Victims of Circumstance

What do a horse thief, a county seat war, and a man buried under a cloud of murder rumors have in common? In late 19th-century Kansas, the answer lies not in fiction—but in the yellowed pages of local newspapers, where truth and speculation often shared the same column.

Welcome to Prairie Tales, where forgotten headlines come alive and the past refuses to stay buried. In this episode, we journey back to Newton and Sedgwick, Kansas, during the turbulent years of 1887 and 1888—a time when justice was swift, rumors ran wild, and the line between coincidence and conspiracy blurred.

We begin with Ralph M. Stewart, a man serving time for assault, who discovers that his own farm manager—missing along with a stolen horse—has landed in the cell right next to his. Then, we unravel the tale of J.F. Ollinger, accused in a violent county seat dispute, who defied public suspicion with an airtight alibi and walked free with honor. And finally, we delve into the tragic case of Joseph Hamilton, whose death was first dismissed as the result of alcohol and neglect, only to be sensationalized into a murder mystery—until the truth was exhumed, quite literally.

These stories, drawn from original newspaper excerpts, reveal not just the crimes and controversies of a bygone era, but the way communities wrestled with truth, justice, and the power of the press. So settle in—because the prairie has secrets, and tonight, it’s telling them.

For a self-study / teachers guide and the original source newspaper articles, visit www.PrairieTales.US.