Updated February 19, 2024: Mary Glass was just 14 years old and noticeably pregnant when she went missing the evening of March 24, 1916 from Coffeyville, Kansas. She was employed by local farmer Abe Cline, and several eyewitnesses claimed to have seen Mary that evening with his brother, Dave Cline Jr., in his Buick roadster shortly before she disappeared. Her body was found six weeks later in the Verdigris river, about a mile down the river from the old Cline farm, along with the body of a fully developed baby. She appeared to have been strangled with wire identical to baling wire found on the Cline farm, and her body had been weighted down and sunk into the river before breaking free and resurfacing.
Within days of Mary’s body rising to the surface, Dave Cline was arrested and charged with murder. After a sensational trial that captivated the attention of Montgomery county for months, Dave was acquitted by an all-white, all-male jury.
Who Was Mary Glass?
Mary Glass was born on January 15, 1902, to Steve and Mary Glass in Mississippi. Her name was probably not Mary; she only appeared on one census record, where her name was written as what seems to be “Cathalee,” and Mrs. Abe Cline called her “Cassie.”
Mary’s mother gave birth to 8 children total, but only four survived: Amanda (or Manda), Emma, Eleckanala (or Elector), and Mary (or Cassie/Cathalee). According to census records, Manda and Emma worked as farm laborers alongside their father as early as 10 years old.
At some point in the early 1900s, the Glass family moved from Mississippi to Kansas to seek better opportunities, and for a brief time, they found them. Steve was a laborer for a local brick company, and by 1910, Manda and Emma were no longer working, and Elector and Mary had enrolled in school in Coffeyville.
According to Mary’s mother, Steve left the family in 1911 at age 47. I found no burial or death record, but Mrs. Glass listed herself as widowed in the 1920 census.
In 1915, Mary dropped out of school at age 13. She started working as a domestic servant 2-5 days a week for Mrs. Abe Cline on the Cline farm. By November, Mary’s mother suspected she was “in a delicate condition,” and others she spent time with supposed she might be pregnant. When asked, Mary denied it.
On March 24, 1916, Mary Glass worked all day at the Abe Cline farm and left between 5:20 and 5:40 pm., carrying a bundle of clothes given to her by Mrs. Abe Cline.
Who Was Dave Cline Jr.?
David Cline Jr. (Dave) was born in 1893 as the fourth child to David Cline Sr. and Hattie Cline (nee Blair), and the second youngest child in the family. His siblings were Annie, Abraham (Abe), Russell, and Mildred.
The Clines were wealthy. The family had several farms around Coffeyville, including the old Cline farm in town, all totaling about 1,500 acres. The Clines also had political connections. David Sr. was a three-term county commissioner, a member of the Kansas legislature, and a well-respected farmer and community member. Abe later followed in his father’s footsteps and also served as county commissioner. In 1913 it was reported that Abe “probably has the largest total of friends of any man in Coffeyville.” The family had had many political, social, and legal ties throughout Montgomery county.
In high school, Dave Jr. was recognized as one of the school’s foremost athletes and was known in town as “one of the best end position football players the school had in a long time.” He was described as “a young man of good appearance. He has the manners and looks of a practical young man of business, possessing a pleasant face and without any of the attributes of a frivolous character.”
When Mary disappeared, Dave was 23 years old.
The Disappearance of Mary Glass
When Mary did not arrive home on the evening of March 24, 1916, Mrs. Glass called the Abe Cline farm. She asked Abe if Mary had started home yet, and when she was told she had left hours ago, Mrs. Glass realized her daughter was missing. She asked Abe if he would help look for her, but he said his wife asked him not to, so he did not.
Three days later, an article appeared in the local paper.
By the time the article was written, people were already talking about the crime. Mary was employed by a wealthy family and had been seen by more than one person in Dave Cline’s car. The article mentions Dave Cline by name because the entire town was already talking about the missing girl and the possibility that Dave could be involved. The status of the Cline family multiplied the interest in the case.
The following day, it was publicly reported that Mary wasn’t just missing; she had been kidnapped, she was pregnant, and Dave Cline was responsible for both.
County Attorney Charles D. Ise was selected to investigate the kidnapping. Coincidentally, Ise was Dave’s high school principal and football coach at Coffeyville high school. From the start, Ise had no interest in prosecuting Dave, and after the trial, Ise admitted that he believed Cline was innocent.
A flurry of articles was published around the state about Mary Glass in late March, but by April, the news articles stopped, and public interest in the missing girl waned.
Mrs. Glass reached out to members of the Cline family to get answers about where her daughter was. At one point, Dave’s sister, Annie Ogden, told Mrs. Glass that Mary was alive and well. She said Mary had been taken to Independence to see a doctor to take care of the pregnancy. Mrs. Ogden promised that she would handle the procedure just fine due to Mary’s “big” size and “stout” frame. She also assured Mary’s mother that the Cline family paid the doctor a decent amount of money. But Mrs. Glass refused to believe Mrs. Ogden’s story that her daughter was alive, instead trusting her gut that something terrible had happened to her.
Weeks passed with no sign of Mary, and Mrs. Glass called on city and county officials routinely for answers about the investigation. She forced meetings with Coffeyville Mayor Elmer Joyce and Kansas Attorney General S. Mason Brewster, taking her concerns higher and higher, trying to find out what was being done to find her daughter. Other members of the Black community also frequently pressed officials about the progress of the investigation, including Mary’s brother-in-law John Austin. It was no secret that Dave was the last one seen with Mary, and the Black community did not want to see a privileged white man get away with murder.
Mary Glass’s Body Found
Three fishermen found Mary Glass’s decomposing body on Saturday, May 6, 1916, in the Verdigris river that runs through Coffeyville. She had baling wire wrapped around her neck twice and had been weighted down before she was dropped in the river near the old Cline farm. At some point, the weight came loose, and Mary floated to the surface. She had on the same clothes she was wearing when she disappeared.
The Montgomery county coroner Dr. W. S. Hudiburg was called. Because Mary was Black, the local “negro physician,” Dr. Richard S. Whittaker was also called to examine the body, which had already been pulled from the river when both doctors arrived. Notes were taken about the condition of her body, her clothing, and the baby found with her. Dr. Hudiburg and Dr. Whittaker noted that the child was light-skinned (in 1916, the murder of a light-skinned person was a greater crime and more harshly punished than the murder of a dark-skinned person) and possibly mulatto. Dr. Whittaker also noted advanced decomposition, so much that he could only tell she was Black by the kinkiness of her hair.
The officials who examined Mary noted that her infant son was “at her side, fastened in her clothing.” No other description of the baby or his location was mentioned. They also note that “the birth of the child left the girl in a very serious condition,” and later said that she sustained lacerations due to childbirth. The early reports of the crime didn’t mention the possibility of coffin birth (postmortem fetal extrusion). However, Dr. Hudiburg later testified that he believed Mary was dead when thrown into the river, and the baby was born after her death.
Hale Fletcher, police chief, searched the old Cline farm up the river and discovered a roll of baling wire of the same kind and quality as the wire that was wrapped around Mary’s neck. He also discovered a handkerchief near where the body was found that he thought might be related. (Fletcher later said he did not believe Cline was guilty, and he headed up a local task force assembled to locate “the real killer.”)
Mary’s mother was called to the river to identify her daughter’s body, and she was accompanied by her friends and neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Lancaster. She was able to identify her by the clothing she was wearing, indicating it was the same clothing Mary was wearing when she left the morning of her disappearance, except she was wearing her yellow sweater. Mrs. Glass’s response during the identification of her daughter’s body was described as “heart-rending.”
After being identified and briefly examined by the side of the river, Dr. Whittaker performed an autopsy. He cut and examined the bodies in the dark by flashlight and made some determinations about the causes of death. The bodies of Mary and her son were taken to Fairview cemetery in Coffeyville and buried that same night, along with the clothes they were found in. The quick burial prevented any additional investigation or further forensic analysis on Mary and the baby, although there may have been nothing else forensically possible in 1916. Mary’s clothing and the nighttime autopsy were focal points of Dave’s defense.
Mary Glass and her baby are buried in the same grave in the “colored section” of Fairview Cemetery. The grave sat unmarked and unlocated for over 100 years until February of 2024 when Mary’s grave was marked. The project was spearheaded by Kerri Hurley of Coffeyville. Barnes Monument provided the marker free of charge, and Harold Mann Insurance Agency funded the QR Code that links to Mary’s story.
As soon as Mary’s body was found, the outrage in Coffeyville had reached a fever pitch, and the Black community, in particular, wanted to see justice served. The double murder occupied everyone’s mind, being the sole topic of conversation where anyone gathered, and the public became more insistent that the guilty party be brought to justice.
Articles from all over Kansas began to mention that Mary was kidnapped and murdered by a “prominent white man.” And it was no secret that “David Cline, son of ex-Commissioner Cline, was the man responsible for the condition of the girl.”
People began to worry that Dave would skip town to avoid being arrested or being mobbed by the public. And when Mary was found, Dave did flee to Independence, hired an attorney, and offered himself up for arrest, stating he was “as anxious to know to truth and have it known as anybody.” (Others said he fled for fear of what the public would do to him.) Dave was not arrested at the time, but he chose to remain in Independence and away from Coffeyville. He stayed either inside the safety of the courthouse protected by a sheriff’s deputy, or at his attorney’s home.
County Attorney Charles D. Ise was busy the night Mary was found, so he authorized the City Attorney Albert Etchen to act on his behalf. Whether he regrets that choice is up for debate, but Etchen and Dr. Hudiburg decided to hold a coroner’s inquest the following day.
The Coroner’s Inquest
The coroner’s inquest was delayed, held three days after Mary’s body was found, on Tuesday, May 9, 1916. Dave’s former high school principal and football coach-turned-prosecutor Charles Ise was there representing the state. M. D. L. Cox and George Fitzpatrick, Black attorneys hired by the Glass family, were also present. Dave’s attorney, Charles Welch, was present as a spectator.
The courtroom was packed that day, and the Black community predominated the crowd. County Attorney Ise was extremely lenient during the inquest, allowing any question that might shed light on the case. All of the attorneys, as well as members of the jury, were permitted to ask questions of the witnesses. The jury for the inquest consisted of four white men and two Black men.
Thirty-five witnesses in total testified that day. At least five witnesses testified that they saw Dave Cline’s car that night:
- 9-year-old Wayne Short said Mary Glass passed his house on cemetery road on foot that night as usual. He saw a Buick driven by “one of the Cline boys” pick Mary up and drive east. The Shorts lived near the Clines, and Wayne said he was sure he saw the Buick come from the Cline property.
- Floyd Ford saw what appeared to be the Cline’s Buick on cemetery road, and “a negro girl” was in it. He couldn’t see the driver, but he was sure he recognized the car, and it looked like the Cline’s Buick.
- Dave McDonald saw the Buick pass the cemetery that afternoon and saw the exact Buick going in the same direction about two hours later. One of the Cline boys was driving it for the first time. The second time he did not see who was driving the car, but he saw “a negro girl” in the Buick.
- Harold Davis testified that he saw the Cline Buick on West Eighth street; his father also remembered seeing the car.
- Arthur Davis saw Dave Cline in the Buick north of his home that evening, then later saw him drive home and then drive toward town. Arthur was certain the driver was Dave Cline but did not see anyone in the car with him.
Mrs. Glass testified about identifying Mary by her sweater. She also recounted for the jury how Dave Cline’s sister, Mrs. Annie Ogden, had tried to convince her that Mary was alive and recovering from a medical abortion in Independence. She told the jury that Mrs. Ogden said that “lots of money” was available to solve the problem and that everything would work out. Mrs. Glass told the jury that she never wanted money from the Clines. She just wanted her daughter back.
Dr. Whittaker testified that the infant was a fully developed mulatto that was a victim of a failed abortion. He testified that a baling wire was found wrapped around Mary’s neck twice, twisted, and fastened to something used to weigh her body down. Dr. Whittaker produced the wire for the jury, and it was presented as evidence.
The jury deliberated for about thirty minutes before delivering a sealed verdict in the case, naming a specific person responsible for the crime. As soon as the announcement was made that the verdict was sealed, the public knew that Dave Cline’s arrest was imminent.
On Wednesday, May 10, 1916, a warrant was issued for Dave Cline’s arrest.
Arrest of Dave Cline
“I’m not guilty,” Dave Cline said to a reporter in Independence the morning before his arrest. Some say he had been in Independence since before the inquest for his personal safety. He was emphatic about his innocence, stating, “it’s only the negroes at Coffeyville who are against me. I believe nearly everybody believes me innocent, and I will prove I am not guilty soon.” Cline offered no alibi to the public and no evidence of his innocence.
“It’s only the negroes at Coffeyville who are against me. I believe nearly everybody believes me innocent and I will prove I am not guilty soon.”
Cline was arraigned at 3:45 pm the day his warrant was issued. His bond was fixed at $10,000 (about $275,000 in 2022), which he could post immediately, and he was subsequently released back into hiding. However, his arrest and the impending trial ignited the furor in the community even further.
Cline was charged on two counts. The first accused him first-degree murder of Mary Glass, which carries a sentence of life imprisonment. The second charge was second-degree manslaughter for the alleged failed abortion, which had a punishment of 3-5 years in prison.
Preliminary Hearing
The courtroom was packed for the preliminary hearing on June 9, 1916, and the crowd overflowed into the hall. One news report said, “most of the crowd was made of colored people, but there was quite a sprinkling of whites, some young girls.” The Topeka Plaindealer reported, “while the Negroes of the city are much worked up over the trial, no hostile demonstration against the accused man has been made,” which paints a picture of just how visible and palpable the desire for justice Mary Glass must have been.
County Attorney Ise enlisted Archie Neale’s help from Chetopa, Kansas, one of the best criminal lawyers in the state, to aid in the prosecution of the crime (which was probably for the best, considering Ise ultimately put forth no effort during the trial). M. D. L. Cox, the Black attorney the Glass family had hired to represent them, was also present.
The prosecution mainly relied on the eyewitness testimony in the coroner’s inquest. However, one new eyewitness was George Moore, a neighbor of the Clines who, like Dave, was also the son of an ex-commissioner of Montgomery county. Moore’s testimony added credence to the claim that Mary Glass was with Dave Cline the evening she disappeared.
George Moore testified that he and a friend saw Cline in his Buick in Coffeyville, along the road to the old Cline farm. He spoke to Dave that night and saw him go to the old Cline place, about a mile up the road from where Mary was dumped. Moore then saw the Buick parked near the barn at the old Cline farm, where the police chief later located the baling wire. Moore told his wife and two neighbors about what he saw and ultimately came forward to authorities.
Dave Cline, who appeared uninterested during most of the proceedings, listened intently when George testified.
The defense presented no witnesses at the preliminary trial. His attorneys offered no alibi for Cline, and they asked very few questions in cross-examination in an apparent display of confidence that the state had not proven its case.
Mary’s mother could be heard muttering “murderer” and various threats toward Dave Cline during the preliminary trial.
County Attorney Ise offered no argument, but Attorney Neale did. He asked the judge to hold Cline accountable through a jury trial, stating it would be fair to the community and Cline.
Judge Hanlon stated that he believed the state’s case was weak and found the evidence barely sufficient to continue to a jury trial, apparently agreeing with the defense. But Hanlon agreed to a trial “in justice to the community and the defendant himself.”
Dave Cline immediately paid another $10,000 bond to avoid being held in jail until trial. A jury trial was scheduled for October 1916 and ultimately postponed until November 22, 1916. But before the trial could get underway, Cline’s attorneys, and government officials, began planting seeds of doubt in the community.
Reward for Mary Glass’s Murderer Offered
August 21, 1916, the public was surprised by a notice published in papers. A $250 reward was offered for information leading to the apprehension, arrest, and conviction of the murderer(s) of Mary Glass.
Dave Cline had already been charged, but by publishing this notice, the state asserted that someone else was responsible for the crime. Government officials had begun planting a seed in the public’s mind that Dave Cline was not guilty and a murderer was still at large.
Assistant County Attorney Joe Holdren assured the public that the county still planned to prosecute Dave Cline for the murder of Mary Glass. But he also made it clear that county officials believed that it was likely that other individuals, not Dave, were connected with the crime. They did not offer any evidence to suggest that someone else was behind the murder or why they thought someone was, nor did they provide any explanation or alibi for Dave Cline. But they very aggressively suggested that Cline did not kill Mary.
There was no doubt in many community members’ minds that County Attorney Ise had a change of heart, despite the appearance of moving forward with the case. And there is no doubt that the reward offer, and the actions that followed it, had an impact on public perception of Dave Cline and his involvement in the murder.
Two More Arrests for the Murder of Mary Glass
Dr. Charles P. Washington, a Black physician who lived in the area, was arrested on November 6, 1916, for the murder of Mary Glass. His arrest came just two weeks before Dave Cline’s trial started.
Former chief of police Hale Fletcher, who was first on the scene when Mary’s body was found and had been working with a local task force assembled by local Black citizens who raised money to find the real killer, said he secured “very incriminating” evidence against Dr. Washington that strongly implicated him in Mary’s death.
The warrant for Dr. Washington was signed by County Attorney Ise, who admitted he didn’t know the evidence that Fletcher claimed to have.
Through the newspapers, Fletcher spread the rumor that Mary Glass received a medical abortion from Dr. Washington. He also suggested that Dr. Washington was the one who murdered Mary and dumped her in the river.
Dr. Washington pled not guilty to the charges and could not post the $10,000 bond. He was taken to the county jail, where he was held until trial. Fletcher was said to be “one of the state’s most important witnesses when the case comes to trial in the district court.” The “very incriminating” evidence was kept under wraps by Fletcher; he wanted it to be a secret to be revealed at Dr. Washington’s murder trial.
Fletcher claimed Dr. Washington disappeared from Coffeyville immediately after the preliminary trial, suggesting he was running from prosecution. Fletcher also stated that “a number believed he was in some way connected with her disappearance,” which was simply not true. Even Fletcher himself likely didn’t believe it.
Fletcher also found a handkerchief near the girl’s body the night she was found. It was reported with Dr. Washington’s arrest that Fletcher was also the one who discovered “the handkerchief that was probably used to keep the girl from making an outcry,” creating a loose link in the public’s minds between the handkerchief and Dr. Washington. However, the handkerchief was later proven not to be evidence in the case.
On November 18, 1916, just four days before Dave Cline’s murder trial, Frank Higgins was arrested for complicity in the death of Mary Glass. Higgins was one of the fisherman who originally discovered Mary’s body in the river.
County Attorney Ise made no public comment about Higgins’s connection to Mary’s murder.
Former chief of police Hale Fletcher claimed that, like Dr. Washington, Frank Higgins disappeared from Coffeyville immediately after the preliminary trial, which was enough to make him a suspect in the eyes of the law. It was later claimed he was arrested because he bragged about receiving a $400 payment for giving false testimony at the coroner’s inquest. He denied the story.
Frank was white, but it was widely reported that “a negro doctor and a negro laborer” or “two negroes” had been arrested in connection with Mary’s murder. The “two negroes” theory was used later in the trial.
The Trial
Dave Cline’s murder trial attracted more attention than any other case heard in the district court before. The crowds of spectators had grown since the preliminary trial, and the courthouse had to place ropes in the hallways and guard the doors. Many were turned away for lack of room.
The trial began on November 21, 1916, with jury selection. After being unable to select a jury from the original jury pool for unknown reasons, the judge had to summon an additional 40 potential jurors. The second round of jurors referred to as a “special venire,” included four women. This was the first time in Montgomery’s county where women were summoned for jury duty – all declined to serve and were excused. “It is generally recognized that jury service is not a business for women, and the action of the court in excusing them meets with general approval,” it was reported.
Dave Cline was in court, accompanied by his attorneys, Charles Bucher and Charles Welch, who were fighters. Cline’s defense centered around two main arguments: 1) the body found wasn’t Mary’s, and 2) someone else was responsible. They introduced two Black men to the jury – John Austin and Archie Wilburn – as possible suspects.
County Attorneys Holdren and Ise, attorney Archie Neale, and attorney M. D. L. Cox were present for the prosecution. However, Neale and Cox were the only ones fighting for a conviction. Ise didn’t even try.
The prosecution presented the same eyewitness testimony from the inquest and preliminary trial, but they also produced yet another eyewitness, Mrs. Julia Walters claimed to have seen Dave Cline and “Cassie” Glass together in a car around the same time as George Moore claimed to have seem them.
The only other new evidence presented by the prosecution was a surprise to everyone – including them. Two boys had come forward months prior about finding a bundle of women’s clothing in the river near where Mary’s body was found. This was never thoroughly or properly investigated, and the boys came forward again during the trial. The revelation was interesting because Mrs. Abe Cline said in earlier interviews that she had given Mary a bundle of clothing the night she disappeared. But in court, Mrs. Cline was presented with the bundle of clothing and she denied that it was the clothing that she gave to Mary. No further questioning was done about the bundle of clothing.
During cross-examination, Cline’s attorneys were brutal. They dissected Dr. Whittaker’s testimony from the coroner’s inquest. They forced him to admit apparent contradictions about the baby’s cause of death, including whether it was born before Mary’s death or after. They also challenged his testimony that the baby was mulatto by presenting him with “statements from medical authorities” that said at birth, colored children are nearly white.
Cline’s attorney’s challenged what they dubbed a “flashlight autopsy,” noting that the exam of the bodies was done in the dark, and the clothing Mary was wearing was not preserved. The bodies were buried hastily before the Cline family could see them. Cline’s attorneys were very aggressive about this fact, and it seemed to have a significant impact on the community, with the term “flashlight autopsy” being a focal point of some news stories.
Wayne Short, now 10 years old, was also aggressively cross-examined, admitting after intense questioning that he couldn’t remember if he saw Mary on March 24 or a different day. He was also unable to identify photos of the Cline Buick from several photos shown to him.
Cline’s attorneys were so confident that the state had not proven their case that they asked the judge to dismiss the charges. However, the judge refused to do so, and the defense was forced to put on witnesses and present an alibi for Dave Cline. It was reported that the defense seemed surprised by this and had to scramble to issue subpoenas to witnesses.
Cline’s alibi was seemingly so bulletproof it is curious why it wasn’t presented in the preliminary trial. Perhaps he was confident that the prosecution would never get to this point. Perhaps he didn’t have a story at the preliminary trial.
The following witnesses were presented to discredit the state’s eyewitnesses:
- Mr. Miller, a refinery employee, claims he saw the defendant in town wearing his Sunday clothes around 5:00 pm, corroborating the later testimony of Dave Cline’s mother. She also said he left wearing his Sunday clothes shortly before 5 pm. Mr. Miller noted Dave was alone when he saw him.
- Earl Wright, a local store clerk, claims he saw Dave Cline driving alone around the same place around the same time Mr. Miller did.
- Charles Harbourt, the owner of the Kane Drug Store, said he saw Dave Cline in front of Krugg hospital, and Dave gave him a ride just before 6 pm. When dropping him off, Dave declared he was going to Barnett’s market. He was alone.
- Mr. Barnett said Dave Cline was with him for about an hour at the market, and then Cline drove him home, dropping him off around 6:45 pm.
- Miss Ruth Long, Dave’s girlfriend, testified that she was with Dave that night between 5 and 5:30 and that they rode around until a little before 6. Dave then dropped her off at the hospital to have her ear treated. She says she went home, and he came over later and stayed late into the evening. Dave’s late-night activities were corroborated by numerous witnesses, including Ruth’s father.
All of his movements from moment to moment were accounted for by these witnesses. Additional witnesses called to corroborate Dave’s timeline and discredit the state’s eyewitnesses included:
- Dave’s mother. Mrs. David Cline Sr. corroborated Dave’s timeline and style of dress. She also claimed to have seen Mary Glass leave the Cline farm alone about thirty minutes after Dave left alone. Her testimony was meant to cast doubt on any eyewitness who claimed to have seen him near Mary at that time.
- Russ Cline, Dave’s brother, testified that the entire family had access to the Buick, and anyone could take it out whenever they wanted to. He also testified about the car’s dark color, suggesting that it might look different to eyewitnesses in the twilight. However, Russ did admit that it was the only Buick roadster of that kind in Coffeyville.
- Henry Schaub, a local farmer, testified that he saw a car that he thought was Dave Cline’s Buick, but when he got closer to it, he saw that it was a man about 35-years-old that was covered in mud. Schaub said he did not recognize the man, but the car was identical to the Cline Buick.
- Abe Cline testified he frequently drove Mary home if the weather was bad. He also claimed that one of the state’s witnesses, Wayne Short, told him that the man he saw in the car he saw on March 24 was not Dave Cline but that Mary Glass was in the car. Abe testified that Wayne wouldn’t have been able to see the car from the angle he claimed because a hedge would have blocked his view. The hedge, however, was not present in photographs shown to the jury.
The defense called two doctors to discredit the testimony of Dr. Whittaker, who both testified Mary’s baby was mulatto, and that medical authorities agree that children of all races are the same color at birth. Both claimed it is impossible to tell if a child is white, mulatto, or colored after being born dead in the water. Neither doctor admitted that medical authorities have differing opinions on the issue, leaving the jury and the public to conclude that Dr. Whittaker was wrong.
The jury was also impressed by the testimony of a First National Bank employee, who was able to discredit the testimony of George Moore. Moore had testified he remembered seeing Dave Cline because it was the same day he paid a bill to Kellar Metal Works. But because Kellar did not deposit the check until April 10, the jury deemed Moore’s testimony about the date unreliable.
The defense promised a surprise witness that never materialized, but they did present three witnesses to shift the blame to any Black man. They had already picked two Black men to use as examples in the courtroom: Mary’s brother-in-law John Austin, and another local man Archie Wilburn. The public didn’t seem to care which men were presented to them; the seed of “two negroes” being involved had already been planted, and it appeared any man would do the job of creating the doubt the defense was seeking.
- Mrs. Coy testified she knew Mary Glass and saw her frequently pass on the way to and from work. She said she saw Mary with a Black man at the barn on the Coy family farm. John Austin and Archie Wilburn were called to the railing for Mrs. Coy to identify, but she said neither was the man she saw with Mary.
- J. W. Dienst said that he saw Mary Glass walking the belt line tracks with a Black man and saw them go to a wilderness of bushes known as “the jungles” for about half an hour. He said this happened at least two or three times, but he could not describe the man he saw with Mary.
- Douglas Lewis testified that he saw Mary Glass and Archie Wilburn under the belt line trestle and that they were lying down. But under cross-examination by Neale, Lewis admitted that Cline’s attorney paid him to say it.
The state’s attorneys did little cross-examining and seldom interrupted a witness during the defense.
When the time came for an argument County Attorney Ise said that he had nothing to say. “He evidently felt convinced that the state had been unable to present a case worthy of serious argument and thought it was a time when silence was golden.” M. D. L. Cox instead made an argument for the state.
The Verdict – “Not Guilty”
After deliberating for just a couple of hours, the jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty for both charges. County Attorney Ise said he expected no other verdict.
“When the jury came into the court room to report there were very few present to hear the verdict. When the jury announced its verdict there was no particular demonstration, Mr. Cline and his friends receiving it as a matter of fact, and as the only thing that was expected.”
After the trial
1916: Ruth breaks up with Dave and moves back to Illinois.
1917: Dave goes to law school. He promises to find the real killers. That’s the last he speaks of the case publicly. He “answered the call for examination by the Selective Draft Board at Coffeyville.” On his World War I Draft Registration Card dated June 5, 1917, his occupation is listed as Farmer. He is described as medium height, medium build, brown hair, and grey eyes. He is given several credits at law school without completing the courses.
1919: Dave is dismissed from the military and returns to law school.
1920: Dave graduates from law school. Abe sells the old Cline farm to the Amherst Oil Company.
1921: Dave moves to Oklahoma and claims to open a law firm. He marries Clara Crawford.
1926: Dave begins working as a mail carrier.
1931: Dave dies of intestinal tuberculosis at age 38. Intestinal tuberculosis is an uncommon clinical manifestation of tuberculosis and is incredibly painful. Dave probably suffered from nonhealing ulcers in his mouth and anus, difficulty swallowing, and severe abdominal pain near the end of his life.
Immediately upon his death, his sister Anna Ogden applied for a military headstone, a Christian one, which marks his grave in Coffeyville.
The Cline family plot, and Dave’s grave, is visible from Mary’s resting place.
Ex-Service Man is Death Victim.
Dave Cline of Okemah Succumbs in Rochester; Funeral Today.
OKEMAH, March 9, (Special) — Dave Cline, 36, ex-service man, rural mail carrier, died Sunday morning at the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minn., where he had been under treatment for two weeks. Mr. Cline had been in bad health for several months. Intestinal tuberculosis was the cause of his death.
Mr. Cline was a member of the Thirty-fifth Division overseas during the World war. He went through some of the most severe campaigns of the entire war.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday afternoon at Cline’s old home near Coffeyville, Kan. and burial will take place there. It is thought that several of his post-office associates will attend the funeral from here., Assistant Postmaster John Foglesong said today.
Mr. Cline is survived by his wife, Mrs. Clara Cline. She left for Coffeyville early today.
Services for D.A. Cline, Jr. Held in Coffeyville, Kas.
Funeral services for David A. Cline, Jr., 38 years old, 621 South Fifth street, were held at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon at the home of his mother, Mrs. Hattie Cline, in Coffeyville, Kas. Burial was made in the Coffeyville cemetery.
Mr. Cline, rural mail carrier on route No. 3, Okemah, the past five years, died early Saturday morning in the Mayo Brothers clinic, Rochester, Minn., where he submitted himself for treatment two weeks ago, following several months illness.
High School Athlete. Mr. Cline, son of a pioneer Coffeyville, Kas. family, was born in 1893. He was graduated from Coffeyville high school in 1911. During his high school days, he was recognized as one of the school’s foremost all-round athletes. He was known as one of the best end position football players the school had produced in years.
Law School Graduate. He was graduated from the school of law, Washburn college, Topeka, Kas., in 1916. He enlisted as a private in Company 45, 164th Depot Brigade, May 25, 1918, at Cherryvale, Kas., and was stationed at Camp Funstion, Kas., until he was discharged December 3, at the close of the World War. He was 26 years old at the time of his enlistment.
He married Miss Clara Crawford who survives him in June, 1921.
Besides his wife and mother, he is survived by two brothers, A.W. Cline and Russell Cline, both of Coffeyville, and also two sisters, Miss Mildred Cline and Mrs. Wallace Ogden of Coffeyville.
Mr. Cline’s father, D.A. Cline, died about twenty years ago.
Among Okemah friends of Mr. and Mrs. Cline who attended the services yesterday in Coffeyville were A. B. Ford, Roland Green, Allen Hodges, Ernest O. Carr, Oscar Carroll, Jim Kezer, Grady Turner, Manning Carroll, all fellow employees in the postal service here; and Mrs. H. A. Dolen, post-mistress; Mrs. Essie M. Davenport, Miss Abbie Stella Ritchie and Miss Gladys Gray.
Mrs. Cline, who has been associated with the Okfuskee County Abstract company, left today for Hutchinson, Kas., where she will spend several days with her sister.
Sources:
Colored Girl Missing (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) March 27, 1916
Colored Girl Kidnapped (The Morning News, Coffeyville, Kansas) March 28, 1916
Girl Still is Missing (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) March 29, 1916
Investigating Girl Case (The Coffeyville Weekly Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) March 30, 1916
Body of Mary Glass is Found in Verdigris River (The Sun) May 7, 1916
River Gives Up Dead (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) May 8, 1916
Sensation at Coffeyville (The Chanute Daily Tribune, Chanute, Kansas) May 9, 1916
Inquest Today (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 9, 1916
Sealed Verdict in Glass Case Page 1 (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 10, 1916
Sealed Verdict in Glass Case Page 2 (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 10, 1916
Warrant for Dave Cline Arrest (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 10, 1916)
Farmer Surrenders to Police (The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas) May 11, 1916
David Cline Held for Crime (The Coffeyville Weekly Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 11, 1916
Dave Cline is Under Arrest (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 11, 1916
Neale to Help Prosecute (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 16, 1916
About that Jury Verdict (The Weekly Independent, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 18, 1916
Cline Hearing Postponed (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 31, 1916
Dave Cline on Trial (The Topeka Plaindealer, Topeka, Kansas) June 9, 1916
Crowds Attend Sickening Trial (The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas) June 9, 1916
Cline Hearing is Unfinished (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) June 9, 1916
Dave Cline Bound Over Under Bond of $10,000 (The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas) June 10, 1916
Reward in Glass Case (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) August 21, 1916
$250 Reward for Murderer (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) August 21, 1916
Reward for Murder (The Evening Star, Independence, Kansas) August 21, 1916
$250 Reward for Murderer (The Neodesha Daily Sun, Neodesha, Kansas) August 22, 1916
Reward for Murderer-$250 (South Kansas Tribune, Independence, Kansas) August 23, 1916
Reward in Glass Case (The Coffeyville Weekly Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) August 24, 1916
Why This Reward Proviso (The Weekly Independent, Coffeyville, Kansas) August 24, 1916)
A Corpulent Transcript (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) September 6, 1916
County Attorney Ise Here (The Coffeyville Weekly Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) September 14, 1916
A Large Docket (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) September 19, 1916
Jury Called (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) October 4, 1916
Negro Held for Murder (The Kansas City Globe, Kansas City, Kansas) November 6, 1916
Arrest Negro Doctor (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 6, 1916
Negro Doctor is Arrested (The Evening Star, Independence, Kansas) November 7, 1916
For Glass Murder (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 8, 1916
Waived a Preliminary (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 10, 1916
Waives Preliminary (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 11, 1916
Washington Arrest (South Kansas Tribune, Independence, Kansas) November 15, 1916
Cline Case Next Tuesday (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 15, 1916
New Arrest in Murder Case (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 18, 1916
Expect Sensational Trial (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 20, 1916
Getting a Cline Jury (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 23, 1916
Another Witness Found (The Weekly Independent, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 23, 1916
Cline Case is Called (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 23, 1916
The Dave Cline Case On (The Weekly Independent, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 23, 1916
All Claimed Exemption (The Evening Star, Independence, Kansas) November 24, 1916
Cline Case Underway (The Morning News, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 24, 1916
Impanel Jury in Cline Case (The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas) November 24, 1916
Cline Trial is Now On (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 24, 1916
Cline Case Has Begun (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 24, 1916
All Claimed Exemption (Cherryvale Republican, Cherryvale, Kansas) November 25, 1916
Women Won’t Serve (The Wichita Beacon, Wichita, Kansas) November 25, 1916
Acquittal Expected (The Morning News, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 25, 1916
State Rests in Cline Case (The Evening Star, Independence, Kansas) November 25, 1916
Cline Case Still On (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 25, 1916
Cline Defense Has Begun (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 25, 1916
Defense Asks Cline’s Release (The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas) November 26, 1916
Evidence Not All In (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 27, 1916
Strong Alibi For Cline (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 27, 1916
Alibi In Cline Case (Cherryvale Republican, Cherryvale, Kansas) November 27, 1916
Trying to Establish an Alibi (The Evening Star, Independence, Kansas) November 27, 1916
Into Hands Of Jury (The Morning News, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 28, 1916
Cline Case Ends Today (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 28, 1916
To The Jury This Evening (The Evening Star, Independence, Kansas) November 28, 1916
Cline Case To The Jury (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 28, 1916
The Cline Case (South Kansas Tribune, Independence, Kansas) November 29, 1916
Dave Cline Not Guilty (Independence Daily Reporter, Independence, Kansas) November 29, 1916
Cline Not Guilty (Cherryvale Republican, Cherryvale, Kansas) November 29, 1916
Cline Was Exonerated (The Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 29, 1916
Dave Cline Not Guilty (The Morning News, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 29, 1916
Women on Cline Jury (The Weekly Republican, Cherryvale, Kansas) November 30, 1916
All Claimed Exemption (The Weekly Republican, Cherryvale, Kansas) November 30, 1916
The Cline Case (The Weekly Independent, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 30, 1916
“Not Guilty” (The Weekly Independent, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 30, 1916
Cline Not Guilty (The Weekly Republican, Cherryvale, Kansas) November 30, 1916
Cline Was Exonerated (The Coffeyville Weekly Journal, Coffeyville, Kansas) November 30, 1916
Jury Sets Cline Free (The Parsons Daily Sun, Parsons, Kansas) December 1, 1916
Clip (Chetopa Clipper, Chetopa, Kansas) December 6, 1916
Clip (The Oswego Independent, Oswego, Kansas) December 8, 1916
Did Mrs Coleman Know (The Coffeyville Weekly Journal Coffeyville, Kansas) January 18, 1917
Prosecutor Believed Him Innocent (The Sun, Coffeyville, Kansas) May 29, 1917
Ex-Service Man is Death Victim (Okmulgee Daily Times, Okmulgee, Oklahoma) March 10, 1931
Another Pioneer Rests (South Kansas Tribune, Independence, Kansas) March 2, 1910
David A. Cline Sr., Find-A-Grave
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