Clarence Schwartz - 1

Clarence Schwartz

Catherine Lenora Schwartz Welborn was the best oral family historian that I have ever encountered. During interviews with her, I remember scrambling to take notes fast enough to keep up with her as she spoke of her current and past families with exquisite detail and love abounding. One particular story she shared always haunted me—a shadow luring of investigation when the time was right. 

It is not like I wake up in the morning and say to myself today is the day I am going to look into this. But, more like, today I am going to stumble into this research and see what can be found with the tools and resources I have available. Maybe the inspiration just leaped from the treasured photograph and whispered...today please learn about me, my tragic death.

Today, I discovered how to search Google Advanced, narrowing to surname specific at one of my favorite blogs, Caddo-My Home Town. The author, Mary Maurer documents the historical events of Caddo, Bryan County, Oklahoma, the birthplace of my mother-in-law, Catherine Lenora Schwartz Welborn. Fortunately, Mary and I have shared emails. Ms. Maurer has a uncanny ability to write of Caddo, Oklahoma families like they are her own relatives.  I surmise the story of the murder of 11-year old, Clarence Schwartz must have influenced her documentation. Mary transcribed the news story as it appeared in The Blue County Democrat on November 10, 1905 and also provided an edited version of Arthur Hinsley vs. United States. The case law is an eleven page read. I have poured over the details of the appeals case several times and waiver between the innocence or guilt of Arthur Hinsley, haunted by Catherine's version of the story passed down from the Schwartz family members. More later . . .