heard-1

Charles Edick Heard called "Edick" was a hard working farmer. He lived his early years near Harrisburg, and told many stories of the gangster activities & warring gang members of the Sheltons & Charlie Birger. My grandparents lived next door to Flo Stone’s Place. She sold bootleg booze for Charlie Birger. Grandpa had been plowing with his team and came home and observed people next door busting & destroying liquor. As a man that enjoyed a drink himself, he inquired as to what they were doing wasting all that good liquor? They said they were tipped off that there was going to be a raid and they had to get rid of it! He ask if he could have a bottle? They said you can have it all! Just get it out of here! They loaded his wagon and he drove it into a pond hiding it in the middle of the pond. The law officers followed his tracks later to the pond and raked around the edges but didn't want to get their feet wet or mud on their shoes. They gave up the search probably thinking the tracks went into the pond to tighten up the wheels rims as was the custom in those days when the wheels dried out. He said he put some in corn fodder shocks & brush piles. On the occasions that he chanced to meet Charlie Birger he was always treated nice. On one occasion Mr. Birger came by and said Mr. Heard we expect trouble tonight and you might want to get your family out, which he did. He stayed at home behind a stove and watched but nothing happened while Charlie’s car was there. When it left about 10 minutes later someone shot up the place next door but no one was there. On another occasion the windows were shot out, bullets going through the furniture and although people were inside no one was hit.

There was a small dirt road between the houses. The main road was to the right or in front of the big house.

Above picture of Mary Jane Tedford & Charles Edick Heard probably when they were dating. At the County Fair a Vendor put Mary Jane Tedford's picture on a button pin that is on his jacket. He gave it to her as a gift and later he spotted the pin on one of her boyfriends. There was a fight over it and the other fellow lost. He always wore the pin himself from then on.

My Grandfather said he came from Ohio in a covered wagon. He farmed with mules as I remember and later with horses. It was a team of horses that were spooked on a highway and ran away hitting a concrete culvert throwing him out of the wagon and breaking his shoulder collar bone. He lived most his life while I grew up West of McLeansboro, Route 14 and a few miles north of Ten Mile Church near Fairview School. While he never owned land himself or an automobile, but always eat pretty good and had a big garden. They had 4 children Eva, Charles, Jess & Ethel. He was born Sept. 25, 1875 the son of Daniel Marshall & Amy Ellen Gilman Heard. He married Mary Jane Tedford in 1905. Both died at the age of 86, different years but on Saturday. Both had the Gholson Funeral Home with services held at 1p.m. on a Monday and buried in Middle Creek Cemetery.