RHINE, Wm. - {from The Prairie Grove Herald} Intelligence has been received here that Wm. Rhine of Newton county, Ark., a brother to I.P. Rhine of near Rickert, was killed a few days ago but the particulars of the shooting have not been learned. [The Springdale News 6/15/1906] ai summary - July 14, 2026 The original report The Prairie Grove Herald, reprinted in the Springdale News on 15 June 1906, stated: "Intelligence has been received here that Wm. Rhine of Newton county, Ark., a brother to I.P. Rhine of near Rickert, was killed a few days ago but the particulars of the shooting have not been learned." This wording suggests: the death occurred only a few days before June 15, 1906 (probably between June 8-12); it occurred in Newton County, Arkansas; it was a shooting, not an accident; Prairie Grove residents learned of it through family connections rather than official reports. The Rhine family The article identifies William as the brother of I. P. Rhine, who lived near Rickert in Washington County. Rickert was a small rural community southwest of Prairie Grove. The Rhine family appears to have migrated between: William Thomas Rhynes •Sex: M •Birth: 25 JUL 1866 in Kentucky •Death: 10 MAY 1906 in Newton County, Arkansas; shot by son-in-law, Andrew Lane •Burial: Welles Creek Cemetery, Newton County, Arkansas •Census: 1910 Rhines, MillCreek twp, Newton, Arkansas Marriage 1 Sarah Lucinda Busby b: 18 NOV 1865 in Taney, Missouri •Married: BET 1883 AND 1884 in Newton County, Arkansas Children 1. Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rhynes b: 22 OCT 1885 in Missouri 2. Louisa Almedie Rhynes b: 15 SEP 1887 in Missouri 3. Dorothy "Ditha" "Dithy" "Dabbie" Arizona Rhynes b: 5 FEB 1889 in Missouri 4. John William Washington Rhynes b: 8 JUL 1891 - 1891 5. Emma Dora Jean Rhynes b: 5 AUG 1892 in Arkansas 6. James Noah RhineRhynes b: 3 SEP 1895 in Arkansas 7. Thomas Bryant Rhynes b: 30 JAN 1897 in Searcy, Arkansas 8. Martha Ruebeody Rhynes b: 5 FEB 1899 in Arkansas 9. Sarah Ella "Eller" Rhynes b: 13 JAN 1901 in Arkansas - 1991 10. Harley Casel Rhynes b: 13 APR 1903 in Newton County, Arkansas 11. Willie Mae Rhynes b: 5 MAY 1906 in Newton County, Arkansas - 1993 The Star Progress, June 1, 1906: On Tuesday last on Big Creek in Newton County, Wm. Ryan was shot to death by his son-in-law Andy Lane. Family troubles are supposed to be the cause. The two had quarrelled the day before, and Ryan went to where Lane was splitting boards in the woods, and started to renew the difficulty by threatening Lane with a board heart wepon, Lane fired four shot from a pistol, striking Ryan three times in the heart, and once 3 inches below. Lane went at once to the Sheriff and gave himself up.-Harrison Times. Newton County Washington County western Arkansas Ozark communities Identification The Wells Cemetery transcription records: William H. Rhines - July 25, 1866-May 10, 1906 The same cemetery contains an infant, William Rhines, born July 8, 1891, and died October 18, 1891, identified as the son of William Rhine and Sarah Elizabeth Busby. Genealogical records identify William’s wife more fully as Sarah Lucinda Busby, born November 18, 1865, in Taney County, Missouri. Her later census records consistently describe her as a widow. This William fits all the known facts: named William Rhine or Rhines; resided in Newton County; died shortly before the June 15, 1906 newspaper report; was approximately forty years old; had a brother named I. P. Rhine living near Prairie Grove; left a widow and several minor children. The surname appears in records as Rhine, Rhines, and Rhynes. These should all be searched. The date discrepancy “Intelligence has been received here…” This indicates delayed secondhand news reaching Prairie Grove from rural Newton County. The phrase “a few days ago” may have originated in an earlier issue of the Prairie Grove Herald, which was then reprinted later by the Springdale News. It is also possible that the cemetery transcription contains a minor date error, although there is presently no evidence of that. Because no other William Rhine death in Newton County during May or June 1906 has been found, William H. Rhines remains the overwhelmingly likely subject. Family reconstruction William and Sarah Rhine The 1900 census places Wm. Rhine, about thirty-five, and his wife Sarah, thirty-five, in Prairie Township, Newton County. The census reference is: 1900 United States census Newton County, Arkansas Prairie Township sheet 1B line 65 NARA microfilm T623, roll 70 The indexed census record identifies William as head of household and Sarah as his wife. Their known children included: an unnamed or incompletely identified older child or children; William Rhines, 1891-1891; Noah Rhines, born about 1894-95; Thomas Rhines, born about 1896-97; Martha Rubede Rhynes, born February 5, 1899; Ella or Eller Rhines, born about 1900-01; Harley Rhines, born about 1903-04; Willie Rhines, a daughter, born about 1905-06. Martha’s family record names her parents as William Thomas Rhynes and Sarah Lucinda Busby. Household after William’s death In 1910, Sarah was enumerated in Mill Creek Township, Newton County, as a forty-three-year-old widow. Her household included: Child Approximate age in 1910 Noah Rhines 15 Thomas Rhines 13 Martha Rhines 11 Eller Rhines 9 Harley Rhines 6 Willie Rhines 4 This record is especially important because Willie was about four years old in 1910 and therefore probably an infant when William died. Sarah remained a widow and was later enumerated in New Hope Township in 1930 and White Township in 1940. She died October 1, 1945, and was buried at Carver Cemetery. I. P. Rhine of Washington County The brother mentioned in the article was almost certainly: Isaac Pete Rhine Born: 1866 Died: February 8, 1940 Buried: Prairie View Cemetery, Washington County, Arkansas His initials, residence in western Washington County, age, and surname all correspond with the newspaper’s “I. P. Rhine of near Rickert.” William’s stone gives a birth date of July 25, 1866, while Isaac’s memorial also places his birth in 1866. They may have been twins, close-aged brothers with one birth year inaccurately recorded, or the dates on one of the memorials may be incorrect. The original 1870 and 1880 census schedules are needed to settle their exact relationship and identify their parents. Newspaper investigation Newton County Times A significant correction is necessary: the Newton County Times did not begin publication until 1907. Therefore, there are no surviving issues of that title for June-August 1906 to examine. The Library of Congress newspaper directory dates its publication from 1907. The relevant Newton County newspaper in 1906 may instead have been an earlier Jasper paper, a short-lived title, or no local newspaper at all. The report may have reached Prairie Grove through private correspondence. Harrison Times The Harrison Times was publishing in 1906 and is the most promising regional source. The Library of Congress records its publication span as 1876-1938, and digitized or subscription scans survive. I searched the publicly indexed web results under: William Rhine William Rhines W. H. Rhine Wm. Rhine Rhynes shooting in Newton County killed in Newton County No indexed follow-up account or arrest was found. This is not equivalent to a manual page-by-page examination: historical OCR frequently misses names, especially when the print is damaged or the surname appears as Rhines. The highest-priority dates for manual inspection are: May 12-31, 1906; June 1-30, 1906; subsequent circuit-court reports through the end of 1906. Arkansas Gazette and Arkansas Democrat No searchable online result was found in either statewide paper for William Rhine or the spelling variants. The Arkansas State Library maintains a historical microfilm run of the Arkansas Gazette, while the Arkansas State Archives preserves extensive newspaper holdings. A conclusive search would require inspection of the original microfilm for: May 11-June 30, 1906; “Newton County” correspondence columns; Jasper and Harrison dispatches; reports under the alleged shooter’s name, which remains unknown. Court and coroner records No digitized Newton County criminal case, coroner’s verdict, or sheriff’s entry naming William Rhine was located. Modern Arkansas online court searches do not provide comprehensive access to 1906 proceedings. William left a widow and at least six minor children. This makes a probate, administration, or guardianship proceeding plausible even if he owned little property. The 1900 census places William in Prairie Township, but it does not by itself prove land ownership. The following searches are necessary: Newton County grantor and grantee indexes, 1883-1906; federal land patents under Rhine, Rhines, Rhynes, Rine and Rines; 1905 and 1906 county tax books; deeds from Sarah and the children after William’s death; delinquent-tax and administrator’s-sale notices. A deed executed by Sarah after May 1906 might describe her as: “Sarah Rhine, widow of William Rhine, deceased” Such a deed could conclusively connect the cemetery, census household and Prairie Grove newspaper report. Preliminary conclusion The investigation supports the following reconstruction: William H. or William Thomas Rhine/Rhines was born July 25, 1866. He married Sarah Lucinda Busby and farmed in Prairie Township, Newton County. He was the brother of Isaac Pete Rhine of the Rickert-Prairie Grove area. William died on May 10, 1906, at approximately thirty-nine years of age and was buried at Wells Cemetery. By 1910, Sarah was recorded as his widow with six dependent children. The Prairie Grove Herald reported that he had been killed in a shooting, but no surviving digitally searchable source yet identifies the shooter, location, motive, or legal result. The statement that he was shot comes from the contemporary newspaper and is credible, but the gravestone and census records establish only his identity and death-not the manner of death. The decisive evidence is most likely in the May-June 1906 Harrison Times, the Newton County Circuit Court criminal docket for 1906-1907, the County Court claim book, or a probate/guardianship file. These materials require manual examination of microfilm or original courthouse volumes; they are not presently available as fully searchable online collections.