A Divorce in 1881 and a Murder in 1928 - Ora Eby

 Phoebe Snyder Eby v Orra Alvin  Eby

No Sympathy, No Comfort, Divorce in Williams County, Ohio, 1881

By Pamela Pattison Lash (updated 3 December 2021)

 

Sometimes I found a very simple divorce record that did not have much information but was so touching, so sad.  This is one of those situations; however in updating this, I found much more, including the homicide case of Ora Eby.

 

Phoebe Snyder married Orra Eby on 16 June 1878 in Montgomery, Hillsdale Co, MI.  Both were born in Williams Co, OH – he was 22Y and she was 19Y; residency reports were shown that he lived in Steuben Co, IN while Phoebe lived in Williams Co, OH.  Phoebe was born on 28 April 1859, the daughter of Dr Charles Wesley Snyder and wife Eliza Bush.  The family was enumerated in the 1860 Edon, Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH as Charles 31 OH, Eliza 22 OH, Esther 2 OH and Phoebe 1 OH.  In the 1870 Florence Twp federal census, p34, there was an Orra Eby 14 OH living in the Harrison Martin household.  If these two census records reflect the couple, Phoebe was born in 1844 and Orra was born in 1856. This means she was 34 and he was 22 when they married.

 

I have found more information on Ora A Eby, born 27 March 1856 in Ohio, the son of Joseph Eby (1822-14 April 1856 Elkhart Co, IN) and Rachel Palmer (19 January 1827 NY – 16 August 1886 Walnut City, Rush Co, KS).  By c1840 Rachel Palmer and her parents were residents of Williams Co, OH and she married Joseph Eby in Steuben Co, IN on 13 July 1846.

 

Phoebe Eby appeared in the Williams County, Ohio Civil and Criminal Court (Roll 36 case number 865 - 23 Feb 1881) requesting a divorce. She complained that Orra failed to provide for her and their son Tharsend.  On 1 Oct 1879 she returned to the household of her uncle, John Snyder, and Orra fled to Kansas.  Their son died on 24 Nov 1880 at which time Phebe received no sympathy, no comfort, and no money for their son's funeral.  The court granted her a divorce.  In 1880 Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH Federal Census Dr Snyder had daughter Phoebe Eby 21 OH and grand-daughter Jane Eby 1 OH living with next door. Phoebe next married William H Fetters (28 Feb 1857 Williams Co, OH – 1 May 1928 Bryan, OH. The couple had children: Lulu, Beulah, and Charles. Phoebe died on 26 April 1934 in Bryan, OH and was buried in Brown Cemetery beside her husband William Fetters.

 

Amos Beebe, son of William and Polly Truman Beebe, was born in DeRuyter, Madison Co, NY.  He first married Martha Ross on 1 Jan 1826 in Knox Co, OH.  By 1860 he had moved to Scott Twp, Steuben Co, IN and married Rachel Elizabeth Palmer, the widow of Joseph Eby, and the mother of Ora Eby.The Beebes had three children, William C, James Edward, and Jesse, all born in Scott Twp.  Amos Beebe died in Steuben Co, IN on 11 Mar 1873 and was buried in the Alvarado Cem there.  

 

The Steuben Republican (Angola, IN), 1 May 1878 p3 stated that Ora Eby of Richland Twp excavated a portion of an Indian skeleton from a mound on the farm of John Ferrier.  Earlier in 1877 Ora was identified as a teacher in York Twp.  His brother Joseph Eby, a teacher in the Otsego Center School, c Jan 1879 was charged with assault and battery for taking a hickory stick to a non-compliant student who was causing trouble in the classroom.  Interestingly the newspaper stated that Eby, who pled not guilty, was indeed found not guilty as a teacher in that timeframe was identified as in loco parentis, or in place of the parents.

 

According to the 1880 Center Twp, Rush Co, KS federal census p538B, Oran A Eby 23 OH lived with his mother and siblings, Rachel Beebe 53 NY, Joel D. Eby 25 IN, and Beebe sons William C 19 IN, Edward 16 IN, and Jesse J 13 IN.  The record showed that both Oran and mother Rachel were divorced.  Orra was also listed in the 1880 Franklin, Jackson Co, KS federal census p 139 as married man Orra A. Eby 24 OH-PA-NY, living in the household of Henry Eaby 61 OH. By the 1885 Center Twp, Rush Co, Kansas state census, Rachel Beebe and her sons, Orra and Joel Eby, plus Beebe step-children were enumerated there. According to the Western Economist (La Crosse, KS), 13 August 1891 p5 there was a sheriff’s sale and foreclosure of estate of Rachel Beebe.  The heirs of this were notified as Beebe – William, Jesse, Ed, James; Eby – Sidney, Ora, Joel, JD (administrator); Mary Eby Martin; Sarah A Eby Vaughan. 

Orra lived in Los Angeles, CA with wife Janet according to the 1910 federal census and was a widower/roomer there as of 1930; however Janet A Eby b1855 Canada living in Gardenia, Los Angeles Co, CA is listed as a widow in the 1920 federal census.  The conclusion could be that Ora once more was divorced sometime between 1916 when they were both listed as voters and 1920 when Janet is found in the federal census; however a kind reader sent me a death certificate for Janet Bond Eby who died on 28 April 1918 in Los Angeles.  The document stated her husband was Ora Eby.

 

 

The California Eagle, 5 May 1938 p5 c3 told the story of Ora Alvin Eby, an aged reclusive 83 year old, being the victim of young hoodlums who tortured and beat him to death to make him tell where he had concealed sums of money.  He was gagged with a pillow slip. Ora was murdered on 20 April 1938 in Los Angeles, CA, caused by being struck with an unknown instrument causing a concussion of the brain.  Neighbors all believed he was very wealthy as he owned real estate there. His death certificate stated he was a widower, but his wife’s name was Jennie. The state called this an unresolved homicide.  Ora Alvin Eby was buried in Inglewood Cemetery in Los Angeles.