The Moody Murder: Author Bob Moody presents "The Terror of Indiana"

Author Bob Moody

In the spring of 1875, a deadly family feud near our community culminated in the murder of Thomas Moody. This was a crime that would lead to sensational trials, an attempted lynching, life sentences and national newspaper coverage. Nearly 150 years later, the story is still being unraveled.

On Saturday, August 29, author and researcher Bob Moody will bring the story of the Moody-Tolliver Feud to Salem, where he will discuss the evidence surrounding Thomas Moody's murder, along with the remarkable history he uncovered while researching his own family.

The program, presented by the Washington County Historical Society, begins at 1:00 pm at The Depot Railroad Museum, 206 S College Ave, Salem.

The conflict began years before Thomas Moody was killed. The Moody and Tolliver families owned adjoining farms near the Orange-Lawrence County line. Tensions escalated after William Tolliver, a widower, married Mary Ann “Polly” Moody, the sister of Thomas Moody and his brothers.

When William Tolliver died in a wagon accident about 18 months later without a will, Polly was legally entitled to a portion of his estate. Members of the Tolliver family resented the inheritance, and a confrontation at the estate sale turned violent. Thomas Moody was badly beaten, leading to lawsuits that the Moody family eventually won. The family ultimately acquired approximately 60 acres of Tolliver property. The legal dispute did little to settle the feud.

In June 1871, the Moody farmhouse was attacked in the middle of the night. Jugs of burning benzine were thrown at the home while gunmen reportedly fired at family members attempting to escape.

Polly Moody was badly burned, a farmhand was seriously wounded and Thomas Moody was shot. Newspapers reported that he was unlikely to survive, but he did.

The family eventually moved to Orleans, where they reportedly lived cautiously and rarely ventured outside after dark.

On March 2, 1875, Thomas Moody had spent the evening playing cards in Orleans and was walking home when he stopped to open the gate to his house. Someone concealed across the street fired both barrels of a shotgun into his back. Moody survived the night but died the following morning.

Five men were eventually indicted in connection with the murder: Alonzo “Bent” Jones, Lee Jones, Parks Tolliver, Tom Tolliver and Eli Lowry.

The trials became a national sensation, involving hundreds of subpoenaed witnesses, private detectives, a large reward, an attempted lynching, a change of venue to Bloomington and a cooperating defendant.

Several defendants received life sentences. But in one of the more interesting turns of events, one of the accused men escaped while his jury was still deliberating.

The case was reported in newspapers across the country, yet today the Moody-Tolliver Feud is largely unknown outside the communities where it unfolded. That is where Bob Moody comes in.

Bob is the great-great-grandnephew of Thomas Moody, descended from Thomas' eldest brother, James Moody.

Bob also brings a remarkable career in radio to his research. He spent nearly five decades in the industry as a personality, programmer and corporate executive. He served on the boards of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music and was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2007. After retiring, he turned his attention to his family's history and the Moody-Tolliver Feud.

His research eventually took him far beyond what he expected. He located previously unknown documents and reports from more than 100 newspapers published during the period, using those records to piece together what happened. This research is what soon became his book, The Terror of Indiana: Bent Jones & The Moody-Tolliver Feud.

While much of the feud centered around Orange and Lawrence Counties, the story also has connections to Salem and other Southern Indiana communities. Those connections will be among the many subjects Moody explores during Saturday's presentation.

The program will also include a reading from The Terror of Indiana. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and Moody will be available to sign books following the presentation.

“I’ve been reading Bob’s book in preparation for the program, and what has struck me is how much of this story sounds almost unbelievable until you remember that these are actual events documented in newspapers and court proceedings from the period,” said Judy Harper with the Historical Society.

She added, “I think anyone interested in Southern Indiana history, true crime, genealogy, or simply a really compelling story will enjoy Saturday’s program.”

You can hear Bob Moody unravel the evidence behind this extraordinary 1875 Indiana murder this Saturday, August 29, at 1:00 pm at The Depot Railroad Museum in Salem.

Admission is $10 for Washington County Historical Society members and $12 for non-members.

Reservations can be made in advance through the John Hay Center website here.