Kit Carson County, Colorado
Histories



Orna W. Skinner, 7S 42W
 



ONE POSSIBLE
Loveland Leader (Loveland, Larimer County, Colorado) Aug 19, 1892 Page 1

A QUIET WEDDING

A Happy Couple Made One by Justice Allen

A very quiet wedding was consummated at the residence of G. M. Mason, the jeweler on Monday, evening Aug. 15.Indeed, so quiet was the affair kept, that not an inkling of it leaked out and it was not until Friday evening that the fact of the wedding was made public.The contracting parties were Mr. O. W. Skinner and Miss Flora B. Wheatley, both of whom are well known in Loveland, and vicinity.Miss Wheatley came here some months ago from Longmont, and went into business with her parents in a millinery and notion store. She at once became very popular among the young folks of the town, and received a great deal of attention. Chief among those who sought to win her favor was O. W. Skinner, and after a brief but ardent courtship, Miss Wheatley Capitulated. As they both wished to witness the conclave, it was agreed that the ceremony take place at once, and Mr. Skinner took a trip to the county seat on the date started, procured a license, and in the evening the ceremony was performed by Justice Allen, and with only Mr. and Mrs. Mason as witnesses.The happy couple took the train to Denver on Thursday morning and returned home on Friday evening, when the marriage was made known.

1904 " RAWLINS, Wyoming, June 4.
Quite a sensation was created In this city this evening when W. E. Collins, a prominent contractor, held up O. W. Skinner and took from him $145. Skinner Is the proprietor of a game In the Club saloon. Collins, during the past few days has lost large sums of money and was "broke." His stone masons were demanding their pay as Is the custom on Saturday nights and Collins had not the money. Skinner, it Is said, had borrowed $145, which was to fall due August 1, and Collins tried to get him to pay tho note this evening, which he refused to do. They held a private conversation In one of the wine rooms and coming out Skinner was invited to the bar to take a drink when Collins walked behind the roulette wheel, flashed a gun, and in the presence of almost thirty men, counted out the money. The City Marshal was standing near and commanded him to lay down the gun. Collins turned to him and remarked, "I'll lay down the gun when I get good and ready." After taking the money he wrote out a receipt for the amount of Skinner's debt and went out, defying any one to try to take the money from him. Several of his stone masons were in the saloon and he called them out and distributed the money. Collins' act Is a great surprise, but to drinking and his losses during the few days is attributed the cause of the hold-up. He Is a prominent Elk and Is well known in Salt Lake city, where he has a son employed In a bank. A warrant was sworn out for his arrest on the charge of robbery and he was taken Into custody by the Snerlff. He gave bonds at 9 o'clock tonight in the sum of $500. Mr. Collins has not lived in Salt Lake for the past three or four years, but his family; consisting of a wife and three tons, resides at 134 East Eighth South street. Collins has always borne a good reputation here and his friends are surprised to hear of the trouble at Rawlins."

ANOTHER POSSIBLE
Stephenson Illinois -1896 - "Death Of O. W. Skinner Orrin W. Skinner died at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. John Baltzer, in this place, on Monday Dec. 7, 1896, aged 76 years and 2 days. The deceased was born in Calaragus Do., N.Y., Dec 5, 1820. There he grew to manhood and in 1843 he was married to Miss Annis Bennis. In Feb. 1866 they came west and settled near Winslow. Here they resided for a number of years. In 1871 during an epidemic of typhoid fever, the wife of Mr. Skinner died. On the 23 of January a son died; on the 25 the wife died; on Feb. 14 a daughter died and March 23 another daughter passed away. To them were born 8 children, four of whom are living. They are Hiram and Mrs. Rose Baltzer, of this place; Mrs. R. Beartlett, of Afolkey,and Nathan, of Iowa. The deceased was married a second time to Mrs. Betsy Sherman and to them three children were born. During the past few years Mr. Skinner made his home in the west but early in the spring he came to this place and made his home with his daughter Mrs. Baltzer, where he died. Dropsey was the cause of death. Before coming west he had united with the M. E. church. At Winslow he was member of the U. B. church. Later for a time he was a member of the Reformed chured, but since his last return here a member of the M. E. church. The funeral was held Tuesday morning at Amity church, Rev. Blosser officiating. The interment took place at Winslow. The pall bearers were: Valentine Hance, J. K. Young, Jacob Potts, Jas. Leeman, Frank Kern and F .B. Winter."

ANOTHER POSSIBLE
November 1902 Paducah, Kentucky "Orna Skinner colored an employee of the Hiram Blow Stare company narrowly escaped a horrible death this morning about 1145 at the Illinois Central passenger depot. He had been drinking water from a small hose plug near the tracks running in front of the depot and just as he finished a switch engine putting the morning St. Louis train into a siding came along. The negro darted to cross the tracks and did not hear the warning of Switchman Bchnmaker. Tbe first coach struck Skinner at the head and knocked him to the ground. Three pair of trucks passed over his body but he was fortunate enough to draw in his limbs and escape losing them under the wheels. A brake beam caught the shoulder and dragged him some distance. Engineer Shepard stopped his engine at soon as signalled and the negro was taken out from under the coach in an unconscious condition. He soon regained his senses and an examination by Burgeon D O Mnrrell of the Illinois Central railroad hospital proved the injuries not as ... as first expected. The right shoulder hip and ankle are badly sprained and wrenched but no bones were found to be broken. Mayor Teller was notified of the accident and had the negro removed to the city hospital. Skinner had worked for the Illinois Central several months but was last Tuesday laid off when the cut was made in the force. This morning he went to work for Blow. He lived at Pine Bluff .. and was waiting here until the Illinois Central pay car came to get his money. He was boarding at 1213 Harrison street."

In 1906, Orna W. Skinner "of Coffeyville" was a graduate of the Western University in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

In 1911, Miss Orna W. Skinner had mail uncalled for at the Salina Kansas post office.

Orna, of Kanorado, Kansas proved up 147 acres in 12, 7S 42W in 1912.
Witnesses were Thomas Bandy, H.E. Pettibone (perhaps Pettijohn), John Christiansen, and Emil Stulgreen.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE
Denver, November 4, 1882. Orrin Skinner, a merchant of Quincy, Illinois, was arrested at Idaho Springs to day for having obtained money under false pretenses. He had a letter of introduction to Mining Expert Frank Obeston, and on the stregth of it secured payment on a draft for twenty-five hundred dollars on a New "V ork bank. He telegraphed immediately had payment on the draft stopped. At the time he had several thousand dollars on deposit in a Georgetown bank, this tact being evidence of fraudulent intent on his part. On being arrested he restored the money and paid an additional sum of $500 for expanses of the pursuit.

0RRIN W. SKINNER DEAD.
One of the Smartest Swindlers In the Country Dies in Prison.
SYRACUSE, N. Y., Sept. 17, 1896.
-Orrin W. Skinner died In Auburn prison to-day, where he was serving a sentence for grand larceny In the second degree. He was one of the most astute swindlers In tha United States. He was a lawyer and a man of commanding appearance. He moved in the best society and was known In all of the large cities of this country. His first wife was a daughter of O. H. Browning, Secretary of the Interior under President Johnson. Skinner was a high liver and was In the habit of stopping at the best hotels la the country. It was owing to his expensive habits that he was forced to commit crime which affected people in New York. Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco. He was in New York In the days that Tweed was in his glory and had much to do with the affairs of the city in those times.
Skinner came to Syracuse in 1893 and learned where a number of prominent people had their bank accounts. While these people were away he drew checks which he claimed were signed by these persons and had them cashed. For this he was arrested in Chicago.

G.P. Skinner of Kanorado had filed an application for a padded envelope in November 1907.

Leon M. Skinner had cash-claimed a quarter in 6S 41W - Sherman County, Kansas, in 1890.

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