USA > Iowa > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 19
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periods. During the very height of the "fight," with all the advantage in favor . of the "down town" faction, the weapon used to best advantage by the "up town" folks and with most effect was printer's ink. They even went so far as to establish a paper to boom their interests. The old town folks advertised in a quiet and ordinary way, but the flaming advertisements of their opponents caught the eye of the people whose trade was wanted and they got the trade. Looking over the whole field of strife, from this secure position, it seems per- fectly plain that the "old town" lost the advantage with which they started because they felt too secure in it, and they did not make free enough use of printer's ink. Had they outdone their competitors in that one particular. it is doubtful whether the up town people with all their push and donations could have succeeded.
While the new hotel was being put up in town under personal supervision of Sumler Willson, Walter C., as contractor, was rapidly pushing work on the railroad between Webster City and Fort Dodge. Never was twenty miles of railroad graded, and tied and ironed in better time and better condition than the road between these two towns. So that in less than one month from the time after the road arrived at Webster City, the cars were running into Fort Dodge.
A FREE RIDE TO FORT DODGE
Not that it had all been built in a month's time, but that in that time the connecting link between the towns had been welded and about the 20th of May a free excursion train was run from here to the fort under the management of Mr. Willson who, as the train was about to pull out, went to the conductor and told him to "make the trip in an hour or burst his boiler." The trip was made in the time, but as the train went whirling along, rocking from side to side and bumping over the uneven and unsettled rails of the new road, it fairly made the hair of the excursionists stand on end. That ride will never be forgotten by any who took part in it.
THE MURDER OF JOHN ROSS
We now come to the relation of a tragedy that probably caused more excite- ment than anything that has ever happened in the county-the murder of John Ross. As the Freeman of June 23, 1869, contained a lengthy and very full account of the murder, written at the time, we extract the following therefrom :
THE TRAGEDY AT ROSS' MILL
"About half past 11 o'clock a. m., on Wednesday, last, the 16th inst., one of the most cold blooded and atrocious murders we ever heard of was com- mitted at Ross' (formerly Sternberg's) mill, on the Boone river, six miles south of this place. The facts as far as we have been able to ascertain them are sub- stantially as follows:
"About 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the 15th inst., some men who were at work in the mill yard, having occasion to see Mr. Ross, went to the mill for that purpose, but not finding him there supposed he was engaged outside and made no further search. Some two hours later, a brother of the murdered man,
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who had been at work in a field several miles from the mill, came in and Mr. Ross, not yet having made his appearance, the brother, fearing some accident had befallen him, began, in company with some of the neighbors and hands about the premises, a vigorous search through every part of the mill and machinery. In looking around, it was discovered that the flood gate was about half open, and that but for some obstruction, the mill should be running. Fur- ther investigation revealed the fact that the burrs were so tightly screwed down that a full head of water would hardly have been able to start the machinery. This was the first thing to excite suspicion that foul play had been used, and the search was continued but a few moments longer before the lifeless body of Mr. Ross was found, by his brother James, in the wheel house almost covered with water. With the assistance of the other men, the body was taken out and laid upon the mill floor when it was discovered that the unfortunate man had been shot through the right side of the back just below the shoulder and after- wards thrown into the wheel house by the murderer.
"A messenger was immediately dispatched to town to notify the sheriff and coronor of what had transpired and to summon their attendance upon the scene of the murder. The sheriff, in company with several other citizens of town, started for the mill about II o'clock at night. Arriving there, a coroner's jury was summoned and an inquest held over the remains. The jurymen were Sum- ler Willson, Addison Arthur and Chas. B. Willson, and in the absence of Dr. Burgess, the coroner, the examination was had before Justice J. F. McConnell. After a careful and thorough examination of the facts as they developed, the jury rendered a verdict that the deceased came to his death at the hands of John Ross; whereupon young Ross, a nephew of the murdered man, was arrested by the sheriff. The next day a preliminary examination was com- menced before Justice McConnell, but upon filing an affidavit by the prisoner the further prosecution of the trial was postponed until the 28th inst. Chas. A. Clark appears for the state, and N. B. Hyatt for the defence.
"THE PRISONER
is a young man of rather prepossessing appearance; is about five feet eight or nine inches in height, has a mild expression of countenance and a clear, but restless blue eye; gives unmistakable evidence of some culture and claims to be but eighteen years of age. He is a son of the murdered man's brother, and bears his name-John Ross. His parents reside in Janesville, Wisconsin, but young Ross claims to have lived in Chicago most of the time for the past year. The young man also claims to be a miller by trade. He came here about five weeks ago, since which time he has been visiting with the families of John, Samuel and James Ross and John Meeks, who are his uncles.
"WHY HE IS SUSPECTED
"The circumstances tending to fasten suspicion upon young Ross are so far as we have been able to ascertain, about as follows: He was known to be with- out money and seemed very anxious to return home or to Chicago; knew his
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uncle, John Ross, had considerable money about him ; had frequently asked his uncle for money to take him home, but had been refused-his uncle telling him that he had to make a payment upon his mill and needed all of the money that he had for that purpose. That he had been seen at the mill in the forenoon and at about 12 o'clock on the day of the murder ; and he at first denied being at the mill at all on that day, but finally admitted that he had been there early in the morning and had afterwards come up to Webster City, but had returned from the latter place to his uncle, John Meeks' ( some three miles from Ross' mill ), where he arrived about I o'clock p. m. The statement that he reached Meeks' about I o'clock is corroborated by testimony of Mr. Meeks and others. Young Ross strenuously denies that he was at or near the mill after 8 or y o'clock in the morning and asserts that he got the twenty dollars found in his possession after arrested, from a man whom he met in Webster City on the arrival of the train from the east at 11 o'clock a. m. This latter statement seems to be very generally discredited and it is asserted that positive evidence can be produced that he was seen at the mill near the hour of 12 on the day of the murder.
"The mill is located on the river bank at the foot of a hill, and is overlooked from Mr. Ross' house, which is situated on the side of the hill, not over twenty- five rods from the mill. It seems that on the day of the murder, Mr. Ross went to the house about 10 o'clock in the forenoon, took a lunch and told the women that they need not get dinner that day as he would not come up until supper- time. That at about 11 o'clock they heard the report of a gun at the mill, but as the men were in the habit of shooting fish and rats about the premises, no unusual notice was taken of the matter at the time. The men employed in the yard but a few yards from the mill, and who generally went into the mill from three to six times during the day, did not happen to go in on this day until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, at which time (as before stated) they wished to see Mr. Ross in relation to certain work they were doing in the yard. That Mrs. Ross-wife of the murdered man-went to the mill sometime between noon and 4 o'clock p. m., and after looking about the premises for some minutes, returned to the house without any suspicions of the terrible tragedy that had been enacted there but a few hours before.
"We visited the scene of the murder on Friday and saw the spot where it is supposed the murdered man had stood when he received the fatal shot. It was near the east door of the first floor of the mill, in that department known as the bran-room, and from the construction of the room, the nature of the wounds on the body and the general surroundings, the murderer could not have been more than twelve or fifteen feet from his victim at the time he shot him. He was then dragged some eighteen or twenty feet and thrown into the wheel house where he was afterwards found, as hereinbefore stated.
"The excitement in the neighborhood at the discovery of the murder was intense, and all sorts of rumors in relation to the terrible affair were soon flying in every direction over the country. The crime was so fearful and cold blooded in conception, and so unnatural and horrible in execution, that everybody stood dumbfounded at a recital of its detail.
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"THIE MURDERED MAN-HIS CHARACTER, ETC.
"With the murdered man, John S. Ross, we were not intimately acquainted, but know that in business matters he was prompt and reliable. Those who knew him best, speak of him as an industrious and honorable man, and one who was very generally respected in the community where he lived. He was a man of very few words, and was said to have been rather odd and somewhat eccentric in his character and habits. He generally carried considerable money about him, and never took any trouble to conceal it from those by whom he was sur- rounded. One of his brothers, we understand, says Mr. Ross had about $490 in his pocket on the morning of the day on which he was murdered, and that the same was in a large leather pocket-book that he usually carried. This, of course, the murderer secured, as it was not found on the body of the murdered man.
"Mr. Ross leaves a young wife and one child, and several brothers and sisters to mourn his untimely and dreadful taking off.
"The post mortem examination made by Drs. Hendryx, Crapper and Ament revealed the fact that the gunshot wound was sufficient to cause the death. At least a half dozen persons testified to hearing the shot, and all ascribed the same cause, and did not take alarm. Thus was John S. Ross murdered in broad daylight within calling distance of a number of persons and the act was not discovered for about seven or eight hours, and as will be seen, the perpetrator of the deed not yet and perhaps never will be certainly known."
At the October term of the district court, young Ross was indicted for the murder of his uncle, and a special term to begin on the 3d Monday in Decem- ber was ordered for the trial of the case, and in the meantime the defendant was returned to jail. Judge Chase presided at the trial; J. H. Bradley, states attorney, prosecuted, and N. B. Hyatt and J. F. Duncombe were attorneys for the defense. The trial lasted three days and developed much conflicting evi- dence. While several witnesses testified to seeing young Ross at the mill and to hearing the gun fired, they did not agree as to circumstances, nor as to the time of the shooting. The young man was arrested at the home of his uncle, John Meeks. He was fast asleep when the officers arrived and did not act guilty. He had been there all afternoon of the day of the murder, and no one noticed anything unusual in his appearance or actions. The circumstances as brought out at the trial pointed strongly to him as the murderer, and yet there was sufficient cause for a reasonable doubt of his guilt. If he was guilty he was a most consummate actor, or a most heartless villain. It seems incredible that anyone, much less a young and inexperienced boy, could have committed such a cold blooded and horrible murder, and so successfully concealed all traces of remorse or feeling in reference to it. The prosecution was managed with excellent ability by Judge Bradley, while the defense was conducted with consummate ability by N. B. Hyatt and John F. Duncombe. With such able counsel representing both sides, it is certain the case was tried for all there was in it. Judge Chase, in an able and very clear and concise charge to the jury, sent that body of men to their room, from which they returned in about one hour with the verdict of not guilty. While the verdict satisfied a majority of the people who heard the evidence, a great many continued to believe the de-
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fendant guilty. Certain it is, no further light was ever thrown on the mystery of the murder. Young Ross immediately on his acquittal left the country and we believe has never returned. Even those who continued to believe him guilty, do not believe he finally secured the money, but suppose he hid it and that it was carried away in the high waters occurring after the murder and before the trial. All this is mere conjecture, however. It is probable that no further light will ever be shed upon the dark mystery of the murder.
OTHER TRAGEDIES
Following close upon this murder came two more sudden and horrible deaths. In October, a boy named Fisher, living in the south part of the county was accidentally killed. He was pulling a loaded gun, muzzle foremost from under a load of hay, when the hammer caught on the wagon and the gun was dis- charged, the contents entering the breast of young Fisher, killing him instantly.
On October 3d, a young man named Cook, driver of the Willson House "buss," while at the depot, was thrown from the top of the buss by the horses becoming frightened and starting to run. He fell upon the platform, but imme- diately got up and gave chase. He caught the team, but in trying to stop them, was knocked down, run over, two wheels of the buss passing over his neck, killing him instantly. He was a stranger in the place.
TIIE SWAMP LAND FUND
We turn from these tragedies to the more peaceful and pleasant happenings. and note that at the June session of the board of supervisors, the question of the swamp lands came up again. A resolution was passed to submit to a vote of the people three questions.
Ist. Shall seventy per cent of the swamp land fund be used to build a courthouse jail.
2d. Shall twenty per cent of that fund be appropriated to build bridges.
3d. Shall ten per cent of that fund be appropriated to drain the swamp land of the county.
A vote upon these propositions at the next general election was taken, and the first proposition was beaten, and the last two carried.
MORE NEW BRIDGES
At the next session after the election, a number of petitions were before the board asking bridges. Resolutions to build at MeLaughlin's ford, at Ilarris' mill and at the site of the East bridge, Webster City (recently washed out), were passed. A new bridge was just being completed at Millard's ford, but the new bridge at Bone's mill (now Bell's mill ), built the year before, as mentioned in a former chapter, had gone down. It seems to have been built of lumber that would swell like dried apples and in the long spell of wet weather follow- ing its completion, it swelled and hoisted up its back so far as to pull one end off the pier, dropped into the river and floated off. and the board finally con- cluded to build another one there.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY
ELECTION OF 1869
At the election that fall, '69, I. Doane, A. A. Wicks, John Eckstein and John McMiller were elected their own successors; J. D. Hunter was elected for a second term in the legislature from Hamilton, Wright and Franklin counties, and Dr. Curtis was elected school superintendent. In the fall of this year the second church was built in the county, it being the Congregational church in Webster City. It was located on the southeast corner of Willson avenue and Bank street and, for the times, was a very commodious and elegant church. It has since been replaced by the very fine new building which now graces the site of the old church.
It was during the year 1869 that the old Willson House barn was built east of the hotel, and used afterwards as an agricultural depot. J. M. Funk built his double wood block across the north of the Willson; W. N. Browning built Browning's block on Seneca street .; Rosencrans built his block just opposite it, but earlier in the year. This year R. I. Burleson came and opened a clothing store. Lewis Crary came and went into the hardware and wagon-making business.
COUNTY STATISTICS
From the assessors' returns in 1869, the following census abstract was com- pleted by Mr. A. A. Wicks, county clerk, and compared with statistics hereto- fore given, will show the rapidity of the growth of the county. Postoffices- Webster City, Blairsburg, Lakin's Grove, Randall, Homer and Hook's Point. Number of dwelling houses in county, 766.
Number of families, 800.
Number of white males, 2,233.
Number of white females, 2,033.
Total population, 4,266.
Number of voters, 916.
Number militia, 677.
Acres of land enclosed, 22,912.
Acres of land cultivated. 16,643.
Acres of spring wheat, 5,655.
Acres of oats, 2,442.
Acres of buckwheat, barley and rye, 231.
Acres of potatoes, 306.
Acres of sorghun, 258.
Acres of hops, 8.
Number of horses, 206.
Number of cattle, 4,898.
Number of hogs, 2,531.
Number of sheep, 3.533.
Number of milch cows, 1,612.
Number of dogs, 550.
Number of bushels of spring wheat, 52,945.
Number of bushels of oats, 29,715.
Number of bushels of corn, 242,III.
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Number of bushels of potatoes, 32.757.
Number of gallons of sorghum, 23,672. Number of pounds of butter, 115,491. Number of pounds of cheese, 11,895. Number of pounds of wool, 12,007.
Number of pounds of hops, 940. Number of tons of coal taken out. 2.540.
The above table does not include crops of Cass township, nor does it include a large amount in the aggregate of buckwheat, rye, barley, honey, hay, grapes, grass seed, etc. The report was made as of January 1, 1869, and is for the season of '68.
THE THIRD CHURCH
The third church erected in the county was at Homer, it being the Camp- bellite church and was completed during the winter of 1869-70. It had been commenced and was in progress of erection at the same time the Congregational church in Webster City was being built, but the latter was first finished. The former was finished by the Webster township school board in January, 1870, in which to complete a term of school, the schoolhouse in that village having burned.
A PIONEER PARSON
Speaking of churches, the old settlers will remember a Methodist minister traveling the Homer circuit in 1869-70, by the name of Mershon, who was a great disputant, and kept the community in a continual ferment over disputa- tions upon biblical questions, and especially on the subject of baptism. He arranged debates in which his opponents soon became disgusted and withdrew, leaving Mershon in possession of the field, and apparently in the belief that he had driven them off by his eloquence. Such debates usually preceded a series of contentious articles in the paper until the editor, Mr. Hunter, shut them out. From all we have been able to gather upon the subject, Mershon made a great deal of noise, stirred up a great deal of ill-will among the members of the different churches at Homer, and succeeded in getting himself thoroughly dis- liked by a majority of his own church people as well as by everybody else, and left the county at the close of a sensational lawsuit to the relief of all his friends and joy of his enemies.
THE SECOND BANK ORGANIZED
The second bank in the county was organized in 1870 and began business on the first of May. It was entitled Young, Estes & Company's Bank, and the men- bers of the firm were Kendall Young, president ; I. . L. Estes, W. W. Boak, E. S. Wheeler and O. K. Eastman, cashiers. It began business in Estes' building, taking the place of the postoffice recently removed to other quarters.
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THE FIRST GRAIN ELEVATOR
In the spring of 1870 was commenced the erection of the first grain elevator in the county by B. F. Miller and Jay Sternberg which was completed and in use, receiving grain the following fall. It was located on land leased of the Illinois Central Railroad Company on the south side of the road and across the street west from the depot. It was an important factor in the business enterprises of the county. as it provided a convenient means for handling the grain raised hereabout, and its importance will be the more apparent when it is remembered that grain was then brought from all portions of the south and southeast parts of the county as well as from a distance of at least thirty miles north. The elevator was used by Miller & Sternberg for a couple of years, when Sternberg sold out to J. W. Mattice and the business was carried on under the firm name of Miller & Mattice. They subsequently sold the building to J. W. Allington who made many improve- ments in it and it continued to be one of the leading elevators of the county until it burned down during the latter part of January. 1890.
NEW BUILDINGS
In 1870 the Willsons built a brick block and opera house, and about the first of September, Captain Crary moved his hardware store into it and in it carried on business alone or in company with Mr. J. W. Evans to the day of his death. The corner room was taken possession of by the Hamilton County Bank ( Miller & Sternberg) and was used as a bank by them until 1896. The same room is now occupied by the Webster City Savings Bank.
Work was also commenced on a new brick block on second street opposite the opera house block.
The second church parsonage in the county was erected this year also. The Methodist Episcopal parsonage was located on Bank street north of the public school buildings. Its first occupant was Rev. J. R. Berry.
The fourth church erected in the county was at Homer, the Methodist Episco- pal church, which was built during the season of 1870 and was formally dedicated on Sunday, the 18th of December. Rev. J. W. Todd, assisted by Rev. J. R. Berry of Webster City, officiating.
Union block on Bank street was finished this year and the hall was used by the Baptist society for church services and the circuit and district court was held therein until the building of the new courthouse. A large number of other build- ings of less importance and estimated with those already mentioned to cost $100,000 went up in Webster City, while a glance over the surrounding country shows that improvements there were equally rapid.
TIIE NEW SUPERVISOR SYSTEM
Under a law passed at the January, 1870, session of the legislature, the old system of township supervisors was repealed and instead of it there was a new lav for county supervisors enacted. Under its provisions three supervisors were elected at the general election in 1870 and there were two tickets in the field. The Vol. I-11
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republicans nominated Julius M. Jones, of Boone ; James A. Snodgrass, of Web- ster; and John A. Cooper, of Ellsworth. The democrats nominated L. Bick- ford, of Cass ; Joseph Dale, of Webster ; and Henry Staley, of Scott. The repub- lican ticket was elected by a majority of 340 votes and J. M. Jones, J. A. Snod- grass and J. A. Cooper have the honor of being the first board of county super- visors under the present law. J. M. Jones was the first chairman.
A law had also passed the legislature on the temperance question. A local option law providing that counties might vote whether alc, beer and native wine could be sold within the county outside of corporated towns. This question was submitted to the voters of Hamilton county at the general election in 1870 and polled but a light vote. For prohibition there were 365 votes and against, 335. From the vote, it is conclusive that not more than two-thirds of the voters voted upon this question. It was carried by 30 majority.
Ye historian arrived in Webster City for the first time on the morning of the 12th of September, 1871, and from the first hour of arrival until after election that fall, the universal theme of conversation was the question of who should be elected representative of the district composed of Hamilton, Wright and Humbolt counties. Two republican candidates were then in the field, viz: L. L. Estes, of Hamilton, and S. B. Huett, of Wright. A matter exciting such universal and continued conversation and commotion cannot fail to be of interest to our readers and marks an interesting chapter in the county's history and we therefore give it.
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