Surname Saturday: Deyo family murdered

I knew the Deyo clan was rather large before we even went to New Paltz earlier this week. My husband, ironically, seemed surprised at how vast the Deyo/Deyoe family is and what an impact they had – and continue to have – on the community there. Today, I too was surprised by the Deyo clan.

Skimming through Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, I came across an article, dated 26 August 1908, about one group of Deyos. The headline reads: Fugitive Who Attacked Deyo Family Up the State Trapped at Greenwood Lake. The dateline is Middletown, NY.

The article states:

“Weak from loss of blood and in a starving condition “Bill” Monroe, the desperado who murderously assaulted six members of the Deyo family and burned a barn at New Paltz on Friday afternoon, was trapped at Greenwood Lake to-day.”

Monroe himself was in a weak condition and bleeding from pistol wounds. A family finally let him in and summoned the physician who examined him. Monroe had stated that he had been traveling from Campgaw, NJ to Greenwood Lake but could travel no more. News was sent to Goshen where it reached Sheriff A. L. Decker, Sheriff F. T. Hock and Chauffer Strach. The three started out to Greenwood Lake.

The article also states:

“Monroe had been hunted by armed men and deputy sheriffs since the day of the attack.”

Monroe escaped capture until November the following year.

An article, dated 26 November 1909, in The Citizen (out of Honesdale, PA), provides some insight.

The murders occurred on 11 August 1908 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Abram Deyo. Abram was a farmer near New Paltz in Ulster County, NY. In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Abram Deyo, the others at home that fateful day was their infant son, Mrs. Jonathan Deyo and a servant. While Jonathan was not in the home at the time, he is described as a New York Lawyer. Mrs. Jonathan Deyo is also referred to as Abram’s sister-in-law.

Monroe asked Deyo for work and when Deyo, knowing Monroe’s reputation, refused, Monroe became angered. Monroe assaulted the six in the house then headed for the barn, where Jonathan was overseeing the men working. Monroe assaulted Jonathan and burned the barn.

So now, I am curious … Why were they murdered? Who was Monroe to them?

Sources:

The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.), 26 Nov. 1909. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87078082/1909-11-26/ed-1/seq-8/>

The evening world. (New York, N.Y.), 26 Aug. 1908. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1908-08-26/ed-1/seq-9/>

CORRECTION
I erred in this post. I assumed (yes, I know) "murderously assaulted" actually meant murdered. I will write an update to this odd situation but for now, please forgive my assumption. ~ Jeanne, Sunday, 28 June 2015.

Surname Saturday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.

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