On September 28, 1885 the life of Dr. George W. Barton was cut tragically short on a Saybrook sidewalk by a competing physician, Dr. Harvey L. Harris. Dr. Barton was speaking to a patient outside a drug store where Dr. Harris had his offices. Dr. Barton made a statement about Dr. Harris' lack of success as a physician and called his skill as a physician into question within Dr. Harris hearing. Harris came out to the sidewalk and challenged Barton's statements. What happened after that was under some dispute because the closest witness was a blind man.
Harris claimed that Barton struck him on the face, knocking him to the ground. Witnesses said that they thought he was struck, but no one saw the blow. Harris admitted that he pulled his gun and immediately shot Barton. Witnesses said that Harris said "I don't allow any man to strike me." He said to the blind witness that "I want you to know that he struck me."
Harris was filled remorse almost immediately and rendered medical assistance. He seemed to be unable to speak to the sheriff, due to the strength of his emotions. But his better feelings were too little and too late. Dr. Barton was carried to his home, dead.
The citizens of Saybrook were incensed. Luckily, there was a train leaving Saybrook immediately for Bloomington and the constable escorted Harris to Bloomington where he was placed in jail. Harris was kept in jail until the threat of mob violence had passed. Barton had been a physician in Saybrook since 1870, and Harris had only been practicing there for only a year before the incident.
Both men had served with in the Civil War prior to training as doctors. They were members of the GAR and as a result of this killing, Harris was court martialed by the local GAR after the shooting. One theory of the hard feelings between the men was the fact that Dr. Barton felt that Harris undercharged Barton's patients when he was brought in as a consultant.
The trial did not take place until May of 1886. Harris was eventually released from jail to await his trial and returned to Saybrook, where residents circulated a petition for Harris to leave the town. In May of 1886, those citizens attended the trial in a body and feelings against Harris were just as strong as when the killing occurred. Judge Tipton and Attorney Ewing represented Harris and the prosecution was headed by Edward H. Miner and Governor Hamilton (If you attended the 2017 Evergreen Cemetery Walk, you know he was the uncle of Ethel Hanson Hamilton.) A citizen committee raised money to supplement the prosecution, but twenty five witnesses testified as to Harris' lack of temper and his good reputation. Other witnesses testified that although Harris claimed he did not make a habit of carrying a gun, they had seen him carrying a gun on many occasions. Other witnesses said that the two men were on very bad terms, although Harris denied this. Because the crime was not premeditated, Harris was convicted of manslaughter, and was sentenced to five years in prison for his crime.
Both men were married and fathers of families. Barton was born in Pennsylvania and Harris in Kentucky, but both had been brought to Illinois as toddlers. Was Harris' attitude part of a Southern code of honor? Hardly any person in McLean County could justify his actions, and even if his actions were part of such a code, he did not follow the code of challenging his opponent, but drew and shot him. The attorneys defending him by claiming he had feared for his life (the only legal justification for shooting Barton) and comparing their relative size, which was rather negligible.
Barton's widow and Harris' wife both attended the trial, Mrs. Barton in a heavy veil and Mrs. Harris accompanied by her daughter. Olive Barton raised her children in Saybrook and then Normal. She died in Normal in 1916. One son of Barton, an infant, died in December of 1885, which must have been a very difficult time for Mrs. Barton. The two remaining children, Olive Lillian and Charles lived in Saybrook during their earliest education and attended the first school there. Newspaper reports stated that Olive Lillian was a "cripple." Nevertheless, Olive Lillian Barton was educated at Illinois State University, the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago and was Dean of Women at ISNU for 31 years. She never married and died in 1960 at the age of 86. Barton Hall was named for her. Charles Barton was a minister with the Methodist Episcopal Church and died in Evanston in 1940 after suffering a heart attack.
Harvey Lindsay Harris moved his family to Bellflower in 1890 (after his term of imprisonment?) and continued his practice of medicine until his death in 1917. No mention of the murder of Dr. Barton was made in his obituary, but it was noted that Harris was instrumental in creating a Christian Church in Bellflower and was eulogized as a great Christian man. He had just one daughter who survived childhood, Ella Harris Rohde. Mrs. Rohde had one daughter and was a member of the Bellflower Christian Church when she died in 1961.