USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Oelwein > The Telegraph-herald's abridged history of the state of Iowa and directory of Fayette County, including the city of Oelwein, with a complete classified business directory; > Part 12
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A son of Si-dom-i-na-do-tah, who was murdered with his family by Henry Lott, the desperado, saved the lives of one family. John B. Skinner, who had often befriended this boy, who was badly wounded at the time his father and family were massacred by Lott and his son. The boy recovered and at times
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found a home at Skinner's. When his uncle, Ink-pa-du-tah, planned this raid for a terrible vengeance on the whites, he learned that the blow was to fall on the innocent, isolated colony at the lakes. He warned Skinner of danger, and so impressed it upon him that Skinner moved back to Liberty and escaped the fate which befell his neighbors. Whether Mr. Skinner warned his neighbors of the danger is not known. Josh also warned Mr. Carter, of Emmet County, of the impending massacre, and spent a part of the winter in Kossuth County. The boy Josh was recognized by Mrs. Thomas as one of the leaders in the attack upon their house at Springfield. He was no doubt engaged in the massacre at the lakes.
In 1862 Josh was one of the most active in the terrible Minnesota massa- cres, leading a band at Lake Shetek, which exterminated nearly the entire settlement. This can be traced back to Henry Lott's fearful crime the primary cause leading to the bloody retribution visited upon the innocent, as the attack was led by surviving relatives of Si-dom-i-na-do-tah. Forty-one innocent men, women and children were the direst victims, while the suffering of the captives, relatives and members of the relief expedition make up a record of horror and misery never surpassed.
It can never be known how many of the Indians were killed, but the soldiers and friendly Indians, under Major Flandreau and Lieutenant Murray, killed Roaring Cloud, the murderer of Mrs. Noble, and three other members of Ink-pa- du-tah's band. It is probable that several were killed by Dr. Herriott, Snyder and Mattocks and two or three in the battle at the Thomas house. Ink-pa-du- tah's party was among the most ferocious of the butchers in the Minnesota massacres of 1862, and it is not unlikely that some of them were among the Indians who were killed, or the thirty-eight who were hung at Mankato. Ink-pa- du-tah was last heard of among the Sioux who fled to the far West pursued by General Sibley's army in 1863.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
On the 27th of April, 1857, Major Williams made a lengthy report to Governor Grimes of the relief expedition under his command, from which the following extracts are made:
"Being called upon by the frontier settlers to aid in checking the horrible outrages committed upon the citizens living on the Little Sioux River at the Spirit Lake settlements, and in Emmet County, by the Sioux Indians, by authority you vested in me, I raised, organized and armed three companies of thirty men each, which were as we proceeded increased to thirty-seven men each. By forced marches through snowdrifts from fifteen to twenty feet deep, and swollen streams, we made our way up to the State line. Never was harder service rendered by any body of nien than by the one hundred and ten volunteers under my command. We had to ford streams breast deep every few miles, and often to drag by hand with ropes our wagons, horses and oxen through dep ravines drifted even full of snow. Wet all day to our waists, we had to lie out on the open prairie without tents, wrapped in blankets in the snow. Eighty miles out we met the survivors of the massacre at Springfield, nineteen men, women and children. We found them in a wretched condition, alestitute of food, three of them wounded. They had fled in the night, thinly clad; several of the women without bonnets or shoes wading through snow
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and water waist deep carrying their crying children. They had eaten nothing. for two days and could hardly have survived another night. We built fires in. a small grove near by, supplied their wants, our surgeons dressed their wounds and sent a party to convey them to the Irish settlement, where a blockhouse was being erected for defense against the Indians.
"We pushed on, throwing out thirty scouts in advance to examine the groves and streams for signs of Indians, which were often found. At the State line we camped in a grove, where I detailed sixty men, armed with rifles and revolvers, to march all night in two divisions to surprise the Indians before daylight. Our guides reported Indians camped at the trading house of a half- breed named Caboo. But we found they had fled at the approach of the fifty regulars from Fort Ridgely.
"Finding the troops from Fort Ridgely had not buried the dead, I detailed twenty-five men, under Captain Johnson and Lieutenant Maxwell, to march to the lakes and perform that sad duty. They found and buried thirty-one bodies, including the bones of those burned in the Mattocks house. Seven were killed at Springfield. I may sum up the total number of casualties to the settlers as follows : Killed, 41; missing, 12; badly wounded, 3; prisoners, 4 women. At every place the Indians broke up and destroyed the furniture, burned houses, and killed in all more than one hundred head of cattle. It seems to have been their purpose to exterminate the entire settlement in that region. Too much praise cannot be bestowed on the men under my command. Fourteen were badly frozen; Captain Johnson and William E. Burkholder perished in a terrible snowstorm. Several men were deranged from their sufferings. We have a host of destitute and wounded persons thrown upon us to provide for, both from the Little Sioux River and the upper Des Moines, besides our own frozen and disabled men.
"We have driven all the Indians out of the North part of the State, unless there may be some near the mouth of the Big Sioux."
In Governor Grimes' message to the Seventh General Assembly is a state- ment of the massacre and the relief expedition under Major Williams' command, and he recommends that the State make an appropriation to compensate the men "who so gallantly and humanely imperiled their lives for others," and for the expense of their outfit.
He further says:
"I submit to the General Assembly whether some public recognition of the noble gallantry and untimely death of Captain Johnson and W. E. Burkholder is not alike due to their memory and to the gratitude of the State."
Before lowa Territory was organized, Bellevue, in Jackson County, became infested with men of disreputable character, who were guilty of many crimes and gave that locality a bad reputation.
In 1837 a party of immigrants arrived in Bellevue, claiming to have come from Michigan. They were possessed of good teams, wagons, household furni- ture and money. The land had not yet been surveyed and the only titles were claims held by the occupants. But as these were respected and protected by rigid claim laws, towns were laid out on these claims, lots and blocks staked off and recorded, which were bought and sold with as much confidence in the claim titles as ever existed in later years after Government titles had been secured.
The leader of this Michigan colony was W. W. Brown, a man of intelligence
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and engaging manners. He built a hotel and was elected a magistrate. He was liberal and charitable, always ready to assist the unfortunate and in a short time became a leading citizen of the new town.
In various enterprises he employed a number of men and it was soon discovered that a large amount of counterteit money was in circulation. Upon investigation it was in almost all cases traced to some employe of Mr. Brown. Horses were stolen from citizens on both sides of the river and some of them were found in the vicinity of Bellevue. Many horses were brought into the town by strangers and exchanged for other horses which were bought by other strangers, who claimed to have come from Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
It was soon suspected that Bellevue was the headquarters of a large gang of counterfeiters and horse thieves, who had confederates scattered through portions of Illinois and Wisconsin and extending down the Mississippi River into Missouri. The large body of timber in Jackson County known as the "Big Woods," made a good place for hiding stolen property. There were stations extending through Jones, Cedar, Johnson, Mahaska, Scott, Louisa and Lee Counties. One of the stations was Brown's hotel, and it was there that a battle was fought in 1840 that went far for a time to banish the boldest of the gang from Jackson County. William Fox was one of the desperadoes. Aaron and John Long, Richard Baxter, Granville Young and Mr. Birch, all of whom were afterwards concerned in the robbery and murder of Colonel Davenport. In January, 1840, many of the Bellevue citizens were at a ball celebrating the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. Several members of the gang of desperadoes were enlisted. by James Thompson, to rob the residence of J. C. Mitchell, and grossly abused a young lady who was the only person in the house. She knew Thompson, and after a desperate resistance, made her escape to the ballroom and gave the alarm. Mitchell armed himself and started out to find Thompson. They met in the street. Thompson fired first and missed. Mitchell sent a bullet through his heart before he could fire again and the desperado fell dead. Brown and his gang swore vengeance on Mitchell, and, arming themselves stood at the head of the stairs awaiting the attack. A number of shots were fired, when Brown's party retreated, and going to a saloon near by formed a plot to blow up Mitchell's house and destroy him and his family. They broke into a store and secured a tin can holding fifteen pounds of gun powder. The can was placed in the cellar by William Fox, and in casting lots to determine who should apply the slow match it fell to Mr. Chicester. Fortunately a gap had been left in srewing the powder, and thus the can was not reached by the fire, and a fearful tragedy was averted.
The citizens now became aroused and organized for mutual protection and the arrest and prosecution of the members of the gang'. A consultation was held in Dubuque, at which there were present Sheriff Warren, of Jackson County; James Crawford, the prosecuting attorney, and Judge Thomas S. Wilson. A warrant was issued, charging Brown, Fox, Long and twenty others with theft, robbery, passing counterfeit money and other crimes. As soon as it became known that warrants were out for them they armed themselves and swore that they would resist to the last extremity.
Captain Warren called to his assistance a posse of about forty men, and marched to Brown's Hotel, where the gang had decided to give battle to the sheriff and his party. The squad moved in double file and when within thirty paces of the hotel Captain Warren gave the order "charge," and the men sprang
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forward, quickly surrounding the house. Brown was seen standing at the head of his men with a rifle raised to his shoulder. Warren demanded instant sur- render, and as Brown's rifle was being lowered it was discharged and his men opened fire generally, wounding several citizens, one fatally. The sheriff's men returned the fire and Brown fell dead. His gang fought desperately for fifteen minutes as the posse forced an entrance and drove them up the stairs where a hand-to-hand struggle with gun barrels, pitchforks and bowie knives continued. Finding it impossible to force the barricade on the stairs, Captain Warren gave the command to fire the house. Before the fire reached the second story the gang began to escape by jumping from a window to a shed in the rear. They captured thirteen and six escaped. The sheriff's posse lost four men killed and seven wounded. Three of the gang were killed and several wounded.
Fox, Long and Chichester were among the prisoners. A fierce cry arose, "Hang them." Ropes were quickly thrown around their necks, when they begged and pleaded in the most abject manner for their lives.
The venerable Colonel Cox mounted a box and urged the citizens to let the law take its course, pledging his word that the fate of the prisoners should be determined by a majority of the citizens.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
A strong guard was placed over the prisoners while the leading citizens retired to determine their fate. A long discussion ensued between the advocate of the execution and the more merciful, who favord whipping. It was finally decided to take a vote, which resulted in a majority in favor of whipping. It now devolved on the chairman to pass sentence as to the number of lashes each should receive. The chairman then proceeded to give the culprits their quota and warn them that they were to leave the State as soon as each sentence was executed and, he added, "if you ever return you will be promptly hanged." Executioners were appointed to lay on the lash and when the ordeal was ended the cowering, groaning wretches were placed in skiffs with three days' rations and sent down the river. Fox, the smoothest villain of the gang, used his tongue to such effect as to get off with the lightest punishment; and after several days of criminal career planned and helped to perpetrate the murder of Colonel Davenport.
The gang also infested Rock Island, Carroll and Ogle Counties, in Illinois, and their haunts extended across the State into Indiana. Their sympathizers in many localities were strong enough to control elections and choose officers from members of the gang. In Ogle County, Illinois, they burned the court house and jail, released criminals, destroyed court records and organized a reign of terror.
On the Fourth of July, 1854. Colonel Davenport was at home alone on Rock Island. He was known to be wealthy and was supposed to keep large sums of money in his house. Five members of the gang were chosen to rob the house. . They were secreted on the island several days taking obsrvations and on the morning of the Fourth saw the members of Colonel Davenport's family cross to Rock Island to attend the celebration. They forced an entrance into the house and shot the Colonel as he was seated in his chair. Found the key to his safe, secured six hundred dollars and the family jewelry and fled into the heavy timber. For many weeks no trace of the murderers could be obtained, when
-
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Edward Bonney, a fearless officer, determined to ferret out the perpetrators of the crime. Knowing some members of the gang he disguised himself and passed as one of them. In that guise he soon learned that Fox, Long, Birch and Baxter were the murderers. One by one he ran them down until he had all of them in jail. Long and Young were arrested as accessories. Birch turned State's evidence, escaped from jail and was recaptured. Baxter was convicted and died in the penitentiary, while Young, John and Aaron Long were executed after making a confession. For a time the bandetti sought other parts of the country for their depredations.
During the next ten years fifteen murders were committed in Jackson and Clinton Counties, and in all but one case the murderers escaped puishment. Either the lawyers secured acquittal or they escaped from jail. It seemed impossible to punish crime through the courts.
An atrocious murder was committed in 1857, by Alexander Gifford, who was hired by parties to murder John Ingle. He was arrested and lodged in jail. It was generally believed that his attorney would secure his acquittal and the citizens, exasperated by the continued escape of the guilty, secretly organized a "Vigilance Committee." About three weeks after the murder, a hundred men marched into Andrew, battered down the door of the jail with sldges, took Gifford from his cell, placed a rope around his neck, threw it over the limb of a tree, and called upon the prisoner to confess. The trembling wretch, doubtless hoping to receive lighter punishment by a full confession, told the story of the crime. He said that he had been hired by Henry Jarret and David McDonald to put Ingle out of the way and had received $150 for doing so. The confession sealed his doom. Strong men grasped the rope and quickly put an end to his career of crime. His confederates escaped, as no evidence could be secured to corroborate the confession.
The citizens of Jackson and adjacent counties now formed an oath-bound organization for the purpose of ridding the State of the remaining members of the gang, who were stealing horses, robbing houses and farms and circulating counterfeit money. In 1854 a cruel murder had been committed by a Mr. Barger, in Jackson County, whose wife had secured a divorce from him.
He went one dark night to the house where she was living with her children, and, watching until she came to the door, shot her dead with his rifle. A neighbor saw him returning from the scene of the murder. He was arrested, tried three times, always convicted, but through the skill of Leffingwell, the best lawyer in the county, secured rehearings and new trials on technicalities. Finally he got a change of venue to Clinton County, and was removed to the De Witt jail to await another trial. The citizens became exasperated at the continued thwarting of justice and determined to take the punishment into their own hands. On the 28th of May, 1857, more than three years after the murder, the "Vigilance Committee" to the number of fifty, assembled at the jail, secured the keys, took the murderer back to Andrew and hanged him.
The "Vigilance Committee" sent a statement of their object and purpose to the Jackson Sentinel for publication, from which the following extracts are taken:
"We, the Vigilance Committee of Jackson County, are determined that the criminal laws of the State shall be enforced to the very letter. When our legal officers neglect their duty, we will spare no pains, either of time, life or property to secure the punishment of all guilty of horse stealing, counterfeiting or
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murder; and we will be governed by the penal laws of the State so far as it is convenient.
"We further warn all officers that they must not commence proceedings of any kind against those who helped to hang Gifford or Barger, as we believe they should have been hung long before they were.
"We will further punish with death any person joining this Committee whom we find has been or is concerned in horse stealing. counterfeiting, robbery or murder, and all spies will share the same fate."
Not less than seven hundred citizens of the counties of Jackson, Jones, Clinton, Scott, Cedar and Johnson were members of this organization. They were pledged to stand by each other under all circumstances and permit no member to be arrested or punished for any acts of the Committee. The law was powerless to protect peaceable citizens in person or property, and the most atrocious crimes generally went unpunished. The members of the gang usually lived in sparsely settled regions among the brush and timber lands bordering on the Maquoketa, Wapsipinicon, Cedar and lowa Rivers and their tributaries.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Each member knew where the log cabins of their confederates were, and they would be sheltered and the stolen property secreted until it could be disposed of at places distant from where it was taken. Thus banded together, with witnesses always ready to prove an alibi, there was small chance for conviction.
Early in the "50's" there was living on Camp Creek, in Polk County, a man by the name of J. W. Thomas, who was usually called by his neighbors "Comequick " He was dreader by all. He took long trips and often returned with plenty of money and good horses. He was never known to work and everybody believed he belonged to the gang of desperadoes. He frequently changed his residence and no one dared to offend him, as he was known to be a reckless and dangerous man. In 1852 he robbed an old man living on Camp Creek of $1,000, that was kept in his cabin. He was arrested by Lewis Tod- hunter and Dr. Sellers and lodged in jail. But some of his confederates were on the grand jury and prevented an indictment being found against him, and he was released.
In September, 1856. a young man and his wife stopped at the Nine Mile House, near Oskaloosa, and after dinner inquired for a good piece of land. They said they had a thousand dollars with which to purchase a farm. Old Thomas, who was present, said he lived near Des Moines and knew a farm that would suit them. Thomas started off with them on horseback to take them to the farm. Nothing more was seen of them until about two weeks later when their bodies were found. hidden in shocks of corn near the Skunk River, in Poweshiek County. A brother of the murdered woman procured a description of "Comequick," and, after a long search, found him, with the stolen wagon and horses, which he had sold. He was arrested and lodged in jail, but after- waid released on bail. When the time for his trial came his attorney secured a continuance to the next term.
When the case was called up next term, his attorney, Mr. Crocker, secured a change of venue. The principal witness was the brother of the murdered woman, who lived in Illinois and had spent all the money he could raise in
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hunting the criminal and trying to bring him to justice. The murder was so atrocious that intense excitement prevailed in that region and more than 2,000 citizens had gathered at Montezuma to hear the trial. When Judge Stone granted a change of venue the rage of the people was intense. The brother of the murdered woman mounted a log and said to the crowd of excited men:
"I was willing the man should have a fair trial. I have followed his trail for weeks until I at last discovered one of the stolen horses; then after a short time I found where he sold the wagon and other horse. Finally I caught the man and brought him here and he was released on bail. When the time for the trial arrived I came here again to testify, and the lawyer got the case continued. Now I have come again and they have got a change of venue. I have spent every cent I had in the world and can't come again. Gentlemen, that villain up there-pointing to the court room-butchered my sister and hid her in a corn shock, and his lawyer is going to get him cleared next time because I have nothing left to pay my expenses here again. Will you let that murderer get cleared when I cannot come to tell the horrid story to the jury?" He apused a moment ,when a mighty shout went up. "No; never!"
They made a rush for the court room, dragged the struggling wretch to the nearest tree, put the rope around his neck and swung him high in the air, where he was lett until cut down for the coroner's inquest.
In the vears 1855, '56, '57 many horses were stolen from the farmers of Jackson, Jones, Clinton, Scott, Cedar and Johnson Counties. The settlers at that time possessed but little property, many being in debt for their land, paying in most cases from twelve to twenty-five per cent interest on their indebtedness. Prices of farm products brought little and they were working bard and economizing in every possible way to support their families, improve their farms and meet their obligations. Good horses were worth from $200 to $300 a team, and the loss of a horse or team was severely felt, and often left the farmer without means to cultivate his land or save his crops. Many arrests were made, but the employment of the best lawyers and the testimony of other members of the gang was almost sure to prevent conviction. The thieves were thus encouraged to continue their depredations, and many of the farmers joined the "Vigilance Committee" and took the punishment in their own hands. The persons who resorted to such remedies became known as "Regulators," and eventually a large majority of the farmers in the section infested by the thieves became members of the organization. On several occasions the Regulators were misled by malicious persons and innocent men suffered the penalty; but on the whole it was productive of good, as it rid the country of the organized gang of thieves and murderers.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
In 1857 it became apparent that the system of dams projected to render the Des Moines River navigable was impracticable. The total amount expended was about $800,000, and but three dams completed, the work was practically abandoned.
The New Constitution was adopted, and the building of a State House erected by the citizens of Des Moines having been completed, the records and furniture were moved from Iowa City, and the State Capitol established at Des Moines. The year closed with great financial depression throughout the whole
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country. Nearly all the banks suspended specie payments and many of them failed. There were no banks of issue in Iowa, and it was impossible to get good money in sufficient quantities to carry on business or purchase farm products. In the Territory of Nebraska there were no restrictions to the establishment of banks. Some of the Iowa financiers established banks in that sparsely settled country to supply Iowa with currency. Thomas H. Benton, a well known citizen, made the first venture, in March, 1855, by establishing "The Western Fire and Marine Insurance Company," which proceeded to issue bank bills and put them in circulation in Iowa. Others followed in rapid succession, until Iowa had a large amount of worthless paper money. It would not purchase Eastern Exchange, pay taxes or buy land. It was, however, taken in payment of debts and in trade generally. When the Nebraska banks began to fail the financial distress was apparent. Business was paralyzed all over the State and country.
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