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The following story, to the best of our knowledge, is true. The history and lore about this swamp is well known in the Newaygo, Michigan area. We found this article on the web, through Google, and have added a related link to the end. If you have knowledge of this or other stories, please drop us a note and we will share your story as well.
Dudgeon swamp, White cloud, Michigan (posted 10/08)
I spent all my summers as a child with my grandparents, Frank and Marie Keippel at their place on 3 Mile Road, which was now owned by Don and Marie Maxson. My exploring of the woods and my bow hunting took me many times into the area that was referred to as the "Swamp". I never remember it being called the "Dudgeon Swamp" although I recall hearing a little of the story from my grandparents. It was not until I was an adult that Don and Marie Maxson related what they knew of the Hodell murders, which sparked the curiosity to research the 1922 incident. I knew two of the "lynch mob", Fred Nestle and Fred Anderson. William J. Branstrom was my grandparent's attorney.
I remember in the early sixties, before I entered the military, reading and seeing pictures of the trial in a magazine. I thought it was either "Look" or "Life", but after many hours at the library, I was unsuccessful in finding this article.
I am not a writer, and I have not attempted to write this as a story of what I have discovered, but rather list in chronological order the event that took place taken from newspaper articles and prison records. I have transcribed what I have read, not changing wording or spelling or inserting my opinion. I have satisfied my curiosity and have typed out this "outline" for friends, who wanted to know what I had discovered.
I would be very interested in the opinions of readers who may have a different slant on what took place.
1903
The Dudgeon Family came from Allen County, Indiana and settled near the town of Holton, Michigan before arriving in White Cloud, Michigan back in 1905. Where they traded their Holton farm for two parcels of land equaling 1280 acres, 5 miles northeast of White Cloud in Goodwell Township, Newaygo County, which at one time was called "Big Bear Swamp". The Dudgeons had reported seeing many bears on their property (Sections 21, 29, and 30). Charles H. Dudgeon and Alice Dudgeon had five children: Lee, Wilmer, Herman, Lola, and Meady. A sixth child, a daughter called "Z" had died earlier.
1905
The Dudgeons began to raise breeder livestock for income on their property, which they referred to as "The Ranch". Their neighbors, who found the Dudgeons hard to deal with and bullish, called the property "The Dudgeon Swamp". There was a certain amount of resentment and jealousy in the rural community caused by the Dudgeon attitude and being able to purchase such a large parcel of land. The Dudgeons were one of the first to own a new electric truck.
Since there were no buildings on the land, they occupied a shanty a few miles from the property while they built their house. Charles & Alice Dudgeon with their son, Lee, built a two-story house with a porch containing four rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. The floors were made of rough ash boards and the partitions between the rooms were very crude and covered with sheets of newspaper. The stairs leading upstairs were so steep they could be considered a ladder. The rough boards outside were covered with tarpaper and strips of lathe. The family moved into the house before the windows or doors were installed. The house was never finished.
The washboard road that ran past the property was a corduroy or log road covered with dirt and had many chuck holes. The old stagecoach road from Grand Rapids to Big Rapids crossed the Dudgeon property diagonally. There were remnants of the burned out Graves lumber camp near the Dudgeon house. The White River originated on the property.
Only eight hundred of the twelve hundred acres were fenced in when Dudgeon occupied the land, so when he fenced the remaining four hundred acres, the neighbors, who had been using it to graze their cattle, were incensed and cut the wires to let the Dudgeon stock out.
Charles Dudgeon mortgaged part of his land for $350 down payment on Fred Riblet's eighty acres, which was a quarter mile west of the Dudgeon property, for his daughter Lola and her husband, Frank Priest.
Without telling the Dudgeons, Frank Priest sold his contract for the land to Jake Terwillegar, who was caught dragging logs off of the land by the Dudgeons. A fight ensued in which Terwillegar took a severe beating. The Dudgeon men were convicted of assault and served ninety days in the White Cloud jail.
A neighbor, Tom Scott had a dispute with the Dudgeons over Scott crossing their property. Although Wilmer and Lee Dudgeon were both badly hurt by Scott, they were again arrested, convicted and served more time in jail.
After Charles Dudgeon's death, Alice Dudgeon had an altercation with the teacher of the school across the road from her house, for which she was taken to court and fined.
She also was accused of having, an altercation with Jake Terwillegar at which time she broke a few of Terwillegar's ribs.
1918/1921
Meady (Dudgeon) Hodell's education ended in the eighth grade at the age of 16, at which time she worked locally until she married Romie "Doc" Hodell at the age of 20. Meady, for a time worked in the telegraph office in White Cloud and a chair factory in Big Rapids. It was during this time span that Meady gave birth to two children that were fathered by her brothers. Upon their births, the infants were taken to the Dudgeon barn, clubbed to death and buried.
1920
Romie "Doc" Hodell was born and raised in Ensley Township, north of the town of Grant, Michigan, about a half-mile on Trunk Line 54. His four brothers, Gayle, Forrest, Wayne and Hollis still lived at home with their mother, Nina. His two sisters, Lila and Lola, were married. Lila Siegel lived in Comstock Park, Michigan and Lola Cook lived in Goodwell Township, White Cloud, Michigan. In 1920 Romie moved to Wilcox Township, White Cloud, Michigan where he lived on property on 2 Mile Road. (He was in the process of buying the property from Fred Anderson at the time of his death.) Later rented a house in Goodwell Township from J.E. Terwillegar. This was the same property which Charles Dudgeon's son-in-law, Frank Priest had sold behind his back. (At the time of his death, Romie and Meady were living, with Meady's mother, Alice Dudgeon and her two brothers, Lee and Herman.)
The majestic white pine forests, for which the region was famous, had been laid to waste. The lumber barons had sold off their holdings to farmers and were steadily moving north. They left in their wake, vast areas of clear cut land dotted with pine tree stumps, blackened scars of forest fires, and a barren wasteland of sand.
Romie became a "stumper" who would remove tree stumps in the farmer's fields. Stump removal was a common profession of the times. He had been "stumpin" in the Grant area where the stumps were very difficult to remove because of the clay in the soil. He found his job much easier in the White Cloud area because of the sandy conditions.
Romie met the Dudgeons when he contracted to buy a load of cedar fence posts from them. It was at this time that Romie first met Meady.
APRIL, 1920
Lee Dudgeon, Meady's brother, was 22 years old at the time, 5'9", 178 lbs., brown hair, hazel eyes, and a dark beard, spent 90 days in the White Cloud jail for assault and battery. He did not drink or smoke and only attended school until the sixth grade. (THE AFORE MENTIONED ALTERCATION WITH JAKE TERWILLEGAR)
MAY 20,1920
The head of the Dudgeon family, Charles H. Dudgeon, died at the age of 68. He was buried at the Goodwell Township Cemetery, across the road from the north three-quarter section of his property.
MAR 29, 1921
Romie "Doc" Hodell, age 26, and Meady Dudgeon, age 20, were married. Meady’s brother, Lee, gave Romie the money for the marriage license. Romie was aware that Meady had kept company with Carl Sailors, a man who her brother Wilmer worked for. Romie was very jealous of Sailors when he would show up at the Dudgeon's house.
JAN 20, 1922
Romie and Meady received a letter from Romie’s mother, Nina Hodell, telling them, they would be visited by Romie's father, David Hodell, who was a carpenter and barn builder. David and Nina Hodell were having marital problems, so David Hodell left his wife running a rooming house in Detroit, to stay with his children.
JAN 21,1922
While on an errand to his sister's house, Mrs. Roy Cook, Romie found his father, David Hodell, who accompanied him home to his house on 2 Mile Road at 2:30 p.m. Romie, Meady, and David Hodell ate supper at the Dudgeon's house that night.
FEB 4, 1922
David Hodell, age 67, died at 2:45 p.m. while Romie was at work in Woodville, Michigan. He died on his return from the woodpile, at which time Meady ran across the road for help from Mrs. Fred (Cornelia) Anderson. Dr. Price T. Waters and Undertaker Alex I. McKinley were summoned from White Cloud. Dr. Waters attributed Hodell's death to apoplexy. Lee Dudgeon donated the coat from his suit for David Hodell to be buried in. Romie gave his blue serge pants and Undertaker McKinley provided a shirt.
FEB 8, 1922
David Hodell was buried at the Ashland Center Cemetery in Grant, Michigan.
FEB 10, 1922
Romie and Meady, who had previously lived on 2 Mile Road in Wilcox Township on property owned by Fred Anderson, rented a house from Jake Terwillegar in Goodwell Township. Romie had been in the process of purchasing the land from Anderson when his stumping business faltered and he moved to Terwillegar's place. He was $1800 in debt.
APR 28, 1922
Romie and Meady Hodell accompanied Meady's brothers, Lee and Wilmer Dudgeon to Fremont, Michigan in the Dudgeon brother's new Chevrolet truck. (White Cloud Eagle / East Wilcox Township May 4, 1922).
MAY 5,1922
Besides Robert Bennett, Elzie Priest was another man who hired on to work for Romie. Being short of money, Romie sent Priest to Clarence Rittenhouse's farm to ask him to buy one of Romie's horses, but Rittenhouse refused. Romie was so mad at Rittenhouse for not being interested in purchasing the horse, he grabbed his 22 rifle and started after him, but Meady stopped him.
APOPLEXY
Stroke: damage of the brain due to a blockage in blood flow or to a hemorrhage of blood vessels in the brain. Without blood, sections of brain tissue quickly deteriorate or die, resulting in paralysis of limbs or organs controlled by the affected brain area. Most strokes are associated with high blood pressure or arteriosclerosis, or both. Some of the signs of major stroke are facial weakness, inability to talk, loss of bladder control, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, and paralysis or weakness, particularly on one side of the body. Stroke is also called cerebral apoplexy and cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
Causes
The majority of stroke cases are due to arterial blockage caused by either thrombosis or embolism. Thrombosis involves the gradual building up of fatty substances, or arteriosclerotic plaque, in one or more of the four arteries leading to the brain. As these arteries become narrowed, a potential stroke victim often experiences recurrent warnings of transient paralysis, such as in one arm or leg or on one side of the face, or discovers impairments in speech, vision, or other motor functions. At this stage, deposits in the linings of the cerebral arteries ran often be treated by surgery, including laser surgery and micro surgical bypass of blockages. Anticoagulant drugs, changes in diet, and even daily doses of aspirin are also used. Actual thrombosis occurs when an artery has occluded, leading to permanent brain damage
Embolism occurs when a cerebral artery suddenly becomes blocked by material coming from another part of the bloodstream. Such solid masses, or emboli, often form as clots in a diseased or malfunctioning heart, but can also come from dislodged fragments of arteriosclerotic plaque or even an air bubble. Treatment is largely preventive, consisting of monitoring of the diet, and, if possible, use of anticoagulants.
Hemorrhaging of cerebral blood vessels, 2 less frequent cause of stroke, occurs most often where aneurysms, or blister like bulges, develop on the forks of large cerebral arteries on the brain surface. The rupture of aneurysms causes brain damage, due to either the seeping of blood into brain tissue or the reduced flow of blood to the brain beyond the point of rupture.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation from stroke requires specialized help from neurologists, physical therapists, speech therapists and other medical persons especially during the first six months, when most progress is made. Passive stretching exercises & thermal applications are used to regain motor control of limbs, which become rigidly flexed after stroke has occurred. A patient may recover enough to do pulley and bicycle exercises for the arms and legs and, through speech therapy, may regain the language abilities often lost following a stroke; the degree of recovery varies greatly from patient to patient. The death rate among stroke victims in the U.S. has dropped noticeably since 1950. In part this may be due to the increasing recognition of the leading role of hypertension in stroke, with resulting dietary changes such as lower intake of saturated fats and cholesterol. Increased awareness of the dangers of smoking may also be a factor. Nevertheless, stroke remains the third leading cause of death in the U.S., following coronary artery disease and cancer. About 400,000 Americans suffer new strokes each year, and in about 165,000 persons the strokes prove fatal. Researchers are now studying the possible use of the brain opiate dynorphin for increasing survival.
"Stroke," Microsoft (R) Encarta. Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corporation. Copyright (c) 1994 Funk & Wagnalls Corporation.
Romie was contracted to do a "stumping" job on the Dudley Smith farm in Wooster, 17 miles away and planned on taking Meady with him to live in a shack. Meady had accompanied him on other jobs and disliked living in a shack away from family and friends. Lee and Herman had agreed to drive Romie and Meady's furniture out to the shack in their truck, when Carl Sailors showed up. Romie had suspected Sailors of seeing Meady while he was at work, and had a fit when he saw him. Words were exchanged between Romie and Herman which developed into a fist fight. Lee joined in, and Romie took a bad beating from the both of them. Romie forced Meady to walk down the road ahead of him in the rain. He talked at length of them both dying together and finally told Meady that he wanted her to go to White Cloud to see Attorney Harold Cogger about a divorce.
Meady, in a letter written in prison to the county historian, H.L. Spooner, said that on this day, Romie confided in her that twelve years earlier he had helped bury a woman named Nellie Reynolds in Ensley Center, Michigan. Romie had heard that men working on a road had uncovered a skeleton and had taken it to the local undertaker and that authorities were investigating.
Romie and Meady spent the night at the Dudgeon house, where Romie slept with Lee and Meady slept with her mother, Alice Dudgeon.
MAY 6, 1922
Romie, who had decided not to work that day because it was raining, went to his rented barn on the Terwillegar place to feed his horses. He was told by Alice Dudgeon that his breakfast would be ready upon his return. Not returning for breakfast, Lee and Robert Bennett (another of Romie's hired hands) went to the barn where they found Romie hanging by the horse harness. Meady and her brothers, Lee and Herman drove to White Cloud to notify the authorities shortly after noon. Sheriff Nobel A. McKinley, Deputy Sheriff Winfield E. Patterson, Justice Of The Peace / Undertaker Walter B. Reed, and Prosecuting Attorney Harold J. Cogger were told of Romie's death. Romie's body was found by the officials hung with his feet touching the ground and his knees flexed. In addition, one eye was blackened, his lip was cut, and there was a cut over one eye and another on his cheek. It was also noted that there was evidence of mud or sand on his shoulders. The authorities had a difficult time putting the body in the rear seat of Sheriff McKinley's car because Romie had a stiff leg. Attorney Cogger rode in the back seat with the body, while McKinley, Patterson, and Reed were in the front. Romie and Meady were only married fourteen months at the time of his death.
Carl Sailors took Meady, Lee, Wilmer, and Robert Bennett to White Cloud in his car so Meady could deliver some underwear she had purchased to the undertaker for Romie's body.
At the inquest before Justice Of The Peace / Undertaker, Walter B. Reed, the postmortem examination by Dr.’s Weaver, Waters, and Turner concluded that the cause of death was not hanging, but a blow on the back of the neck, two inches below the right ear. The doctors also testified that the blow caused instant death. Romie was buried at the Goodwell Cemetery in Goodwell Township.
MAY 7,1922
Because of the hard feelings between the Hodells and Dudgeons, Sheriff Nobel A. McKinley attended Romie's funeral at the Goodwill Township Cemetery, where he frisked the participants for weapons.
MAY 8, 1922
Robert Bennnett, Romie's hired hand, was arrested, but he was later released for the murder of Romie. The inquest that started on May 6, 1922 was continued on May 8, 1922. (Robert Bennett was born in London, England and emigrated with his parents to Canada at the age of 7. He moved to Newaygo County in the fall of 1921. In 1922, Mr. Ward, a man that Bennett had lived with in Canada moved to Newaygo County. It was at Ward's house that Bennett first met Romie. Robert Bennett had only known the Dudgeons about a month before Romie's death.) He would later be arrested again and would spend approximately eleven months behind bars. Bennett received letters daily from his mother, who had moved back to London, professing her belief in his innocence.
MAY 14,1922
Meady and her brothers, Lee and Herman had Romie's body exhumed by the sexton of the Goodwill Cemetery because of rumors that the body had been taken away on the night of the funeral.
MAY 15,1922
The inquest held on May 6th and May 8th was concluded on May l5th.
It was determined during the inquest, that the "suicide notes given to the authorities by Lee Dudgeon were not in Romie's handwriting
"Dearest _______________I can not write words to the effect that I want to but tell my mother not to feel bad for me or you either. I wrote a note in my book for you but my emotions has changed since then so I am writing you this. Please don't marry _________my last request. One who give his life for you."
- "Doc”
- Carl Sailors was the name omitted in Please don't marry__________my last request.
The above note was written on a calendar. The following, was written on a leaf of paper from a note book.
- “__________ when you read this I will be no more. Don't look for me as you will never find me until it is to late. You know I to you I would rather be dead as see you go wrong.
- One who loves you.
"Doc"
Mrs. Nina Hodell, Romie's mother and Roy Cook, Romie's brother-in-law testified that the "suicide" notes were not written in Romie's handwriting. Later confessions stated that Meady wrote the notes. In newspaper reports during Meady's trial it was stated that there were not two but three "suicide" notes.
JUN 29,1922
Meady visited her sister-in-law, Lola (Hodell) Priest in Big Rapids, Michigan with her nephew, Cecil Robinson. (White Cloud Eagle / East Wilcox Township July 6, 1922.
JUL 30, 1922
Lee and Herman Dudgeon are met on the road near the Fulkerson School on a threshing outfit they were moving for a neighbor by nineteen vigilantes. (The Fulkerson School was located on the comer of Thornapple and 1-Mile Roads in Wilcox Township).They were ordered to get down, but they refused. Roy Cook climbed on the separator and pushed Herman, who fell against Lee and they both jumped to save themselves from falling. Lee and Herman were separated and ropes were placed around their necks. They were told that if they did not confess they would be lynched. Paul Andrews, Superintendent of Schools, a member of the "lynch mob" stated that when the rope was pulled tight around Lee Dudgeon's neck he said he would confess. When the rope was loosened, he refused to confess. This took place twice, when Forrest Hodell, Romie's brother, tied the rope to his motorcycle and pulled out all the slack. The rest of the mob got nervous over Forrest's move knowing he had a "suicide clutch" and any attempt to stop him could cause his foot to slip. Herman was ready to confess almost immediately, and this final ploy by Forrest convinced Lee to confess. All concerned, later testified that the Dudgeon brother's feet never left the ground and that the ropes were just pulled tight. The tree used to "lynch" the brothers was a maple that sat between the Jake E. Terwillegar house and barn.(The "lynching" tree was cut down in the late 1980's by the county, who claimed it was a road hazard.) Later testimony revealed that it only took the mob five minutes to get the confession. The Dudgeons received black eyes, Lee, a broken nose, not to mention the rope bums on their necks.
- I, Lee Dudgeon, don't know how R.D.Hodell was murdered, but I do know that he was murdered by Robert Bennett. My brother, Herman and myself helped hang R.D. Hodell in the upper story of Jake Terwillegar's barn after he was killed. Bennett came to our place and asked us to go with him. I asked, "What for? And he said he wanted us to hang "Doc " in the barn. I fold him that I didn’t wish to do anything of the kind, and he said, If you don't I will put you fellows in the same place." He had his hand in his coat pocket where his gun was concealed and we went with him. After hanging "Doc" up, Bennett said, "By God, he won't bother anybody else. "
- The confession was signed by Lee and Herman Dudgeon and several witnesses and presented to Justice of the Peace / Undertaker Walter B. Reed, who was summoned to the schoolhouse from White Cloud. He left almost immediately because he was conducting a funeral that afternoon. The Dudgeons changed their confession and this was recorded by Justice Guy Merrill. Since Sheriff Nobel A. McKinley was out of town, Deputy Sheriff Winfield E. Patterson was summoned. Patterson released the Dudgeon brothers and arrested Robert Bennett for a second time at the home of Frank James in Goodwell Township. Bennett was kept in a dungeon containing no cot or chair and was compelled to sleep on the floor with only a blanket. He received as little as four meals per week. Patterson later arrested Lee, Herman, and Wilmer Dudgeon at their home.
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