| Notes |
- Woodstock Sentinel Review June 13, 1911
DONE TO DEATH BY MEXICAN BANDITS
The very tragic death of Robert J. Swayze
Only brother of Benjamin E. Swayzie of Eastwood was burned to death by Mexican bandits. Victim was born near Kintore, and became a successful railwayman.
A few weeks ago the news despatches gave the story of the death of a man named Robert J. Sweasey or Swayzie, an American superintendent of the Central Railway of Michoacan, Mexico. According to the story told by a Mexican refuge, who reached San Francisco, this man was burned to death on May 16th, by Mexican bandits. The refugee, whoe name was Hansfelder ssaid that the bandits had made demands for money of every American in the district. Some complied, but Sweasey refused to pay. Hansfelder declared that he made his way to Sweaseys house, three miles distant from his own homoe, on May 19th, and found the house burned to the ground and Sweaseys body lased to a post in the midst of the burning timbers. Mrs. Sweasey had disappeared and it was thought at the time that she had been retained prisoner and held for ransom.
It now appears that the victim was the only brother of Mr. Benjamin E. Swayzie of Eastwood. Mr. Swayzie had received word from his brothers wifes sister in Colorado, confirming the report of the brothers death. The news was conveyed to her by a letter from her sister in Mexico.
Robert James Swayzie, the man who was thus done to death in such barbarous fashion, was born at the old Swayzie settlement near Kintore, on the 14th day of June, 1861. He was the son of he late Elias Coleman Swayzie and Nancy Cameron, his wife. He was, therefore, a grandson of Lt.-Col. Robert Cameron, and a nephew of the later John Cameron of Woodstock. He received his education in the public schools and Wesleyan Institute of Winnipeg, and when but little more than a boy went to work for Contractor Ryan and placed the steel on the first hundred miles of the C.P.R. west of Winnipeg. Some years later he went south, where he was largely engaged in railway construction, being admittedly one of the best men in Mexico in handling the native workmen. Like his ancestors, who were all United Empire Loyalists, he remained up to the time of his death a British subject. He was a prominent member of the Masonic Order (Southern jurisdiction) having taken the Thirty-Second degree. He was married on the 23rd day of October, 1892 to Blanche Stella Bingham of Windor, Ohio. One brother and one sister of deceased reside at Eastwood, three sisters are at Spokane, Wash., and one in Maine.
An application is being made through M.S. Schell to have the Dominion Government take the matter up, and have the guilty parties punished.
Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
about R J Swayze
Name: R J Swayze
Gender: Male
Age: 31
Birth Year: abt 1861
Residence: Quitman, Cleburne, Arkansas
Spouse's Name: Blanch J Bingman
Spouse's Gender: Female
Spouse's Age: 21
Spouse's Residence: Quitman, Cleburne, Arkansas
Marriage Date: 23 Oct 1892
Marriage License Date: 21 Oct 1892
Marriage County: Cleburne
Event Type: Marriage
FHL Film Number: 1033446
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1861 - 1911 (49 years)
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