[This post is based on the 52 Ancestors project by Amy Johnson Crow]

The theme for Week 15 is “Big Mistake.” I decided not to focus on mistakes my ancestors have made, or even mistakes I’ve made in my own research, but on the mistakes made by investigators and witnesses in December of 1912.

Research Background

A few weeks ago, while exploring DNA connections in my family tree, I stumbled upon a captivating story. Although I don’t document every descendant in my extensive 30,000-person tree (which I maintain in Family Tree Maker by MacKiev), I often trace lines leading to DNA matches. In doing so, I seek out vital records—birth, death, marriage—alongside census data and, when available, Find A Grave memorials. While I treat Find A Grave entries cautiously, given the potential for inaccuracies, they serve as useful burial records.

During this research, I focused on the descendants of Edward Lane Matlock and encountered an intriguing case. Edward’s Find A Grave memorial lacked a gravestone image, making its details somewhat questionable without corroborating sources. Nonetheless, census records and other documents confirm his existence and place in our Matlock lineage.​

As I delved deeper, I discovered the memorial for Edward’s grandson, Joseph Fry Matlock. This find led me down a proverbial rabbit hole, consuming several days as I sifted through numerous newspaper articles about Joe. While I won’t recount every detail here, you can find sources and links on Joe’s WikiTree profile. Here’s a narrative of the events:

Joe’s Background

Joseph Dewitt Matlock, Joe’s father, relocated to Oregon in the mid-1800s with his father, Edward. He later became the Mayor of Eugene, Oregon. His son, Joseph Fry Matlock, was a troubled young man with a propensity for violence. His Find A Grave memorial featured a photo from the Orange Coast Magazine (Nov 20, 2014) titled “Is Tomato Springs a Real Place?”, The article briefly described Tomato Springs as the site of a shootout involving a 200-man posse and a suspected rapist named Joe Matlock. Additionally, there was a newspaper clipping from Santa Ana stating that a local dentist, familiar with the Oregon family, had positively identified the slain “desperado” as Joe Matlock from Eugene.​

Earlier that year, Joe had reportedly escaped from the county jail in Eugene and traveled to Southern California. On December 16, 1912, he met a violent end at Tomato Springs after allegedly killing at least one man and wounding several others in the posse.

The Mistaken Identity

Upon reading the newspaper article mentioning a “dentist,” I initially assumed that dental records had been used for identification. However, considering the era—1912—this seemed unlikely. This realization highlighted how modern perceptions can mislead our understanding of historical events.​

Documents found on the deceased suggested the name Ira Jones, leading to speculation that Ira Jones, known for involvement in bank robberies, and Joe Matlock were the same individual. The Matlock family in Oregon was notified, prompting Joe’s father and brother, Caswell, to travel south, prepared to bring Joe’s body back to Oregon for burial.​

Despite at least seven individuals identifying the deceased as Joe Matlock, his father and brother, upon viewing the body, categorically denied it was him. They refused to claim the body, which was subsequently buried in a county grave.​

Newspaper coverage persisted for two weeks into the new year of 1913. Eventually, it was determined that Ira Jones and Joe Matlock were not the same person, and the deceased was likely Ira. Nevertheless, some who initially identified the body as Joe remained unconvinced.​

The Truth Uncovered

Around January 15, 1913, Joe Matlock was admitted to the Los Angeles County Hospital, suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. He died there on March 8, 1913. While newspaper articles don’t specify how his identity was confirmed, it’s plausible that as his condition worsened, he revealed his true identity. His family in Oregon was alerted, and his father traveled to Southern California. Unfortunately, Joe died hours before his father’s arrival.​

Joseph Fry Matlock’s body was transported back to Eugene and buried alongside other family members in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

While Joe was definitely an extremely troubled and violent man, he did not die in a violent episode, but rather by being ravaged by TB.

A fascinating story that apparently was considered a real law enforcement mystery in 1910s Los Angeles.

Joseph Fry Matlock is my third cousin three times removed, through our most recent common ancestors, Luke Matlock and Charity Choate.

For full source details and additional clippings, see Joseph Fry Matlock’s profile on WikiTree.

See you next week!