James William Hutchins was the 6th child born in 1888 to David Hutchins/Hutchens and Caroline Woodard, in Ash Grove, Greene County, Missouri where the family was living in 1880. In 1885 the family moved to Benton County, Arkansas. His father died when James was in the 6 grade and the family moved to Chanute, Kansas to be near his mothers family. James droped out of school and went to work in the lead mines to help support the family.
By the early 1920's James had only two members of his family of 12 living. Consumption and mining accidents had taken their toll. Bertie McGinnis came into James life and they were married in December of 1915 but it didn't work out. Being a miners wife was very difficult an within three years she was gone.
James started in the deep shafts when he was Bearley a teenager and worked up to Yard Boss of the Eagle Mine in Pitcher, Oklahoma by the 1920's. In the spring of 1922 he met Delpha Stout. A pretty young waitress in a Joplin restaurant with a six year old son and on October 23 of 1923 they were married. Their son James was born in 1925 followed by Karl and then Juanita. Life was not easy but life was good.
James like many of the miners drank and sometimes excessively. He came home drunk one night and decided he did not like the dinner Delpha had fixed. He grabbed up the dishes and through them all out the kitchen window into the back yard and stormed out. As the story is told the Mine Superintendent was coming to dinner the next night. Delpha cooked the meal and placed the meal in the pots and pans on the table. When James with the Super in tow arrived, his first question was where is the dishes, Delpha said they are where you threw them in the back yard. If you want them go get them. That ended the flying Sauser sighting in Joplin.
The Eagle mine closed during the Great Depression throwing every one out of work. With a wife and 4 hunger children to feed and no money or work or any possibility of finding work, the situation was desperate. James made a decision that would cost him his freedom, his family, and his life. He decided along with two other that he met in a bar to hold up a bank currier. He was caught and along with two of his accomplices. He was sentenced to 10 years for Highway Robbery. He escaped from the State Prison Hog Farm and was caught at his family home. His decision to escape meant the full ten years would have to be served. Delpha divorced him. The robbery made a desperate situation even worse for the family.
James died alone in the Missouri State Prison on 8/27/1939 from problems associated with his years working in the mines. He donated his body to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. The following spring When the Kirksville College was through with it, his body was sent to Tanner Funeral Home in ST Louis, MO. for cremation. The Funeral home burned in July, 1969 destroying all of the records. It is not known the final resting place of James ashes. Fred Wale (step son)
By the early 1920's James had only two members of his family of 12 living. Consumption and mining accidents had taken their toll. Bertie McGinnis came into James life and they were married in December of 1915 but it didn't work out. Being a miners wife was very difficult an within three years she was gone.
James started in the deep shafts when he was Bearley a teenager and worked up to Yard Boss of the Eagle Mine in Pitcher, Oklahoma by the 1920's. In the spring of 1922 he met Delpha Stout. A pretty young waitress in a Joplin restaurant with a six year old son and on October 23 of 1923 they were married. Their son James was born in 1925 followed by Karl and then Juanita. Life was not easy but life was good.
James like many of the miners drank and sometimes excessively. He came home drunk one night and decided he did not like the dinner Delpha had fixed. He grabbed up the dishes and through them all out the kitchen window into the back yard and stormed out. As the story is told the Mine Superintendent was coming to dinner the next night. Delpha cooked the meal and placed the meal in the pots and pans on the table. When James with the Super in tow arrived, his first question was where is the dishes, Delpha said they are where you threw them in the back yard. If you want them go get them. That ended the flying Sauser sighting in Joplin.
The Eagle mine closed during the Great Depression throwing every one out of work. With a wife and 4 hunger children to feed and no money or work or any possibility of finding work, the situation was desperate. James made a decision that would cost him his freedom, his family, and his life. He decided along with two other that he met in a bar to hold up a bank currier. He was caught and along with two of his accomplices. He was sentenced to 10 years for Highway Robbery. He escaped from the State Prison Hog Farm and was caught at his family home. His decision to escape meant the full ten years would have to be served. Delpha divorced him. The robbery made a desperate situation even worse for the family.
James died alone in the Missouri State Prison on 8/27/1939 from problems associated with his years working in the mines. He donated his body to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. The following spring When the Kirksville College was through with it, his body was sent to Tanner Funeral Home in ST Louis, MO. for cremation. The Funeral home burned in July, 1969 destroying all of the records. It is not known the final resting place of James ashes. Fred Wale (step son)
James William Hutchins was the 6th child born in 1888 to David Hutchins/Hutchens and Caroline Woodard, in Ash Grove, Greene County, Missouri where the family was living in 1880. In 1885 the family moved to Benton County, Arkansas. His father died when James was in the 6 grade and the family moved to Chanute, Kansas to be near his mothers family. James droped out of school and went to work in the lead mines to help support the family.
By the early 1920's James had only two members of his family of 12 living. Consumption and mining accidents had taken their toll. Bertie McGinnis came into James life and they were married in December of 1915 but it didn't work out. Being a miners wife was very difficult an within three years she was gone.
James started in the deep shafts when he was Bearley a teenager and worked up to Yard Boss of the Eagle Mine in Pitcher, Oklahoma by the 1920's. In the spring of 1922 he met Delpha Stout. A pretty young waitress in a Joplin restaurant with a six year old son and on October 23 of 1923 they were married. Their son James was born in 1925 followed by Karl and then Juanita. Life was not easy but life was good.
James like many of the miners drank and sometimes excessively. He came home drunk one night and decided he did not like the dinner Delpha had fixed. He grabbed up the dishes and through them all out the kitchen window into the back yard and stormed out. As the story is told the Mine Superintendent was coming to dinner the next night. Delpha cooked the meal and placed the meal in the pots and pans on the table. When James with the Super in tow arrived, his first question was where is the dishes, Delpha said they are where you threw them in the back yard. If you want them go get them. That ended the flying Sauser sighting in Joplin.
The Eagle mine closed during the Great Depression throwing every one out of work. With a wife and 4 hunger children to feed and no money or work or any possibility of finding work, the situation was desperate. James made a decision that would cost him his freedom, his family, and his life. He decided along with two other that he met in a bar to hold up a bank currier. He was caught and along with two of his accomplices. He was sentenced to 10 years for Highway Robbery. He escaped from the State Prison Hog Farm and was caught at his family home. His decision to escape meant the full ten years would have to be served. Delpha divorced him. The robbery made a desperate situation even worse for the family.
James died alone in the Missouri State Prison on 8/27/1939 from problems associated with his years working in the mines. He donated his body to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. The following spring When the Kirksville College was through with it, his body was sent to Tanner Funeral Home in ST Louis, MO. for cremation. The Funeral home burned in July, 1969 destroying all of the records. It is not known the final resting place of James ashes. Fred Wale (step son)
By the early 1920's James had only two members of his family of 12 living. Consumption and mining accidents had taken their toll. Bertie McGinnis came into James life and they were married in December of 1915 but it didn't work out. Being a miners wife was very difficult an within three years she was gone.
James started in the deep shafts when he was Bearley a teenager and worked up to Yard Boss of the Eagle Mine in Pitcher, Oklahoma by the 1920's. In the spring of 1922 he met Delpha Stout. A pretty young waitress in a Joplin restaurant with a six year old son and on October 23 of 1923 they were married. Their son James was born in 1925 followed by Karl and then Juanita. Life was not easy but life was good.
James like many of the miners drank and sometimes excessively. He came home drunk one night and decided he did not like the dinner Delpha had fixed. He grabbed up the dishes and through them all out the kitchen window into the back yard and stormed out. As the story is told the Mine Superintendent was coming to dinner the next night. Delpha cooked the meal and placed the meal in the pots and pans on the table. When James with the Super in tow arrived, his first question was where is the dishes, Delpha said they are where you threw them in the back yard. If you want them go get them. That ended the flying Sauser sighting in Joplin.
The Eagle mine closed during the Great Depression throwing every one out of work. With a wife and 4 hunger children to feed and no money or work or any possibility of finding work, the situation was desperate. James made a decision that would cost him his freedom, his family, and his life. He decided along with two other that he met in a bar to hold up a bank currier. He was caught and along with two of his accomplices. He was sentenced to 10 years for Highway Robbery. He escaped from the State Prison Hog Farm and was caught at his family home. His decision to escape meant the full ten years would have to be served. Delpha divorced him. The robbery made a desperate situation even worse for the family.
James died alone in the Missouri State Prison on 8/27/1939 from problems associated with his years working in the mines. He donated his body to the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. The following spring When the Kirksville College was through with it, his body was sent to Tanner Funeral Home in ST Louis, MO. for cremation. The Funeral home burned in July, 1969 destroying all of the records. It is not known the final resting place of James ashes. Fred Wale (step son)
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