1. Giles Co, VA; Marriage License #83-014117; Ancestry.com Website.
John Paul Snuffer; age 25; born 4 Sep 1957 in WV; divorced; this is his 2nd marriage; first marriege
ended 9 Dec 1981; 12th grade education; living at Box 7. Surveyor, WV; son of Richard Vinson and
Helen Hope (Talbert) Snuffer; married on 18 Apr 1983 in Giles Co, VA; Sandra Lea Worley; maiden
name, Browning; age 24; born 25 Jun 1958 in WV; divorced; this is her 2nd marriage; first marriage
ended 4 Mar 1982; 12th grade education; living at Box 7, Surveyor, WV; daughter of Elvis Foster and
Norma Talmidge (Osborne) Browning.
1. FindAGrave.com Website; submitted by B. Walls; 10 Aug 2013.
"Jackie Odell Browning Sr.
Birth 17 Nov 1948
Verner, Mingo County, West Virginia, USA
Death 11 Aug 2008 (aged 59)
Ritchie County, West Virginia, USA
Burial Basham Cemetery
Auburn, Ritchie County, West Virginia, USA
Memorial ID 115249307"Inscription
"US ARMY VIETNAM * BRONZE STAR MEDAL * ARMY COMMENDATION MDL W/V"
Theodore Raymond "Teddy" Browning
1. FindAGrave.com Website; submitted by JMW; 2 Feb 2018.
"Theodore Raymond “Teddy Ray” Browning
Birth 1 Apr 1951
Verner, Mingo County, West Virginia, USA
Death 2 Feb 2018 (aged 66)
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, USA
Burial Browning-Dye Cemetery
Verner, Mingo County, West Virginia, USA
Memorial ID 187041601"Additional Information Posted:
"Theodore "Teddy" Browning, 66, passed away February 2nd, 2018. He was born April 1st, 1951, in Verner, West Virginia, the son of Foster and Norma Osborne Browning."Teddy was the owner/operator of Browning Flooring.
"He is preceded in death by his: Mother- Norma Osborne Browning, Father- Foster Browning, Brothers- Robert F. Browning, Billy Joe Browning, and Jackie O'Dell Browning.
"He is survived by his sons- Todd (Wife Angel) Runciman, Ryan Conley, Daughter- Rachael Wright, Brothers- Rickie (Wife Julie) Browning, Sisters- Linda Kay Browning, Theresa Vance Browning, Sandy (Husband John) Snuffer, Bonnie Browning (Widow of Jackie O'dell Browning) and Carol (Husband Randy) Dixon, Grandson's Brandon Runciman, Cody Runciman, and Kyle Roberts.
"A Celebration of Teddy's life will be Wednesday, February 7th, at Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary, located at 2126 East 71st Street, Indianapolis, IN. 46220. Visitation will be from 3 pm to 7 pm, followed by the funeral ceremony, at 7 pm. Additional service will be Friday at 12 pm, at the Verner Community Church, located in Verner, West Virginia. Condolences may be offered at::"
1. West Virginia, U.S., Marriages Index, 1785-1971; Ancestry.com Website.
"Name Sidney Osburn
Gender Male
Spouse's Name Emma Ross
Spouse Gender Female
Marriage Date 1908
Marriage Place Wayne, West Virginia, United States"
2. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942; Ancestry.com Website.
"Name Sidney Osborne
Gender Male
Birth Date 15 Feb 1885
Birth Place Wayne, West Virginia, USA
Residence Place Mingo, West Virginia, USA
Military Draft Date 1942
Next of Kin Preston Toney"
3. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007; Ancestry.com Website.
"Name Sidney Osborne
Gender Male
Race White
Birth Date 15 Feb 1885
Birth Place East Lynn, West Virginia
Father William Osborne
Mother Rebecca Ferguson
SSN 234142511
Notes May 1937: Name listed as SIDNEY OSBORNE "
4. West Virginia, U.S., Deaths Index, 1853-1973; Ancestry.com Website.
"Name Sidney Osbourn
Death Date 21 Aug 1957
Death Place Mingo, West Virginia
Father Name William Osbourn
Mother Name Rebecca Ferguson
FHL Film Number 2074136"
1. West Virginia, U.S., Marriages Index, 1785-1971; Ancestry.com Website.
"Name Sidney Osburn
Gender Male
Spouse's Name Emma Ross
Spouse Gender Female
Marriage Date 1908
Marriage Place Wayne, West Virginia, United States"
1. 1900 Census, McDowell Co, WV; Sandy River District; taken on 21 Jun 1900; Page 250A; Image
23 of 65; Family #200/200.
Listed as Fred Powell; age 12; born in Apr 1888 in WV; farm laborer; in household of father, Daniel
F. Powell.
2. McDowell Co, WV; Marriage Records; Vol #__(1909); Page 270; WV Archives Web Site.
Fred Powell; age 21; born in McDowell Co, WV (sic, Pike Co, KY); single; farmer; living at Avondale,
WV; son of Daniel and Elizabeth; was issued a license to marry on 28 Apr 1909 in McDowell Co, WV;
Sarah Blevins; age 18; born in McDowell Co, WV; single; daughter of G.H. and ______.
(No return by a minister)
3. 1910 Census, McDowell Co, WV; Sandy River District; taken 3 May 1910; Page 89B;
Family #182/184.
. Listed as Fred Powell; age 22; born in WV; married once for 1 yr; odd job laborer; head of houseld.
4. 1930 Census, McDowell Co, WV; Sandy River District; taken on 18 Apr 1930; Page 239A; Image
31 of 33; Family #254/258.
Listed as Fred Powell; age 43; born in WV; married at 22; widowed; farmer; head of household.
5. McDowell Co, WV; Marriage Records; Vol #__(1938); Page 165; WV Archives Web Site.
Fred Powell; born 11 Apr 1888 in Pike Co, KY; living at Bradshaw, WV; son of Daniel and Elizabeth;
married on 4 Jun 1938 at Lex, WV; Stella Rowe; born 12 Jan 1898 at Bradshaw, WV; living at
Bredshaw, WV; daughter of Dulcina Ratliff.
6. FindAGrave.com Website; submitted by Amanda Payne; 13 Feb 2013.
"Fred Wilson Powell
Birth 11 Apr 1888
Kentucky, USA
Death 9 Jan 1973 (aged 84)
McDowell County, West Virginia, USA
Burial Tom Sparks Cemetery
Paynesville, McDowell County, West Virginia, USA
Memorial ID 105131416"Additional Information Posted:
"Fred Wilson Powell was the son of Daniel Flint Powell and Elizabeth A. Asbury. He was the husband, (first) of Sarah Blevins-Powell, and (second) of Stella Rowe-Powell."Children of Fred and Sarah were Drewery, Luro, Olie, Laura Mae, Hassel, Flora, Ada B., and Thomas Arnold Powell.
"Children of Fred and Stella is Orbin Powell"
1. 1930 Census, McDowell Co, WV, Sandy River District, taken on May 1/2, 1930, Page 221B,
Family #342.
Listed as Stella Rowe, age 32, born in KY, married at 18, in household of husband, George C. Rowe.
2. McDowell Co, WV; Marriage Records; Vol #__(1938); Page 165; WV Archives Web Site.
Fred Powell; born 11 Apr 1888 in Pike Co, KY; living at Bradshaw, WV; son of Daniel and Elizabeth;
married on 4 Jun 1938 at Lex, WV; Stella Rowe; born 12 Jan 1898 at Bradshaw, WV; living at
Bredshaw, WV; daughter of Dulcina Ratliff.
3. FindAGrave.com Website; submitted by Patty Greene; 4 Feb 2009; maintained by L. Rowe Coyle.
"Roma Stella Ratliff Rowe Powell
Birth 31 Mar 1898
Pike County, Kentucky, USA
Death 18 Mar 1980 (aged 81)
Baltimore County, Maryland, USA
Burial Rowe Cemetery
Bradshaw, McDowell County, West Virginia, USA
Memorial ID 33553760"Additional Information Posted:
"Stella was a daughter of James "Jim" Ratliff & Dulcenia White Ratliff. She was born at Belcher, Pike County, Kentucky. Her parents are buried at the Honey Fork Cemetery in Ferrell's Creek, Pike County, Ky, , along with her maternal grandfather, Harrison White, and her paternal grandmother, Mary Polly Ratliff."Stella married George C. Rowe (1895-1934) in Pike County, Kentucky, on April 4, 1914. Stella's brother, John William Ratliff, married Oklahoma Rowe, George C. Rowe's (her husband) sister, making their children double first cousins.
"George was murdered near their home at Rockridge , just a few yards from the Rowe family cemetery steps, in December of 1934, by his cousin Harve Rowe, with shotgun wounds to the chest. Stella married a couple of years later to Fred Powell, and had one son.
"After a short and troubled marriage, Stella moved with her eldest child, Opal, who had been widowed during WWII, to Baltimore, Maryland, where she finished raising her youngest children.
"Living to just shy of 82 years of age, she died in Baltimore. She was buried next to her first husband, George C. Rowe, at the Rowe cemetery within sight of their homeplace at Rockridge (Bradshaw), McDowell County, WV on a cold, blustery day."
1. 1940 Census, McDowell Co, WV; Adkin District; Wilcoe; E.D. 24-3; taken on 5 Apr 1940; Page 36B;
Image 12 of 64; Household #97.
Listed as Shirley Jean Kelly; age 3; born in WV; in household of father, Carl S. Kelly.
1. FinndAGrave.com Website; submitted by Armywife738; 8 May 2013.
"Reece Clinton Rudder
Birth 28 Aug 1880
McDowell County, West Virginia, USA
Death 6 Feb 1935 (aged 54)
Clinchco, Dickenson County, Virginia, USA
Burial Glenwood Cemetery and Chapel Mausoleum
Bristol, Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA
Plot Section 4
Memorial ID 110234143"Additional Information Posted:
"Married Louvina Murray on July 03, 1901 in Wise County, Virginia. They had several children. Walter Marvin, Bess Clyde, Virginia May, Mabel Gladys, Christine, Betty Marie, Louise T, Lillian Aleise, Robert Clinton, Harry Vernon, Bonnie Kate and James Donald"
1. 1900 Census, Wise Co, VA; Lipps District; taken 8 Jun 1900; Page 86A; Family #294/311.
Listed as Vina Conely; age 13; born in Aug 1886 in KY; single; in household of mother, Margaret E.
Conley.
2. FinndAGrave.com Website; submitted by Armywife738; 8 May 2013.
"Mrs Louvina C “Lou” Murray Rudder
Birth 5 Aug 1886
Johnson County, Kentucky, USA
Death 4 Jul 1977 (aged 90)
Bristol, Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA
Burial Glenwood Cemetery and Chapel Mausoleum
Bristol, Sullivan County, Tennessee, USA
Plot Section 4
Memorial ID 110234144"Additional Information Posted:
"Louvina married Reece Clinton Rudder on July 03, 1901 in Wise County, Virginia. They had several children. Walter Marvin, Bess Clyde, Virginia May, Mabel Gladys, Christine, Betty Marie, Louise T, Lillian Aleise, Robert Clinton, Bonnie Kate and James Donald"
1. FindAGrave.com Website; submitted by D.L. Johnson; 8 May 2020.
"Ruben B Davis
Birth 8 Feb 1882
Death 11 Jan 1974 (aged 91)
Burial Caldwell Springs Baptist Church Cemetery
Elizabethton, Carter County, Tennessee, USA
Memorial ID 209878239"
1. 1900 Census, Wise Co, VA; Lipps District; taken 8 Jun 1900; Page 86A; Family #294/311.
Listed as Cora Conely; age 11; born in Jan 1889 in KY; single; in household of mother, Margaret E.
Conley.
2. FindAGrave.com Website; submitted by D.L. Johnson; 8 May 2020.
"Cora A Conley Davis
Birth 13 Jan 1889
Death 31 Jul 1985 (aged 96)
Burial Caldwell Springs Baptist Church Cemetery
Elizabethton, Carter County, Tennessee, USA
Memorial ID 209878290"
1. 1880 Census, Pike Co, KY; Mouth of Caney Creek Precinct; taken on 9 Jun 1880; Page719A,
Family #40.
Listed as William W. Little; age 8; born in KY; in household of father, William Little.
2. FindAGrave,com Website; submitted by E.M. Smith; 25 Feb 2022.
"William Howard Little
Birth Aug 1872
Kentucky, USA
Death 11 Feb 1910 (aged 37)
Virginia, USA
Burial Burial Details Unknown
Memorial ID 237051360"Additional Information Posted:
"William Howard Little of McDowell County, W.Va., was convicted of murder in 1909. He was executed on Feb. 11, 1910, by the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, Mr. Little maintained his innocence to the bitter end and modern researchers have built a case that he was, in fact, not guilty."Mr. Howard was born in August 1872 in Kentucky, a son of William Little and wife Margaret Johnson Little.
"The 1880 U.S. Census has him living in Pike County with his parents and siblings: William, a farmer, and his wife Margaret; and their children, William H., 8; Josephine, 6; Floyd, 4; Belledry (also seen as Belle or Bellderry), 3; and Synthia (also seen as Cynthia), 7 months. Census Place: Mouth of Caney Creek, Pike, Kentucky; Roll: 439; Page: 718A; Enumeration District: 104.
"In 1892, Howard Little, 20, a U.S. marshal, killed a romantic rival in Pike County, Ky. He was sentenced to life in prison but, after serving four years, was pardoned by the Kentucky governor.
"The 1900 U.S. Census for McDowell County, W.Va., has Howard Little, 27, living with his widowed mother, Margaret Little, 58. The census says Howard Little was married in 1892. But only Howard and his mother are living in the household. Census Place: Sandy River, McDowell, West Virginia; Page: 28; Enumeration District: 0075; FHL microfilm: 1241764. The census was taken in July 1900.
"In September 1900 in Mingo County, W.Va., W.H. Little, 28, a resident of McDowell County, W.Va., married Matilda Mounts, 17, a resident of Buchanan, Va. A second marriage record online says they were both residents of Pike County, Ky. (West Virginia Vital Research Records) William Howard and Matilda "Tilda" Little had four children: Grant, Edna, Robert, and Sadie.
"In 1909 Mr. Little was charged with murdering George Meadows and his family in their home in Hurley, Buchanan County, Va. There were six victims: George and his wife Lydia; the three Meadows children, Will, Noah and Lafayette, all under 10 years old; and Elizabeth E. "Betty" Baker Justus, Lydia's mother. George was both bludgeoned and shot and other family members were killed with the blunt side of an axe or hatchet. The Meadows home was then set on fire. George's body was outside the home. The Meadows family was buried in the Justice Cemetery in Buchanan, Va.
"One account says at the time of the Meadows murders in Virginia, Little and his family were living in Bull Creek, McDowell County. Geographic note: these locations in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia were, to the state the obvious, in different states but close by.
"Mr. Little was found guilty and executed on Feb. 11, 1910.
"Newspaper articles at the time said Mr. Little went to his death "game" and stoic and dignified. His only concerns were about his children and his final resting place. He wanted to be buried in a family cemetery in Mohawk, McDowell County, W.Va. He made sure money was available to make that happen. An article said his body was taken to Mohawk.
"A brief item reprinted from the Roanoke World, said, "The condemned man still declares he is innocent but says he is ready to die. The only thing that worries him is he desires to be buried at home, and the future of his children." (The Bluefield Telegraph, W.Va., Feb. 3, 1910, Page 5.)
"THE MAN FROM THE TRAIN
"Evidence and observation that points to Mr. Little's innocence are detailed in a true-crime book: "The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery," 2017, by Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James. Ebook: Page 17-27 and Page 407-418.
"The authors – father/daughter -- researched a series of killings of entire families that happened in the late 1800s/mid-1900s. They believe the murderer was a man who rode the rails (thus the title) and sought out isolated homes with a woodpile and an axe conveniently available. He attacked around the midnight hour and left no one alive. The authors believe that Howard Little and many other people who lived near the murdered families were falsely accused (and in some cases executed or lynched) for the serial killer's crimes. Generally, the accused were white people of low social standing or black people.
"Mr. Little was a big man, handsome and hard-working. He was a foreman at Ritter Lumber Co. He was not without flaws. Though married he was known as a "Don Juan." At the time of the Meadows murders, he was having an affair.
"The case against Mr. Little:
• His prior conviction for murder.
• Interest in Betty Justus's money. Her son Senate/Sennit Justus worked at Ritter Lumber and said Little asked how much money Mrs. Justus carried around with her. (Little's wife said he had money and she could lead authorities to it. But a stash of money was never found).
• Comparison of the bullets in George Meadows' body to a gun in Little's possession. The bullets "fit" the gun. This was pre-ballistic testing.
• A bloody penny. On the morning after the murders, Little bought a newspaper with a "bloody penny" and the news agent turned it into the police.
• The "angry allegations of his wife, which were repeated in the newspapers, although she didn't not testify in court." She also narked him out when Little was trying to leave the area.
• Testimony of Mary Lee, who lived with the Little family. She said he was out late the night of the murders and was restless the next day.
• A cut on his leg. The morning after the murders, Little was home cutting brush. Mary Lee said Little came in the house and asked for bandages, but the wound was "dry."
• A wet jacket. On the morning after the murders, his jacket was wet and the idea was Little had washed blood out of it.
• Possession of a lantern that 20 "witnesses" said belonged to the Meadows home. The authors believe the lantern was carried by The Man from the Train until he got back to the railroad. He set it down in the middle of the road and then Little came along and carried it home. It was found hanging in his barn."…Little was executed in the electric chair in Richmond on February 11, 1910. He went to his death calmly, composed and dignified. He denied any involvement in the Meadows murder until the last moment of his life. He was buried in his family cemetery in McDowell County, West Virginia."
"ONLINE SOURCES
"https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2019/09/laurel-creek-murders-part-1.html"https://crimereads.com/when-the-devil-comes-to-town-unmasking-a-100-year-old-axe-murderer/
"http://www.oocities.org/rmbaker66/jstsmrdr.html
"https://www.billjamesonline.com/the_man_from_the_train_part_i/"
1. Fanning Funeral Home; Welch, WV; Posted Obit.
"Timothy Dean Marcus, age 49, of Coalwood, passed away Friday, October 12, 2012, at his residence. Born February 24, 1963, in Welch, WV, he was the son of the late Daniel and Pearlie Mae Marcus.
"Survivors include one daughter Valerie Marcus Moody of Morganton, N.C. one son Gage Allen Marcus of Morganton, N.C. and one stepdaughter Megan Ann Price of Morganton, N.C two Sisters, Tina Strong of Coalwood, W.V.; and Sherry Young and Husband James of Spartanburg, S.C; one brother, David Wayne Marcus and Robin of Springville, V.A.; grandchildren Zoey and Lilly Moody, Nathan Marcus, Sveva and Emma Price; stepmother Lenora Marcus of Coalwood."Memorial services will be conducted Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 1 P.M. at the Pentecostal Holiness church in Coalwood W.V. with the Reverend George Masterson officiating...."