CO F 26TH IND INF

Indiana Digital Archives
Accession Number 1938001
LastName Thomas
FirstName William
MiddleName O
Age 22
Date Enrolled 1861/08/30
Where Enrolled Indianapolis, Indiana
Regiment 26
Company F
Discharge date 1864/09/21
Notes Discharged at _____ expiration of service.
ReferenceNumber CIV188829

Report of the Adjutant General of State of Indiana
Civil War Soldiers from Perry County
Name and Rank: Thomas, William O. (Private)
Home: Cannelton
Entry Date: 8-30-1861
Unit: Co F 26th Inft Regt
Remarks: Mustered out 8-30-1864

Indiana Marriage Index
Name William O Thomas
Event Type Marriage Registration
Event Date 22 Mar 1868
Event Place Perry, Indiana, United States
Gender Male
Marriage License Date 21 Mar 1868
Spouse's Name Mary E Wilkerson
Spouse's Gender Female
Officiator's Name John Dorn
Page 491

United States Census, 1880
Cannelton, Perry Co., IN
Wm O Thomas Self M 42 Ohio (Coal Miner)
Mary Thomas Wife F 32 Indiana
Mollie Thomas Daughter F 12 Indiana
Ida Thomas Daughter F 10 Indiana
Wm W Thomas Son M 8 Indiana
Sarah A Thomas Daughter F 3 Kentucky

United States Census, 1900
Name William Thomas
Event Type Census
Event Year 1900
Event Place Troy Township Cannelton city, Perry, Indiana, United States
Gender Male
Age 62
Marital Status Married
Race White
Race (Original) W
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Years Married 32
Birth Date Jan 1838
Birthplace Ohio
Marriage Year (Estimated) 1868
Father's Birthplace Wales
Mother's Birthplace Virginia
Occupation Stone Quaryman
William Thomas Head M 62 Ohio
Mary E Thomas Wife F 52 Indiana
Ida M Thomas Daughter F 30 Indiana
William W Thomas Son M 28 Indiana

Cannelton Telephone, 3 Aug 1905, William O. Thomas, age 66, Killed, Obituary

Cannelton Enquirer, 5 Aug 1905, William O. Thomas, age 66 as killed in Cloverport, KY, burial in Cliff Cemetery.

William O. Thomas
Date of Event: 31 July 1905
Source: Tell City Anzeiger 5 Aug 1905
From Cannelton. The news arrived here Monday morning that William O. Thomas was murdered by Charles Pate due to a minor matter. (Omitted but was kicked in stomack during arguement) Thomas was 66 years old and came to Cannelton in 1861, where he enjoyed a good reputation. He went thru the Civil war in the Confederate Army(?) and leaves his widow and several grown children. The body was broght to Cannelton in the evening and buried on Thursday to its final rest.

Note: Thru the research above you will find William was in the Union Army.

THE BRECKINRIDGE NEWS
Cloverport, Kentucky, Wednesday, 2 Aug 1905
CHAS. PATE, FISHERMAN, KILLS WM. THOMAS, AGED STONE MASON BY KICKING HIM IN THE STOMACH.
W.O. Thomas an aged stone mason, whose home is at Cannelton, was killed by Chas. M. Pate, a fisherman, Monday morning, at the rock quarry, about two mile west of this city. Pate and his wife became involved in an altercation with Thomas and Pate kicked Thomas in the bowels. A blood vessel was ruptured and Thomas died four minutes after he received the kick. Pate fled when Thomas expired and his wife and children came to this city. It is generally believed that he committed in act in sudden anger and did not intend to kill Thomas.
Thomas occupied one room of a small shanty at the quarry and Pate and his family the other room. One story is that the trouble between Thomas and the Pates rose over the possession of Thomas' room and another is that it was started by Pate's children. Monday morning Mrs. Pate was in Thomas' room abusing him just before he was killed, it is said. When she go up she found a bundle of switches at her door and went into Thomas' room to accuse him, it is supposed, of having put them there. Ed Boling, the only eyewitness to the killing, except Pate and his wife, heard Mrs. Pate abusing Thomas left his house and went to Pate's shanty, a few yard distant. When he looked in he saw Pate kicking Thomas in the bowels with his knee. Thomas was sitting in a chair putting on his shoes, it is said, and Pate had his arms around his neck and was pulling him down as he kicked him. Thomas got up and walked out the door, when he fell and expired. Pate it seems, entered Thomas' room shortly after his wife and, in sudden passion, gave the old man the blow with his knee that caused his death. Boling says he did not hear Thomas say anything rough to Pate or his wife and it appeared that the latter were the aggressors. There is no probility that Pate intended that the kick he gave Thomas should kill him, for he would have used a weapon of some kind and made sure of his work. If he had wished to murder him.
Several days ago, it is said, Pate's children went into Thomas' room and disturbed his belongings. He was away and when he came back he put a lock on the door leading from his room into Pate's part of the shanty. This angered Mrs. Pate and she abused Thomas at the time for it, so the story goes. When she found the switches, she claims, her anger was increased. The shanty belonged to the rock quarry company but Pate had never paid rent for it. Thomas took up his abode in the shanty, with Pate's permission, a short time ago. From one source it is learned that Pate and his wife wanted possession of the room after they had given it up to Thomas and they are supposed to have abused the old man for this also.
The inquest was held about 12 o'clock Monday by Coroner Fuqua of Hancock county, the affair having occurred about a mile from the Breckinridge county line. Mr. Fuqua was accompanied from Hawesville by Sheriff E.G. Bannon, of Hancock county, and Dr. Jones, of Hawesville. The verdict was that Thomas came to his death by being kicked by Pate. Dr. Jones made an examination and expressed the opinion that a ruptured blood vessel, the result of the kick delivered by Pate, had caused the death of Thomas. The evidence given in the inquest brought out part of the facts narrate. The others were learned from another source.
Pate is well known about here as a worthless fellow. He supports his family in a miserable manner by fishing at odd times. Last winter, while living here, he allowed his family to become absolutely destitute and left them temporarily in that condition. He is about thirty-two years of age.
Thomas had an interest, it is understood, in the operation of the rock quarry. He was between sixty and seventy years of age and in very poor health. For years he has been a stone mason and lived at Cannelton, where he leaves a family. He was a Mason and well known here.
Pate was still at large yesterday afternoon.
Note: Pate was later arrested, he and his wife were both held for inquiry. It is not known the outcome of the trail.