52 Ancestors: Week 6 "Surprise": Nellie Cox Finally Found!

For years, I have been searching for my 2nd-great-grandmother Sarah Claire "Sadie" (Dyer) Gatlin's half-sister Nellie Cox. Nellie and her husband Owen McDonough were charged as accessories to murder after Tom Cox, Nellie's brother and Sadie's half-brother, shot and killed Ben Dowell, a police officer in 1903. A mistrial was declared. The 1906 Nashville city directory stated that Owen McDonough had moved to Birmingham, Alabama. I hadn't been able to locate Owen or Nellie since then.

Sadie died in Chicago, Illinois on 20 January 1945. Her death notice mentioned a surviving sister, Mrs. E. Goolsby. All of Sadie's other siblings were dead, so Mrs. E. Goolsby had to be Nellie.

A few months ago, I finally located Nellie's first husband, Owen McDonough. I found him listed in Lorain, Ohio city directories in the 1920s. His wife was named Jennie. Apparently Nellie's first marriage ended in divorce. I don't know when Owen and Nellie split up, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were when Owen left Nashville. Being charged as accessories to the murder that Nellie's brother committed probably put a strain on their marriage.

Since I had finally located Owen, I decided to try searching for Nellie again, although I had searched before without success. And much to my surprise, I immediately found her!

Nevada. Department of Health. Death certificate 65-1741 (1965), Nellie Dale Goolsby. Ancestry.com. Nevada, Death Certificates, 1911-1965 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Nellie died in Las Vegas, Nevada on 13 July 1965. I never expected to find her there! Her death certificate confirmed that her mother's maiden name was Mary Reynolds. My conclusion was correct. Her date of birth was consistent with the ages found in earlier census  records. And I now had her second husband's name, Ezra A. Goolsby.

I still haven't located her in census records after 1900. Ezra Goolsby was enumerated in Memphis, Tennessee in 1940. He was a hotel proprietor. Nellie wasn't listed with him. It's possible that he just didn't mention her, though. Nellie and her first husband Owen McDonough both seem to have managed to avoid the census takers for decades. They may have been afraid that they would be tried as accessories to murder again.

Ezra Goolsby's mother, Salemma W. (Harris) Goolsby, died in Chicago, Illinois on 6 May 1926. His brother, Fleming Goolsby, lived in Chicago in 1930. Perhaps Nellie and Ezra met in Chicago. Sadie and her husband and children lived there; she was Nellie's only living sibling.

Nellie and Ezra (who died in 1979) are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Las Vegas.

Talented Tuesday: Nellie (Cox) McDonough

My 2nd-great-grandmother's half-sister Nellie (Cox) McDonough was a good waltzer. She won a prize in a waltzing contest at Shelby Park in East Nashville, Tennessee in 1899 for being the best waltzer on the floor. Her husband Owen McDonough also won a prize in the contest.

Nashville American, 5 September 1899, page 8

Wedding Wednesday: Eventful Time for the Cox Family

On 6 March 1899, my 2nd-great-grandmother's half-sister Nellie Cox married Owen McDonough in Davidson County, Tennessee. The March 7, 1899 issue of the Nashville American contains an announcement that the couple had obtained a marriage license.

Nashville American, 7 March 1899, page 5

On the same page of the newspaper, there is more news about the Cox family. Nellie's brother Tom Cox was on trial for the murder of William Freeman. It was announced that his case was continued until March 27. (It ended in a mistrial.)

Nashville American, 7 March 1899, page 5

52 Ancestors: #22 Nellie Cox

My great-great-grandmother Sarah Claire "Sadie" Dyer's half-sister Nellie Cox was involved in the Ben Dowell murder trial along with their brother Tom Cox.

Nellie was born in Nashville, Tennessee in October 1877. She was the daughter of my 3rd-great-grandmother Mary (widow of Michael Dyer) and John Cox. Nellie married Owen McDonough on 6 March 1899 in Davidson County, Tennessee.

On 6 December 1903, Nellie was arrested by patrolman Ben F. Dowell for disorderly conduct and interfering with an officer. Tom Cox shot and killed Ben Dowell, and Nellie and Owen McDonough were charged as accessories to the murder. Tom was found guilty of murder. A mistrial was entered for Owen and Nellie.

 

"Small Chance for Recovery," Nashville Banner, 7 December 1903, page 2

"Eloquent Arguments," Nashville Banner, 22 February 1904, page 2

The 1906 Nashville city directory states that Owen McDonough had moved to Birmingham, Alabama. I have not been able to locate the couple since the time of the trial. Nellie apparently remarried at some point, because the 21 January 1945 death notice for my great-great-grandmother Sarah C. (Dyer) Gatlin in the Chicago Tribune states that she was "sister of Mrs. E. Goolsby." All of the other Dyer and Cox siblings had passed away by that time, so Mrs. E. Goolsby must be Nellie. The initial E could be her husband's, or could be hers; Nellie could be a nickname for Ellen or Eleanor. So far I have not been able to find out anything more about Nellie's life after the trial. In addition to wanting to know more about her, I would like to see if Nellie's death certificate has more information about her mother, such as her maiden name or information about her origins in Ireland.