On the eve of the 1898 election, the old Webster County Courthouse was crowded with officials collecting ballots and preparing for the next day’s vote. Beneath its dome, a simmering feud between two Caddo neighbors erupted in gunfire.

David H. Shelby was a respected farmer, family man, and community leader. Richard D. Kazee was a once-successful stockman worn down by bereavement, financial troubles, political conflict, and rumors of theft from a church collection plate. When Kazee confronted Shelby in the courthouse hall, dozens witnessed what followed.

Champ traces the grievances that led to Shelby’s murder, Kazee’s swift conviction, and the extraordinary circumstances that allowed a condemned man to beat the rope. It’s a story of politics, personal ruin, frontier-era justice, and just how loosely the jailhouse doors could swing in nineteenth-century Missouri.

Be sure to visit our sponsors:

• Tasty Acres Farm
• Penny Pinchers Grocery

And don't forget to give us a like and a follow on the Wild N' Woolly Ozarks Facebook Page.

Listen to past episodes at WildNWoollyOzarks.com

Join Champ as he welcomes historian and longtime friend Todd Wilkinson back to the Wild N’ Woolly Ozarks for a wide-ranging discussion of German immigration to Missouri. They explore the religious, political, and economic forces that brought German settlers west, their role in the Civil War, the backlash they faced during World War I, and the lasting influence of German culture on Missouri’s towns, churches, farms, festivals, food, beer, wine, education, and holiday traditions.

Be sure to visit our sponsors:

• Tasty Acres Strawberries and More
• Penny Pinchers Discount Grocery

And be sure to give the Wild N’ Woolly Ozarks a like and a follow.

In the first installment of “Beating the Rope,” Champ tells the wild true story of James “Crazy Jim” Crisp, an accused murderer whose 1891 crime set off years of escapes, delays, appeals, insanity claims, and political wrangling across southwest Missouri. It is a sprawling Ozarks tale of murder, justice, and one man’s remarkable effort to avoid the gallows.

Be sure to check out today's sponsors Penny Pinchers and Tasty Acres Strawberries and More.

Also, don't forget to give us a like and a follow, and tell your friends about The Wild N' Woolly Ozarks.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:22 The Tale of Jim Crisp
• 05:27 The Murder of John Pruitt
• 09:35 The Pursuit and Capture of Crisp
• 17:59 Crisp's Escapes and Recaptures
• 31:52 Crisp's Change of Venue
• 32:16 The Trial Begins
• 36:06 The Insanity Plea
• 37:55 Verdict and Sentencing
• 38:55 Appeal and Commutation
• 49:22 Sheriff's Trial
• 58:24 Remand to Lunatic Asylum
• 01:00:14 Aftermath and Legacy