RUMLEY MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING GIRL, ONLY PERSON PUBLICLY EXECUTED LOCALLY

Residents of the former settlement of Rumley, near the present-day McCartyville, had known for sometime that Alfred Artis was a nasty character. Rumors swirled in the little community about Artis and the manner in which he treated his daughter, Emma. Some residents even whispered that Artis kept her chained to a post in a woodshed near his log cabin and forced her to work without sufficient clothing or food.

The date was Feb. 17, 1854. Word spread rapidly that the neighbors' worst fears had come true. Emma was dead. Her body was recovered from a shallow grave 4 1/2 miles west of Rumley. She was just 12 years old.

Artis was known as a man of superhuman strength. Sheriff James A. Dryden heard of the murder and went to Artis' home with his two deputies, Charles Eisenstein and Christian Kingseed. Kingseed was a blacksmith and was also respected for his physical prowess. After arriving at the house and finding him in a thicket nearby cutting wood, Eisenstein asked Artis if he would like to try his skill as a woodchopper. He handed him an ax he had found nearby. Using this ruse to divert his attention, the sheriff and his deputies overpowered Artis and took him to Sidney.

Artis was imprisoned immediately. The grand jury did not meet until April 21. Soon thereafter, Prosecutor Hugh Thompson obtained indictments on four crimes, including the murder of Emma. One of the key witnesses against Artis was another family member, Rhoda Artis.

Artis and his attorney asked the court to move the trial to what was then known as "district court" because of the publicity surrounding the crime. This maneuver, known now as a motion to change venue, was immediately overruled by the judge. The defendant refused to enter a plea, and the judge entered a plea of not guilty for him.

Artis was ordered to stand trial in front of a jury of his peers. In those days, only men who owned real estate in the county (known as "householders") could serve on a jury. The lurid details of the murder quickly spread outside the county until the murder was the talk of the entire state. Artis stood trial for his life beginning on July 6, 1854. There is no indication in the record that he was represented by an attorney. Prosecutor Thompson called numerous witnesses, including neighbors of the Artis family. Among those testifying were Thomas and Nancy Goings, Jacob Wiford and Jane Oldham.

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