THE TURKS, THE JONESES AND THE SLICKER WAR

Many settlers in the Ozarks came from Appalachia and, consequently, Ozark traditions mirrored those of Appalachia, whether in music, crafts, or feuds. West Virginia had its Hatfields and McCoys; Benton County, MO, had the Turks and the Joneses. Their feud, and its aftermath, lasted about 12 years. It started as a family affair, but soon spread across county lines and became something akin to a vigilante movement. It was known as the Slicker War.

The word "slicker" referred to the form of punishment for criminal behavior. The Slicker organization originated in Benton County, MO about 1841.  Slickers (vigilantes) were organized for the purpose of breaking up a band of horse thieves and counterfeiters who had their headquarters in the hills of Benton county. Similar organizations were formed in other parts of the State and were known by the general name, "Slickers." 

The thieves and counterfeiters were hunted down and "tried," then tied to a tree and "slicked" or whipped him with hickory swithes. He was then told to leave the country, which, usually, they were glad to do. Some, determined to be 'ringleaders' were executed. Later, when new county lines were drawn between Polk and Benton counties, they were separated by Hickory county! 

In some instances the very thieves and counterfeiters became members of the "societies," leading to extreme violence. As the violence became unbearable to the citizens, anti-Slicker groups organized. This increased the rage/war between the opposing factions. Many were killed, wounded, or maltreated. This did restore some peace and security, but instead of disbanding, they continued their activities and soon began to punish the innocent with the guilty. 

The feud in Warsaw, MO was between Hiram Turk, with his 3 sons, and Andy Jones and his 4 sons. What started out as a family affair, soon involved more people and it would last for several years.

Colonel Hiram Turk came to Benton County with his wife and four sons: James, Thomas, Nathan and Robert, from Tennessee, settling in an area known as Judy’s Gap.  Colonel Turk had served in the Tennessee militia.  A businessman in Tennessee, he opened up a general store and saloon in  Warsaw, MO. The family was described as being courteous and well-educated, but also had a reputation for being “quarrelsome, violent and overbearing."

The Andy Jones family, from Kentucky, settled along the Pomme de Terre River, a tributary of the Osage River.  Jones and his sons had a penchant for gambling, horse racing and were suspected of counterfeiting.  They were said to be coarse and likely illiterate as they always signed their names by a mark.

Tensions between the families began on Election Day, 1840, when Andy Jones walked into Hiram’s store being used as the polling place.  Jones started an argument with James Turk about a horse race bet and fight ensued as Hiram and his other sons joined in, his son Tom pulled a knife.  No one was seriously injured but a few days later Tom, James and Robert Turk were indicted for inciting a riot and fined $100.  Hiram and James were indicted for assaulting Andy Jones, however, Hiram and James’ trial was delayed, until the April 1841 term.  

The Circuit Court convened on April 3, 1841.  Abraham Nowell, a respected citizen, was the chief witness against the Turks.  Nowell was on his way to court with Julius Sutliff, a neighbor of the Turks, when James Turk assaulted him.  Abraham Nowell, in self-defense, grabbed Sutliff’s gun and killed James Turk.

Nowell, fearing Turk family retribution, fled the area but, in September returned and turned himself into the Sheriff.  He was arrested and posted bail awaiting trial in April 1842.  Nowell was acquitted, possibly on the strength of testimony against James Turk.  One witness, John Prince, testified:
             "I heard James Turk say that Mr. Nowell was a main witness, and never should give in evidence against them, that he intended to take the damned old son of a bitch off his horse and whip him, so he could not go to court.  Turk further said that if they took the case to Springfield he would have him (Nowell) fixed so he never would get there."

The Turks got their revenge.  On the morning of Oct 18, 1842, they shot Neowell dead as he was coming out of his house. 

During the spring of 1841 when James was killed, Hiram and Tom had filed a number of “nuisance” lawsuits against their neighbors.  After James was killed the tensions between the Turks and Joneses heated up again.

A relative of the Joneses, James Morton, had killed an Alabama sheriff in 1830 and fled to Benton County MO.  On May 20, 1841, McReynolds, a bounty hunter, brought indictment papers to the Benton County sheriff.  The sheriff was unconvinced that the evidence was sufficient to warrant Morton’s arrest.

The reward for Morton’s capture was $400 and McReynolds, determined to bring Morton to justice, recruited the Turks to assist him.  The Turks were successful and after turning him over, McReynolds took him back to Alabama where he was acquitted.  He later returning to Missouri. Meanwhile, Hiram Turk had been charged with kidnapping; the charges were dropped. 

This escalated the tension.  Andy Jones and his family vowed revenge on the Turks.  In early July 1841, Jones entered to an agreement with some of his friends to kill Hiram Turk.  They went so far as to draw up a binding agreement among all co-conspirators – anyone who divulged the secret plot to kill Hiram would himself be killed.

On July 17 Hiram Turk was ambushed; he never fully recovered and died at his home on Aug 10, 1841.

Since the Circuit Court was still in session, Andy Jones and several of his friends were indicted for the murder of Hiram Turk.  On Dec 9, 1841, Andy Jones was acquitted, the jury deciding that there was insufficient evidence to convict him.  One friend, Jabez Harrison, later confessed that he and Andy, along with 3 other men were hiding in the brush.  He accused Henry Hodges of firing the shot.  Some of the co-conspirators, including Hodges, fled the area.

The unsuccessful attempt to convict Andy Jones of Hiram’s murder was when the so-called Slicker War began in earnest; the Turks would not be satisfied until they had exacted their own brand of “frontier justice,” driving the Joneses out of the Ozarks.

Each side formed their own alliances.  Just like Andy Jones had made a binding agreement with his friends to kill Hiram Turk, Tom Turk made a similar one with at least 30 of his friends.  To make it more palatable, they publicly declared their purpose was to drive out horse thieves, counterfeiters and murders.

The slickings continued, each side determined to drive the other out of the county. The Joneses formed their own alliance known as “Anti-Slickers."  As it turns out the “Anti-Slickers” were no better than the “Slickers.” The entire community took sides.

The feud ended, or at least died down, after the state arrested 38 Slickers in the attack of Samuel Yates, an innocent farmer.  The case never went to trial.  Tom Turk was later killed by one of his own posse members.  Andy Jones fled to Texas and Nathan Turk followed him.  When Jones was arrested for stealing horses, Nathan’s testimony helped convict him, he was found guilty and hanged.

Nathan Turk would later be killed in a gunfight in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Mrs. Turk and her remaining son Robert returned to Kentucky.  

Although the Turks and Joneses were dead or gone, hard feelings and random acts of violence by their former compatriots continued for more than a decade.