Was One of Best Known Residents In County

SHERIFF TWO TERMS

Succumbed to Pluro-Pneumonia, Aged 77 Years.

ILL ONLY FEW DAYS.

Judge McIntire Saw Service in Civil War and Was One of First Officers in Cowley County.

George H. McIntire, who was reported last week to be critically ill of double pneumonia, passed away at the family home, 720 North Second Street, Sunday morning at 9:30 o'clock, having been bedfast for only four days. He was very sick the night he became ill and there were no hopes entertained for his recovery from the start, it is now said, although all that medical skill and care could do to prolong his life, was properly attended to night and day, during his recent illness. He went from his office in the Zadie block last Wednesday night, feeling a bit under the weather, and the next morning he was reported to be quite sick. The following day pneumonia developed and he grew steadily worse until the end came. He had no chance whatever after the attack came on, to carry on with any business matters, nor to give any instructions in matters of law suits now pending in his court. These matters will have to be transferred to some other state court and be disposed of by someone else because he was suddenly called away, never to return to earthly pleasures or troubles.

George McIntire was one of the best peace officers that Arkansas City and Cowley county has ever known. He was sheriff of this county for two terms in the 80s and he made good in this office as well as in all the other offices he had been connected with in the past 51 years, for he came to this city in 1870.

True, he had not held public office all that time, but his record for the number of years in office stands out above all others in the county.

He had held all offices from deputy United States marshal to sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, policeman, police judge, and justice of the peace. He had been reelected to the latter office every two years for the past 12 or 14 years.

He was appointed to the office of sheriff of the county in 1884 and after serving one term was elected. He served until the latter part of 1888.

No officer or justice of the peace in Arkansas City in the past twenty years, at least, was more thoughtful of the newspaperman and none have ever been more lenient in the matter of giving out news to the press. The Traveler reporter can testify to the fact that Judge McIntire was always ready and willing to give the facts in any sort of criminal action to the reporters and help them to get the stories together and give the real facts as he knew them. When a law-breaker would ask him to keep a certain case from the papers, he would always tell them that his court records were public property and that he could not keep the newshounds off, even if he so desired. Only a few days ago, the Traveler reporter who makes the courts, heard a story from Judge McIntire on some of the noted cases he had worked on when he was sheriff of this county, and one day last week the reporter had started a story which was partially related by the judge; and it was headed as follows:

"Recalls Old TimesFormer Sheriff says all Parties Convicted of Crime are not Real Criminals." The story was never finished by Mr. McIntire, because he was ill and unable to be at his office the following day. He did not return to his office after that date. The story was in regard to two different men who were convicted of crime in this county and sent to prison. Later, when they had been released from the state penitentiary, Mr. McIntire had loaned them money, in order as they stated to him, to get a new start in life, not expecting them to ever return the same. But later on, according to the story, both made good and both kept their promise and returned the borrowed money. Each of them had called later and told the officer that they were men and had made good, were seeking and making an honest living. They attributed this fact to the splendid treatment that the officer (McIntire) gave them when they were in trouble, which they brought upon themselves.

George H. McIntire, at one time in the early days of the state, deputy United States marshal, was born in New Hampshire in 1844; son of Timothy and Catherine McIntire. At the age of ten years, he came to Kansas with parents, locating at Topeka. He and his brothers were the first boys in that place. He then removed with his parents to Lyon county.

He enlisted in 1862, in Company C, Eleventh Kansas Volunteers, and participated in the engagements of Prairie Grove, Cane Hill, Price's raid from the Kansas to the Arkansas rivers, and escorted the mails from Fort Larned to Bent's Fort; was mustered out in August, 1865.

After the war he engaged in farming for two years in Lyon county; then in the stock business until 1870, when he came to Arkansas City; and for two years was engaged in merchandising under the firm name of McIntire & Son, the senior partner being the late Timothy McIntire, since which time he has been engaged as an officer of the law and justice of the peace. He was appointed as U. S. deputy marshal in 1880. He was elected constable in the year 1873. He held that office for ten years. Then he was elected sheriff, as stated above. After the four years service as sheriff, he was constable again and later a city policeman.

During the opening of the Cherokee Strip, south of here in Oklahoma, when this city was on the border and was wild and wooly, he saw real service as a peace officer.

Prior to that time he and his father and brothers saw and lived the hardships of the early border days in Kansas, and they all could relate many interesting and hair raising stories of the "wild west."

C. H. McIntire was married to Miss Mary R. Chaplan [?], in 1869, and she was a native of Wisconsin. She passed away here several years ago and he recently remarried. The second wife and five children survive him. Some time ago Mr. McIntire was a member of the A. O. U. W. lodge and the Select Knights.

Besides the five children, he leaves one sister, Mrs. Innis Osgood, of this city, who at this time is very ill; and two brothers, Timothy McIntire, of Emporia, who is now in Redwood, California, and will be unable to come here for the funeral, and C. M. McIntire, the youngest of the children of the late Timothy McIntire. G. H. McIntire would have been 78 years of age had he lived until next March. Mrs. Osgood is several years older than he. The children are: Mrs. Cora Friend, of Lamar, Colorado; Mrs. Claude Duval, of Newkirk, Oklahoma; Mrs. T. E. Smith, of Kaw City, Oklahoma; Mrs. Chas. Boyles, of Quincy, Illinois; and Al McIntire of this city. All will be here for the funeral services and burial.

G. H. McIntire was a member of the G. A. R. Post of this city, and the post members and also the W. R. C. will attend the funeral services in a body. It was recalled this morning by some of the old timers here that in the death of Mr. McIntire, the only living member of the Eleventh Kansas regiment of the Civil war, in this city, is D. G. (Dave) Lewis. The late Capt. Thompson, father of City Commissioner F. L. Thompson, was also a member of this famous regiment, which was one of the liveliest in the Civil war times.

Mr. McIntire served two years as sheriff in Colorado in the early days. Captain M. N. Sinnott, F. L. Thompson, and other local men who have served as officers of the law in this city in the years gone by, were this morning recalling some of the chases of criminals and the many serious cases that the former officers of the law, including G. H. McIntire, the late Capt. Rarick, and the late J. J. Breene, participated in in the early days of the city and the county. Mr. McIntire could recall many instances where he was in a bad way, when men of known criminal records had the drop on him, but by his thoughtfulness and easy going manner, under such circumstances, he was able to turn the trick successfully and get the drop on the other fellow in the end.

There has been nothing of a definite nature made public in regard to Mr. McIntire's successor in the office of justice of the peace; and as in the case of the late E. H. Addington, the vacancy will be filled by appointment of the governor of the state. His term of office would not have expired until next fall. It is probable, however, that there will be several applicants for the office. In the case of E. H. Addington, J. W. Martin was appointed to fill the unexpired term.

The children of Mr. McIntire were all at home this morning, and it was announced that the funeral services would be held tomorrow morning at 10:30 o'clock at the Christian church. Rev. McQuidy will have charge of the services and the body will be interred in Riverview cemetery.

THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF HIS LIFE

George Henry McIntire was born Mar 8, 1844 in Wilton, New Hampshire to Timothy and Catherine Jane McIntire. In 1847 his family moved to Lancaster, Massachusetts and then to Dixfield, Maine in 1849.

In 1854 he and his family, including a 15 year old sister, an eight year old brother and a two year old brother, got on a train in Boston and traveled, under the "protection" of the Emigrant Aid Company of Massachusetts, to the Kansas Territory. From Boston they went to Albany, New York, across Lake Erie to Detroit, Michigan, probably to Rock Island, Illinois, from Rock Island to St. Louis, Missouri and then up the Missouri River by Steamboat to Kansas City, Missouri. At Kansas City they traveled, probably by wagon and walking, to a place on the banks of the Kansas River now called Topeka, Kansas where they lived, part of the time in a sod house, for four years and in 1858 a farm near Emporia, Kansas.

By July of 1862, the war had taken its toll on men and materiel so President Lincoln called for 300,000 more men. Kansas responded with three regiments of infantry volunteers (about 3,000 men). On August 23rd, at age 18, young George, with the approval of his father, enlisted in the 11th Kansas Volunteers in Emporia, Kansas and was assigned to Company C under the command of Capt. Preston B. Plumb. In the next three years his unit was reassigned as a cavalry unit and George and his comrades saw action against the Indians and the Confederate army in Arkansas, up and down the Kansas-Missouri border. In October of 1864, under the command of Col. Thomas Moonlight, Company C fought with distinction at the Battle of Westport in Kansas City during Confederate General Sterling Price's raid through Missouri.

George mustered out of the Military in 1865 and returned to his home in Emporia. He married Mary Champlin in 1869 and in 1871, he and his wife, moved from the family farm, along with his father and mother and the rest of the McIntire family, to a new settlement on the Kansas border newly named Arkansas City. Until his death, in 1921, he served on the Arkansas City City Council; he was a Deputy United States Marshall; a Constable; city Policeman; police judge; Deputy Sheriff and Sheriff of Cowley County, and Justice of the Peace. Following his second term as Sheriff in 1888, he moved to Springfield, Colorado where he served as Sheriff of Baca County Colorado. He returned to Arkansas City in 1890 and was serving as Justice of the Peace at the time of his death in December 1921.

He' is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City beside his wife of 48 years, Mary Rozella (Champlin), a child who died in infancy and other members of the McIntire family.

Photos biography and obituary contributed by Ron McIntire his great grandson.