 1860], to aid in the prosecution of Ritchie, if assented. Judge of our surprise, on arriving at Topeka, at learning that Ritchie had given himself up to a warm personal friend [Joseph C. Miller] that happened to be a Justice of the Peace—had an examination, and the words of acquittal were hanging on the lips of the Justice [Joseph C. Miller]. The County Attorney [of Shawnee County, Justus Brockway], as well as the Justice [Joseph C. Miller], were evidently only tools of Ritchie. Mr. [Hallends C.] Hawkins, an Attorney for the Territory, had in vain urged a continuance, so that important testimony might be obtained. Finding the condition of affairs, we [Samuel N. Wood] determined to make one effort to see if an article called justice could be had in Topeka. We [Samuel N. Wood] filed, with the Justice [Joseph C. Miller], an affidavit, that [Phillip] T. Colby, the U.S. Marshal, was an important witness, to prove the character in which Arms was acting, that word had been sent to him, but he had not had time to get there. Also, that we [Samuel N. Wood] had taken papers &c., from the person of the deceased and examined them in company with Mrs. [Mary R. Norton] Eldridge. That, among others, were two warrants for the arrest of Ritchie, then in the hands of Mrs. [Mary R. Norton] Eldridge, that she was not only absent, mourning over a murdered brother [-in-law], but owing to the excitement of the last twenty-four hours, was on a bed of sickness. We [Samuel N. Wood] asked that the case might be postponed, to get this testimony, but we appealed in vain; and when it is known that Ritchie gave himself up to this Justice, [Joseph] C. Miller, and that the County Attorney [Justus Brockway], at midnight the night before, that he was secreted, by said Justice [Joseph C. Miller] and Attorney [Justus Brockway], in the house of the Justice, and the friends of Arms [were] led to believe that he had fled the Territory, until they left town with the corpse, and then the examination, by an evident understanding between the Justice, County Attorney, and Ritchie, hurried through, and Ritchie’s [21 April 1860] acquittal agreed upon, before any of Arms’ friends could get to Topeka. The public will not be surprised at the result. We [Samuel N. Wood] regard the whole examination as a farce. If Ritchie was innocent, he and his friends should not have feared a full investigation; if guilty, the good of society demanded his punishment; yet, we [Samuel N. Wood] must say that we doubt very much whether a magistrate would undertake to decide the question, whether John Ritchie, or any other man, was justified in taking human life. If life has been taken, the guilty party, in at least nine cases out of ten, should be held to answer to a higher court, and a jury of his peers should decide his guilt or innocence. —————— Another account of the incident is in the 21 April 1860 issue of the Kansas State Record, of Topeka, Kansas Territory.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Leonard B. Arms's memorial?
Leonard B. Arms's memorial is located at: Oak Hill Cemetery, Lawrence, Douglas County, USA.
When did Leonard B. Arms death?
Leonard B. Arms death on 20 Apr 1860 in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Leonard B. Arms's memorial?
Latitude: 38.9589005
Longitude: -95.2118988

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Frances A. “Fanny” Eldridge Arms

(1821 - 1880)

Siblings

Children

Milita Arms

(1844 - 1862)

Francis Arms

(1845 - 1862)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Oak Hill Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9589005, -95.2118988

2. Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9580002, -95.2139969

3. Memorial Park Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9552994, -95.2153015

4. Trinity Episcopal Church Columbarium
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9653893, -95.2373886

5. Saint Johns Catholic Cemetery
Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9437900, -95.1919600

6. Dyche Hall Natural History Museum
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9584800, -95.2434800

7. Franklin Cemetery
Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9437523, -95.1869431

8. Haskell Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9353790, -95.2284241

9. Pioneer Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9528008, -95.2611008

10. First Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9414900, -95.2641600

11. Maple Grove Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 39.0018997, -95.2316971

12. County Poor Farm Cemetery
Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9119400, -95.2214600

13. Adams Cemetery
Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9955400, -95.2509100

14. Kennedy Cemetery
Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9112900, -95.2269200

15. Davis Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9722500, -95.2831100

16. Blue Mound Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9046600, -95.1865400

17. Marshall Cemetery
Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9040800, -95.2446700

18. Dutton Cemetery
Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.8989800, -95.2790600

19. Luckan Family Cemetery
Fall Leaf, Leavenworth County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9808500, -95.1128000

20. Cemetery Beni Israel
Eudora, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9280128, -95.1122208

21. Southwest City Cemetery
Eudora, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9334800, -95.1070300

22. Lyon Family Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9877440, -95.3166530

23. Corpus Christi Catholic Church Columbarium
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.9572250, -95.3238450

24. Richland Cemetery
Lawrence, Douglas County, USA
Coordinate: 38.8768997, -95.2630997