USA > Iowa > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Iowa; Volume I > Part 32
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Barger dropped the gun and fled, but was seen and recognized by Kirkpatrick. He was arrested and tried for murder, but the matchless skill of Leffingwell baf- fled the prosecution and at the April term of court, 1856, he was granted a change
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of venue to Clinton county, and was transferred to the jail in DeWitt, where we will leave him for the present and take up other murder cases in Jackson county, which so inflamed the people that they took the law in their own hands and brought retribution to at least two cold blooded murderers.
On or about the 23d of August, 1856, George Wilson of Lamotte was threshing grain for Michael Carroll on his farm in section 27, Prairie Springs township, Jackson county. Carroll was cutting bands and a boy by the name of Christopher Heidman was pitching bundles or sheafs. The machine stopped for some cause and Carroll found fault with young Heidman, something about the work. Hot words passed back and forth. Carroll was sharpening the butcher knife with which he had been cutting bands, when he flew into a rage and rushing at the boy he struck him in the breast with the knife, cutting through a rib and through one of the main arteries causing his death almost immediately. Carroll was indicted at the September term of court 1856, arraigned, and sent to Clinton county on account of the insecure jail in Jackson county. There we will leave him with Barger for the present.
In 1856 there was living on the banks and near the mouth of Lytle's Creek, in Farmers Creek township, a family by the name of Conklin, consisting of William Conklin, his wife and a large family of children, several of them grown up. Conklin was a rough man and had the reputation of being a hard drinker. Mrs. Conklin was a large muscular woman of the amazonian type and the progeny of the couple with two exceptions were a hard lot.
On or about the Ist day of October, 1856, the neighborhood was thrown into consternation and excitement by the report that Conklin had been mur- dered by his wife, assisted by his sons, Aminadab and Elijah. The accused parties were arrested and indicted by the grand jury for the crime of murder. We will insert a copy herein of the indictment to show how such instruments were drawn fifty years ago.
STATE OF IOWA VS. ESTHER CONKLIN, AMINADAB CONKLIN, ELIJAH CONKLIN. INDICTMENT FOR MURDER.
A True Bill. A. D. Palmer, Foreman of the Grand Jury.
Witnesses: Esther Malinda Conklin, William Conklin, Ira Edwards, Jesse Said, James H. Said, Ann Wallace.
Presented by the foreman of the grand jury in presence of said grand jury in open court, and filed by me in open court, in presence of said grand jury. this IIth day of July, 1857. I. M. Brakey, Clerk.
State of Iowa, County of Jackson, ss. :
In the District Court of said county at a special term thereof, begun and holden on the first Monday in July in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and fifty-seven.
The grand jurors within and for the county of Jackson and State of Iowa, being first legally convoked, empaneled and sworn in open court to inquire into indictable offenses committed within the body of the county of Jackson, aforesaid in the name and by the authority of the State of Iowa upon their oaths present :
That Esther Conklin, Aminadab Conklin, and Elijah Conklin, late of the county of Jackson aforesaid, on the first day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty six, at and in the county of Jack- son aforesaid, with force and arms in and upon one William Conklin, in the peace of God and said state, then and there being feloniously, willfully, and with their malice aforethought, did make an assault, and that the said Esther Conklin, with a certain knife of the value of 10 cents which she, the said Esther Conklin, in her right hand then and there, had and held the throat of him, the said William Conklin, feloniously, willfully and of the malice aforethought, did strike, stab and cut and that the said Esther Conklin, with the knife afore-
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said, with the striking, stabbing, cutting, aforesaid, did then and there give to him, the said William Conklin, in and upon the said throat of him, the said Wil- liam Conklin, one mortal wound, of the length of two inches and the depth of four inches, of which said mortal wound, he, the said William Conklin at and in the county aforesaid, instantly died. That Aminadab and Elijah Conklin, of the county of Jackson, aforesaid, on the day and year last aforesaid, at the county aforesaid, feloniously, willfully and of their malice aforethought were present aid- ing and abetting the said Esther Conklin the felony last aforesaid to do and com- mit. And so the jurors aforesaid, do say that the said Esther Conklin, Aminadab Conklin and Elijah Conklin, him the said William Conklin, in the manner and form aforesaid, then and there feloniously, willfully and of their malice afore- thought, did kill and murder, contrary to form of the statute in such cases made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Iowa. R. S. Had- ley, Special Prosecuting Attorney of Jackson County, Iowa.
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true copy of the original indictment on file in my office. I. M. Brakey, Clerk.
July II, 1857, the case of the Conklins came on for hearing at the July term of the District Court. R. S. Hadley was appointed special prosecuting attorney and W. E. Leffingwell defended the Conklins. The following answer to the indict- ment was filed by the defendant's attorneys: And now comes the defendant in her own proper person and pleads "Not Guilty" in manner and form as alleged, and of this she puts herself upon the county. (Signed) W. E. Leffingwell, Attorney for Defendant.
The witnesses with one exception were members of the Conklin family, or related to the Conklins, and their evidence made it appear that the old lady was acting in self-defense when she struck the fatal blow. It was claimed by the Conklins that the old man attempted to assault the old lady with a butcher knife, but that she wrested the knife from him and struck him in the neck, inflicting a mor- tal wound. The verdict of the jury was as follows :
We, the jurors, find the defendant not guilty as charged in the indictment. S. Burleson, Milton Godard, George Hay, N. T. Wynkoop, D. W. Garlett, H. Noble, B. L. Stucky, H. Thompson, Daniel Potter, Enoch Smith, John Gilmore, V. Har- rington.
With the acquittal of Esther Conklin, the indictments against Aminadab and Elijah were quashed.
The old lady and some of the younger boys were residing at Farmers Creek township about thirty years ago, but they never prospered; the stigma of the murder of the old man clung to them, and they were generally regarded with dis- trust. The boys were engaged in several escapades which cost the county a good many dollars, and it was a good job for old Jackson when they shook her dust from their feet. William Conklin, Jr., was well respected by his neighbors, as was Phoebe, who married Thomas Said, and lived on the old Conklin farm until re- cently. It was said that little Tom Conklin who could not talk very plain at that time, was being questioned about the killing of his father, and he said "Minadab held dad by the hair while mam cut his throat."
After the hanging of Alexander Grifford the vigilance committee effected a close and complete organization each member signing an article of agreement binding themselves to see to the enforcement of the law, in regard to punishment of criminals and to stand together in case of any attempt at prosecution for any of their acts as a body.
On the 28th of May, 1857, the committee sixty-five strong, in wagons and on horseback, made their way to DeWitt and with the aid of sledges wielded by Jim Green and others, soon found themselves inside the jail. Carroll made no resis- tance and was quietly led out and put in a wagon, but Barger called upon the sheriff for protection and refused to leave the cell; but when the powerful grasp of James Green fastened upon him he changed his mind and was hustled into a wagon, some resistance being offered by the sheriff. Having secured the two men
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the crowd headed for Andrew, the prisoners being hauled by a pair of mules driven by Mart Keister. Such supper as could be had was partaken of at Goff's Tavern two or three miles north of DeWitt and breakfast was eaten at old Welton and Wright's corners.
The procession passed through main street, Maquoketa, without any fear of hindrance. Jerry Jenkins, who was justice of the peace at that time, had threat- ened to take the prisoners from the mob. On hearing of this James Green coiled the rope around his shoulders and walked into Jenkins' office and said to him: "Yonder is Barger, do you want to take him?" One glance at the grim visage of the executioner and his formidable following convinced Jerry that he hadn't lost any prisoners. Arriving at Andrew they proceeded to the same old crooked tree on which Grifford had been hung a short time previous and which seemed to have grown for that express purpose. The end of the rope was adjusted around Barger's neck, and William Bowling climbed the tree and passed the other end of the rope to men below where willing hands grasped it. The doomed man was given a few minutes to say whatever he wished. He made an appeal to see his children, which was denied him.
The last words he said were: "If you hang me it will be the meanest thing ever done in Jackson county." Landus gave orders for every man to get hold of the rope calling young Bowling from the tree for that purpose. A black cloth was put over Barger's face and at a word from the chief, the miserable old man was jerked into the air, where his body was whirled around and around by the twist of the rope and held there until life was extinct. When the body was taken down the Irishman, who had witnessed the tragedy was told to take the position beneath the tree, but he was so weak that he could not move. At this point Hon. P. B. Bradley appealed to Landis to go no further, that they had done enough bloody work for one day, and prevailed upon them to submit the matter to a vote, Whether Carroll should then be hung or turned over to the sheriff for a trial, as it was urged that he had not yet had a trial, a bare majority was in favor of letting the law take its course, turning the prisoner over to the authorities, the committee disbanded and returned to their homes. The organization was kept up for some time, but they never had occasion to step in and enforce the law again in Jackson county.
Barger was buried near the scene of his death. During the night some heart- less wretches took him up, placed him in a sulky, put the body in an upright position and left the outfit in front of the old Cobb place. There in the early morning was discovered the grim form sitting bolt upright and holding in his hand a piece of paper calling for a drink. Let us remark here, that the vigilants have always been exonerated from this disgusting piece of work.
That Barger was guilty of murder, cold blooded and foul, there is no doubt, but it was claimed by some who were in a position to know, that his provocation was very great, that his wife was not only faithless in her marriage vows during his absence, but subverted the means sent her by him to her own individual use, by buying property in her own name and then refusing to share it with him.
Nathan Said had secured a judgment against Barger for one thousand dollars for damages, or defamation of character, and was in a fair way to get the farm in Brandon township. William Graham had secured a tax title to said farm and W. E. Leffingwell had several hundred dollars charged up to Barger for legal services rendered in the several trials, and it seemed improbable, after the demise of his client, that he would be able to collect any part of his bill. But Leffing- well was a man of resources ; he induced Graham to let him have the tax title and so got him out of the way. He then knocked Said's claims out by establishing the fact that the farm belonged to Mrs. Barger. He afterward got a decree to sell the property and got over one thousand two hundred dollars for it, eight hundred of this was for defending the rights of the children against Said's claims, but as his fees used up the estate the children got nothing. If this was not a
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travesty on justice and a burlesque on law, we can find no other name to cover the transaction.
Levi Keck has an interesting reminiscence of the Grifford lynching. In 1857 he was clerking in a store in Andrew, he was over fifty years younger than he is now and had only been in the county a few months. He says that on the after- noon of April II, 1857, he was in the store alone, when, without warning, the store was filled with armed men. He admits that he was badly frightened, and when some of the men called for some rope he was very prompt to respond to their re- quirements. He pointed out the different coils of rope and asked what they wanted and how much. One of the men took the end of the rope and went out into the street with it, while another showed him where to cut it off. A piece of black cloth was then called for which Levi furnished, and the crowd hurried away to the jail. Levi says he has never yet received pay for the goods delivered to those timber fellows on that memorable day. Mr. Keck has an old diary which contains the following entries : "Alexander Grifford hanged April 11, 1857, at 4 p. m." "William Barger hanged may 27, 1857, at 10 o'clock and ten minutes, by a mob."
THE INGLES' TRAGEDY.
Away back in the early fifties, when the territory lying between the north and south branches of the Maquoketa was covered with a dense growth of primeval forest, the chief industry of the country was coopering, and almost every settler was engaged in that business. The timber consisted largely of oak. The red oak timber was converted into flour barrels, and the white oak into whisky bar- rels, and pork barrels, and the principal market for this product was Galena.
Living in the vicinity of Iron Hills in 1856-7 were four or five men whose names became very prominent in the history of Jackson county. One of these, Henry Jarrett, a French Canadian, lived a few rods northwest of where George Hute now lives, and, to use a common phrase, run a cooper shop. Residing with Jarrett and working for him was Alexander Grifford, a nephew, aged about twenty-one years, also a French Canadian. A man by the name of John Ingles was working for Jarrett in 1856, but Ingles and Jarrett fell out and Ingles moved onto the land owned by David McDonald, later owned by Ceph Clark. McDonald was a professional horse trader and was very intimately associated with Jarrett and Ingles. Although Jarrett and Ingles had frequent violent quarrels they still re- mained on visiting terms.
On the 27th of March, 1857, Jarrett and his wife and young Grifford went to Ingles' place, ostensibly to see Mrs. Ingles, who was sick at the time. McDonald was also present, as were some other neighbors. The men, as was quite cus- tomary in those days, engaged in the pastime of shooting at a mark. Finally Alexander Grifford suggested to Ingles that they go into the woods and kill a rabbit or squirrel for Mrs. Ingles. Ingles consented and took an ax and Jarrett's dog, and Grifford borrowed a gun, counting the bullets before starting, and they set out in their quest for game.
An hour later Grifford returned, saying that he saw nothing to shoot, but that Ingles had gone on with the dog. He returned the gun with the five bullets, the exact number that he started with, and McDonald fired off the gun.
John Ingles never returned, and three days after his disappearance a search party found him lying dead in the woods with a bullet through his head and Jar- rett's little dog lying on his breast. He had been shot from behind and fell dead
with his head resting on a log, and his ax lay near him just as it had fallen when he was shot. Grifford was arrested on suspicion, as it was well known that he had gone to the woods with Ingles on the day of his disappearance, and sufficient evidence as produced at the inquest to hold him, and he was confined in the old jail at Andrew to await the action of the grand jury at the next term of court.
The neighborhood was very much excited over the cold blooded murder, and the people were determined that Ingles' blood should be atoned for. J. K. Landus,
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a bold, determined man, who was postmaster at Iron Hills at the time, with the aid of James Green, a man equally bold and determined, organized a vigilance committee, and on the IIth day of April, 1857, marched into Andrew and, after procuring a rope and black cloth from Levi Keck, who was clerking in the store there, proceeded to the jail and demanded the keys, which were refused. They were prepared for refusal, however, and forced an entrance with sledge hammers. Placing the rope around Grifford's neck they led him to an old crooked tree which stood near the old Cobb hotel. After passing the rope over the tree the prisoner was given the chance to make a statement, but he claimed that he was innocent. The rope was tightened sufficient to choke him, and he was again exhorted to confess. Refusing again, he was pulled up several feet from the ground and held for some time, and he was let down and resuscitated and promised a trial if he would make a confession. With the hope of a reprieve, the miserable young man confessed to the killing of Ingles, and said that he was promised one hundred and fifty dollars by Jarrett and Dave McDonald for putting Ingles out of their way. He had shot Ingles with a pistol. He also said that he had tried to kill Mary Saudy, a young girl then, who was later the wife of William Bowling. Mary had refused to dance with him on some occasion, and he laid in wait for her, and fired a bullet through her mother's bonnet while she was milking, mistaking the old lady for her daughter.
After hearing the confession the majority of the mob was in favor of hanging him immediately, although they had promised to spare his life for the present, and Captain Landus gave the word, and the soul of Alexander Grifford was launched into the great beyond.
When David McDonald learned of the arrest of young Grifford he fled from the country and never returned. Grifford in his confession, having implicated Henry Jarrett as accessory in the murder of Ingles, the mob repaired to his resi- dence early the next morning, but found the house barricaded and Jarrett pre- pared to defend his life. After some parleying they sent for Constable John Sagers to come and arrest Jarrett. Sagers refused to make the arrest until the leaders pledged themselves not to molest his prisoner until after he had a trial to see if he was guilty. On a promise of protection from the mob and a trial, Jarrett sub- mitted to arrest by Constable Sagers, and followed by the mob and a large num- ber of other citizens who were not members, was taken before Eleazer Mann, a justice of the peace, to have a hearing, but it was the intention of the mob to hang him at the conclusion of the trial.
During the trial of Jarrett the mob had a fire in the front yard, and was pass- ing the time as pleasantly as possible while waiting for the end of the farce, as they considered the hearing. Finally as night was approaching the squire decided that the evidence was sufficient to hold Jarrett before the grand jury, but the question was how to hold him, as it was very evident that as soon as the squire was through with him the mob would take charge of him. It was finally sug- gested that the officers, John Sagers and Ambrose Jones, try to get Jarrett out at the back of the house which stood near a ravine and smuggle him away from the mob. There was a back door which was not generally used, and Mrs. E. A. Turner, who is still living and who was in the house at the time, says there was a dish cupboard standing against the door, and this was removed without at- tracting the attention of the mob, and the three men slipped out into the hollow which concealed them for quite a distance from the house, but as they left the hollow to cross a ridge, three men, Parker, Warner and Wagoner, who were sit- ting on stumps some little distance from the house saw them and one of them cried out to give an alarm, but one of his companions ordered him to shut up on pain of being knocked into a cocked hat. But the alarm was spread and the mob bounded out in pursuit like a pack of hounds and were about to overtake them when they reached the Martin Ferry on the North Fork and the pursued escaped by dropping over the bank where it was dark, supporting themselves by holding on to the bank with their hands to keep an upright position.
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It was said that some of the members of the mob stood on the hands of the pursued who did not dare move for fear of disclosing their hiding place. The mob decided that the pursued had gone to the other ferry and rushed on in that di- rection and as soon as they were gone the officers and their prisoner got a man to set them across the river and hastened on towards Bellevue as fast as possible, leaving Andrew to their right while the mob thinking the officers would take the prisoner to Andrew went on to that place, not very hastily as they felt sure of their prey, but not getting any trace of the parties at Andrew, hastened on towards Bellevue and some of them arrived in time to see Jarrett taken on board of a steamboat which conveyed him to Fort Madison, where he was safe from pursuit.
He was afterward brought back to Bellevue for trial but the excitement had died out and we believe there was no prosecution of his case attempted. Mrs. Turner says that her father, John Mann, thought that he was very likely the innocent cause of the murder of Ingles. A few days before the murder, Mr. Ingles employed John Mann to haul up some firewood for him. Ingles went into the timber and cut down trees and trimmed them up in shape for Mann to drag them up with oxen. The wood had to be hauled through a cleared field belonging to Dave McDonald, and when Mann came with the first load McDonald asked him who he was hauling the wood for, and on being told for Ingles, he was forbidden by McDonald to go across his land any more. Mann, however, pled with McDonald to let him go back and tell Ingles and haul one more load. McDonald consented for him to draw just one more load, but no more. Mann went back and told Ingles what McDonald had said, and that he could only haul one more load. Ingles was quite angry and said among other things that McDonald had better have a care or he would tell something on him that would drive him out of the country quick. When Mr. John Mann was going home he met Eleazer Mann and told him of his experience with the two men, and of the threat made by Ingles. The story got out and it was be- lieved that Grifford was induced to kill Ingles to prevent him from telling what he had threatened to tell. McDonald escaped from the country and never came back.
Mrs. Turner was asked by members of the mob why she did not warn them that the officers were spiriting Jarrett away from them. She said the reason was that she liked the Jarrett girls and would not for the world do anything. to hurt them. Mrs. Turners husband was present and witnessed the hanging of William P. Barger in Andrew by a mob in 1857, but had no part in it. He cut a limb from the tree at the time and carried it home with him, and kept it for more than forty years in a little box with his private papers, said box never being opened by anyone else until after his death. The relic is now in the writer's possession.
Mr. John S. Thompson was also present at the preliminary trial of Henry Jarrett, but only as spectator. He witnessed the escape of the constables with their prisoner and the mad chase of the mob in their endeavor to recapture and execute him.
MOBS IN JACKSON COUNTY. (BY LEVI KECK.)
I came to Iowa in the fall of 1855 and settled at Andrew, in this county. At that time one William Barger was confined in the old stone jail in Andrew, await- ing his trial for the murder of his divorced wife, in Bellevue, about a year prior to that time, I was informed. Some time after this he had a trial in this county, the result of which I am not familar with, but afterward, on the application of his attorney, a change of venue was granted, and the case transferred to Clinton county, and Barger was taken to Clinton county and confined in the Clinton county jail at DeWitt. (I will speak further of him hereafter.)
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On March 27, 1857, one John Ingles was murdered in Farmers Creek township, his body being found three days later. He had been shot in the back of the head. One Grifford, having been seen with Ingles on the day of the murder, was imme- diately arrested after the body was found, on suspicion, and was held to the Dis- trict Court to await the action of the grand jury, and was taken to Andrew and confined in the county jail at that place.
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