USA > Iowa > Mahaska County > The history of Mahaska County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics > Part 46
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Mahaska meeting .- Five miles west of Oskaloosa on Pella road. No recorded minister. Membership forty-seven.
The montlily meeting at New Sharon includes the following preparative meetings.
New Sharon meeting .- The first meeting for worship of this society was held, probably, in Frederick Schelp's house. The first minister among this people was Bridget Haight, who preached from house to house about 1854. The preparative meeting was first established in 1857, in a school house built by the Society of Friends south of town, for school and meet- ing purposes. Win. Pearson was the first resident minister. A monthly meeting was also organized in the school house. A meeting house was built in 1860, which has been moved into New Sharon, and still stands, and is used by this meeting. They have now six ministers, Wm. Pearson, Mary Morris, Sarah Hughes, Rachel Stiles, George Briggs, and Mary Ellis.
Prairie Ridge meeting .- Is a preparative meeting held about one and one-half miles northwest of New Sharon, having been established several years ago for the convenience of those who lived in that vicinity and found it burdensome to come to town. This meeting has but one recorded min- ister, Mary Ann Roberts, and has no church building, but meets in a school house. Its membership includes but four or five families.
The Friends engage in two distinetive classes of missionary work. The yearly meeting of Iowa is now at work among the Freedmen of the South, and the Indians of the West. Among these they establish schools and ed- ucate the youths of either race, to preach the gospel to their fellows. While the Friends are not remarkable for their liberality, they do not do their alms to be seen of men, but in a quiet way further the cause of their religion, and give abundant aid to the widow and the fatherless. They are gradually laying aside some former austerities of manner and peculiar habits, and, catching the spirit of the age, are disappointing many who suppose them to be slow, or to be lacking in enterprise. The improvements they have made, in and about Oskaloosa, are not in harmony with the statement of Tom Paine, that, "had the Quakers been consulted in the creation everything would have been colored drab." Of Penn College and its fine building we speak elsewhere.
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
MAHASKA'S CENTENNIAL.
Great preparations were made for a grand celebration to be held in Os- kaloosa July 4th, 1876. It was arranged to have an extensive street parade of various associations, companies and societies. These arragements were in a large measure carried out, save the procession, which was interfered with by a heavy wind and rain storm which visited the county on the even- ing of July 3d. This storm did great damage in different parts of the county, demolishing buildings and destroying crops. Boyer & Son's store building, in Tracy, was blown down, causing a loss of $8,000. On the even- ing of the Fourth a similar storm worked great damage in Leighton and the northwestern part of the county.
There was quite a large attendance on the Fourth in Oskaloosa, notwithi- standing the weather. Programme: Address of welcome by Mayor Baugh; Declaration of Independece read by Capt. Searle; Rev. I. P. Teter, orator of the day; dinner, toasts and responses. These exercises, with two days of horse racing, were "Proud Mahaska's" memorial to the hundredth year of our national independence.
CASUALTIES.
On Saturday, July 21, 1878, two young women named Elizabeth Todd, daughter of Ben Todd, and Dora McAllister, daughter of a widow living in company with Miss Mary Roenspiess, were all at the residence of Ben Todd who lives about five miles northeast of town, and near the treach- erous Skunk river, and in the afternoon determined to go down to the river to bathe. It seems the girls were in the habit of so doing, and neither they nor other members of the family apprehended danger therefrom. Proceed- ing to the river they entered the water at a point just above where formerly stood the old Currier mill. At this place the current sets in strong from the opposite shore, and besides being quite swift, there is a very deep hole near by; but for some distance out the bottom slopes out gradually. The two girls, Todd and McAllister, each wearing a light bathing dress, went in leaving their companion on the bank. From some unknown cause, they got beyond the place of safety, and where they knew the condition of the river, and were drawn into the deep water. As soon as she discovered their peril, Miss Roenspiess screamed and ran into the water, hoping to render assis- tance, but after getting where the water came up to her neck, she saw she could do nothing, and returned to the bank. By that time Mr. Todd, who was working near by, and heard the call for help, ran down, but too late to save either of the unfortunate girls. The sorrowful news was at once spread, and the search for the bodies soon began. The body of Miss Todd was found in an hour or so after the accident, about three or four rods from where they went in. The other body was not found until the next morning, at eleven o'clock, when it was discovered in a drift about three-fourths of a mile below.
The bodies were buried in the cemetery near the Friends' meeting house, east of town, Sunday afternoon, a large concourse of friends and neighbors following them to their last resting place.
Miss Todd was 22 years old, and only daughter, Miss McAllister was 18 years o'd, and assisted by her labor to maintain her widowed mother.
On the following morning in the same river occurred the death of Marion
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Campbell, Captain of Co. F, Sth Iowa Infantry in the late war. Accompanied by his brother Chester, two neighboas, W. J. Boyd and J. H. Horner, he proceeded to Sonth Skunk river for the purpose of enjoying a bath after a week of hard labor in the harvest field. The point at which the party entered the stream is in a bend in the river where the current is swift and the treach- erons sands continually shifting. It was soon apparent that Marion was en- gaged in a struggle for life, and his younger brother becoming alarmed there- by, lost presence of mind, and was rescued with difficulty. This consumed time, that otherwise might have been spent in assisting Marion, and precious time it proved, as now he was beyond all human aid. He sank to rise no more. The dark waters rolled on and death claimed the victory.
The remains were found Sunday at 4 p. m., abont eighty rods from where the drowning occurred. The funeral was held Monday, at 11 a. m., the remains finding a last resting place in the cemetery near Peter Appel's. Thus closed a brilliant life-one that promised much, and with its sudden close hundreds of brave hearts were filled with grief, for they had come to love the man for his quiet ways and manly bearing.
THE CAUSE OF SCIENCE ON THE BORDER.
In the spring of 1850, at the time emigration across the Plains to the " Golden Gate" was at its height, a party of about thirty men in wagons, on their way to California, encamped abont four miles southeast of Oska- loosa. The company, we believe, was from Rush county, Indiana. One of their leaders was quite ill, and he was brought to Oskaloosa for proper medical care and nursing, the company intending to wait a few days in hope of his recovery; but Death soon claimed his victim, and the traveler was buried in the old cemetery south of town.
On the morning following the burial it was found that hyenas in human shape had been at work, and upon examination it was found that the body was missing. The guilty parties, finding they were watched, placed the body in a fence corner east of town. Diligent search was made for the re- mains of the unfortunate man, but without avail. A day or two later the corpse was discovered by a man not engaged in the search.
Two young physicians, Sampsell and Pearson, of this city, and a young dentist whose name we did not learn, were arrested and brought to trial. Investigation showed that a man named Captain James Moore had been employed by the parties arrested to raise the body; that he had done this in a most barbarons manner, having uncovered the grave and dragged the corpse from the coffin by a rope placed around its neck, and had carried it away to his employers.
The indignation of the emigration company was intense, and there was a strong disposition to do violence. The prisoners were guarded until after the company had left the country. Then, there being no one to prosecute the case, the matter was finally dropped and the accused suffered to go free without being tried in the courts-the first trial being before a town mag- istrate.
BOWEN MURDER CASE.
One of the most exciting incidents in the history of Mahaska county oc- curred during the month of August, 1857. At this time political excite-
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
ment ran very high. Questions between Whigs and Democrats, as well as between temperance and anti-temperance, had divided the voters into sev- eral factions, and in many cases the feeling of antagonism rose to bitter- ness, and in one case to a fatal termination. At this time Mr. James M. Brown was editor of the Herald. He was bitterly opposed to the anti- temperance party, and made his paper the spokesman of his sentiments. In this way he incurred the enmity of the liquor men.
J. W. Bowen had kept a hotel in Oskaloosa, known as the Bowen House, but had disposed of his business a short time before the occurrence we are about to relate, and was keeping saloon. He was the victim of a passion for liquor, and on a certain evening, while under the influence of strong drink, was carousing about the square in Oskaloosa with a number of his companions. About midnight they happened in front of Rice & Lough- ridge's law office, which adjoined the Herald office, and where Brown was talking in front of an open window with E. W. Rice. This office was on the west side of the square, second floor, in the room now occupied by M. T. Williams as his office. Bowen proposed, with an oath, that they would go np and see Brown and have a settlement with him, and clean out the Herald office. Bowen reached the head of the stairs and tried the door- latch, but found the door locked. Brown had heard them coming, and fir- ing through the thin door panel, shot Bowen through the breast, killing him almost instantly. Brown was arrested, and information was made be- fore several justices, all of whom were afraid to try the case, lest they should make enemies by their decision. The excitement was at highest pitch. Threats of lynching were made, though peace lovers and friends were ready to protect him. Finally information was filed before the Mayor of Oska- loosa, Wm. T. Smith. Brown, after a lengthy trial, was bound over to the next term of court, having given bail for $5,000. The rival newpapers, the Oskaloosa Times, in the mean time, did and said everything possible to create public feeling against Brown. The grand jury, however, failed to find an indictment against him, which so enraged his political enemies that they posted notices over the town as follows:
TO THE CITIZENS OF MAHASKA.
The citizens of Mahaska county are requested to attend a meeting to be held on the public square on
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1857,
at 6 o'clock, P. M .. to take into consideration the unprecedented action of the grand jury in acquitting James M. Brown of the murder of J. W. Bowen, without a fair and open trial by a jury of his peers, thereby permitting a murder to remain unpunished in our midst, a course calculated to create distrust in the efficiency of our criminal laws, and indirectly encouraging the mob spirit which is at present so rife throughout our State.
MANY CITIZENS.
Oskaloosa, September 12, 1857.
The place of meeting was changed to Union Hall, where several hundred persons had assembled. Among resolutions passed as the sense of that meeting, was the following:
Resolved, That the safety, peace, and above all, the harmony of the community, as also, the welfare of Mr. Brown, requires that he shall no longer remain a citizen of Mahaska county.
Mr. Brown fearing personal violence, soon afterward removed to Ohio, and the Herald passed into the hands of John R. Needham, who had for- merly been its editor.
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
LOVE, DESERTION AND SUICIDE.
To Leander Dascom belongs the name of having first opened a coal mine in that prolific mining district which surrounds the present town of Bea- con. His home was Elmira, New York, where it was afterward learned he had a devoted wife and an only child. In Mahaska county he represented himself as a single man. While living in Oskaloosa, he formed the ac- quaintance of a school teacher, Miss Mary E. Emery, a lady of about 28 years of age, whose parents lived in New Hampshire. He so far won the favor of this young woman as to secure from her a promise of marriage. On Friday evening, Jannary 8, 1858, he visited her and it was arranged that he should marry her the following morning, and they should proceed immediately to her home in New Hampshire. He succeeded in obtaining from her the amount of her savings from a season's work in the school room, and the same night absconded, left for parts unknown, taking with him, it is said, a woman of abandoned character. Learning that her affec- tions had been betrayed, on the following Sunday Miss Emery committed suicide by taking strychnine, having made the coolest preparations there- for, writing to the family with whom she was living, and also to the scoun- drel, Dascom. The latter unfortunately escaped the punishment which his infamy deserved, unless a life of wretchedness more terrible than death has been meted out by Him, who has said: "Vengeance is mine-I will repay."
SHOOTING.
In July, 1877, occurred a case of shooting at Blattner & Newbrand's brewery, which is remarkable only from the verdict of the jury which cleared the prisoner from any blame in the matter.
Saturday afternoon, July 21st, a party of men were at the brewery drink- ing some beer, got into a war of words and left, swearing vengeance.
About six o'clock they returned and some others with them, threatening to clean out the institution. One of the party threw a brickbat at random, whereupon the bar-tender, one Max Roenspeiss, appeared on the platform, and with a revolver shot one of the party, David Golden, inflicting a wound from which he died in a few days. The testimony on trial showed that Dave Golden had not been engaged in the dispute and quarrel which had preceded the shooting, and that he was shot while walking away from the brewery, Roenspeiss making the remark: "I know what he came for," just as he fired the pistol. Golden was unarmed.
Roenspeiss was bound over under bond of $10,000 to appear at District Court, where, after trial, he was pronounced " not guilty," and suffered. to go free.
LOCAL TROUBLES DURING THE WAR.
Of those events which we have classed under this head, no correct history has ever been written. At the time of their occurrence, the most exagger- ated accounts were given. They were greatly magnified, distorted beyond recognition in the press, and some traditionary accounts are simply ridicu- lous. From newspaper accounts, from eye witnesses, from the printed tes- timony upon trial, and from official reports, we have gathered what we
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HISTORY OF MAIIASKA COUNTY.
believe to be a substantially true account of a number of local difficulties growing out of war questions between the years of 1862 and 1865.
During this period, there was a very decided element composed of eiti- zens in different parts of the county, and especially along the northern border, who were not in sympathy with the war policy of President Lincoln, and many of whom, if we ean eredit their own statements, were in reality the well wishers and willing abettors of the Sonthern Confederacy.
It is very generally claimed that these men were banded together in eer- tain secret organizations known as "Knights of the Golden Circle," that they had a system of pass-words, and were in correspondence with similar societies in other counties. On the other hand, it is stoutly denied that sneh organizations ever existed in Mahaska county, and that in any eases of companies of men visiting the county seat or elsewhere, they were banded simply by community of sentiment. Men whose credibility on ordinary subjects no man in the county would dispute, have declared upon their oath that they had attended meetings of the kind suggested, in disguise. As to their possible delusion or mendacity, it is not for the historian to decide, but the privilege of the reader to learn the known facts and judge for him- self from the rapidity and community of action on the part of the accused, whether they were or were not parties to a mutual understanding.
On one occasion three men who lived near Indianapolis, on North Skunk river, were arrested on charge of treason, by the United States Marshal. These men were Silas Parr, a justice of the peace, B. A. Smith, a Cumber- land Presbyterian minister, and Wesley Thomas, also a minister, we believe of the Christian denomination. These men were brought to Oskaloosa and lodged in jail. Fearing an attempt might be made by their friends to release the prisoners, a company of Guards was summoned from Eddyville. A day or two following the arrest some two or three hundred armed men from the northern part of the county headed for Oskaloosa, avowing as their purpose the release of the prisoners. Most of these stopped on the north side of South Skunk river, and a chosen band was sent to Oskaloosa, who, after canvassing the situation and making idle threats of their intentions, returned to their comrades, and the entire party dispersed to their homes.
By some compromise and the payment of small fines, Parr and Thomas were released. Smith being a poor man, was taken to Des Moines and there imprisoned. His friends made up the amount of his fine, and sent him a purse to secure his release, but he, preferring martyrdom, sent the ransom to his family to provide for their wants, while he himself served the term of his imprisonment, which was six or nine months, after which he was permitted to go free. It should have been stated that the charges against these men were treasonable utterances made by them, of which they were probably guilty.
TALLY RAID.
On Saturday, August 1, 1863, a Democratie mass meeting was held near English river, in Keokuk county. The speaking ocenrred in a grove, about one-half mile from town. The chief speaker was George Tally, who had been a Baptist minister, but who had been silenced in the church on account of his ultra politics. Several hundred persons were present at this meeting, most of whom had come in wagons, in the bottom of which was hay or straw, and therein seereted were arms of different kinds, which fact was
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developed at a later hour in the day. Speeches were made during the fore- noon, and as some Republicans were present, party spirit ran high. As an illustration of the excitement, it is related that in a stripping of butternnt badges the clothing was almost torn from a couple of ladies present, who displayed the objectionable emblems. Wild, and perhaps idle threats were made, that the party would come up in the afternoon and clean out the town of South English, which was quite a radical stronghold. Reports of these were carried up into the town, where, from the balcony of a hotel a Republican was addressing a meeting of his party, and in the town the rad- ical feeling was also quite strong. To be prepared for emergencies, the citizens were armed as far as there were weapons for their use. In the afternoon the Tally party came up to the town in wagons. In the front wagon were several men, including Tally, who stood up in the rear part. The Republican meeting had just closed, and arms were freely displayed. Some persons warned Tally that he had best not go through the town, as there would be trouble, but he claimed he meant no injury to anyone, and merely asked the privilege of the street. As the first wagon came into the crowd, there were cries from the street of "Coward!" "Copperhead!" " Afraid to shoot!" etc. Previons to this time no weapons had been dis- played by the party in the wagon, but upon these cries they came up from the bottom of the conveyance. Just then the street became so crowded that it was necessary to stop the wagon for a moment. At that instant a citizen, accidentally, as he claims, discharged one barrel of his revolver into the ground. This was the occasion for a general firing, and it is marvelous that the loss of life was not much greater. It has been estimated that 150 shots were fired, which is evidently a great exaggeration. Tally stood in the back part of the wagon with revolver and bowie knife in hand; he evi- dently fired twice, as two chambers were empty, when he fell from the wagon dead, having been shot once through the head and twice through the body. One of the horses attached to the wagon was wounded, which cansed the team to run, and probably avoided more serious consequences. The only other party severely wounded was a Democrat named Wyant, who afterward recovered. Tally was taken up and carried to his home at Ioka. The revolver and knife were so firmly clinched in his hand that they re- mained there until they were removed at his home. The firing was so gen- eral it was never positively known who killed Tally, and no arrests were made.
A commission of three were appointed by the South English citizens to effect a peaceable settlement with Tally's friends. On that Saturday after- noon and night messengers were sent out all over the country to sympa- thizers of the Tally party, and before daylight Sabbath morning wagon loads of men were on the way from the western border of Mahaska to the place of rendezvous on Skunk river. These volunteers formed what is cur- rently known as the Skunk River Army. Probably 150 men went from this over into Keokuk county. The leader of this movement was Bill Tally, a consin, we believe of George Tally's. This Sunday in Ioka and elsewhere was spent by the Democrats in moulding bullets, preparing arms, etc., and everything indicated a preparation for business, but a day or two later the determination weakened. With Bill Tally, the leader, better counsels prevailed, and he gave up the warlike measures; and petty jeal- onsies and lack of leadership soon broke the backbone of the expedition.
In the meantime Governor Kirkwood had been notified at Iowa City, and troops and a couple of cannon were ordered to South English, when the
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Governor himself arrived about Wednesday, and made a speech to the citizens.
The popular story of the Governor's threat of minie balls and canister to the Skunk River Army, and of their terror stricken flight from the camp is a myth, the truth being that there was no considerable number of armed men nearer English river than Skunk river, which is sixteen miles from the town. The project of armed resistance had been practically abandoned before Governor Kirkwood reached the town, many of the Mahaska county troops having returned to their homes on Monday or Tuesday. It is prob- able that there were still some men assembled at the time of Governor Kirkwood's visit, and that his proclamation was read to them, which gave rise to the more extravagant story. There was nobody badly frightened on either side, and no particular cowardice manifested. It is highly probable that if Bill Tally had continued as leader that the result would have been quite disastrous.
The Skunk River Army has been variously estimated at numbers ranging from five hundred to four thousand; the first figure is probably not far from the truth.
According to the Adjutant General's report, the following list of com- panies were engaged in various parts of Keokuk county in suppressing dis- turbances during August, 1863: Muscatine Rangers, Washington Provost Guards, Brighton Guards, Richland Home Guards, Fairfield Prairie Guards, Fairfield Union Gnards, Abington Home Guards, Libertyville Guards, Mt. Pleasant Infantry, Mt. Pleasant Artillery and Sigourney Home Guards- eleven companies.
PEORIA RIOT.
Shortly after the Tally raid an occurrence took place in the northwest- ern part of the county in some respects similar. On the 22d of August, 1863, a so-called Democratic rally was held abont one-half mile west of the town of Peoria, on Buckley creek. Here were assembled in mass meeting several hundred men, most of whom were Democrats.
There were at that time near Peoria two soldiers of Co. H of the Third Iowa Infantry, who were home on wounded furlongh, having been wounded at Jackson, Miss. These were Capt Simon G. Gary and Sergt. Abraham T. Alloway. Gary attended the meeting in the forenoon, and had had some words with some of his political opponents in regard to wearing but- ternut badges. He returned to Peoria about noon and met Alloway. Gary was quite severely wounded in the thigh, and Alloway but slightly in the hip. Gary borrowed a single-barreled pistol from a friend in Peoria, and having indulged in some of the town beer, as was shown on testimony at the trial, he and Alloway started for the meeting. While Capt. James A. Seevers, of Oskaloosa, was addressing the meeting, they arrived on the grounds. and soon after got into a war of words, when some of the soldiers' friends approached and tried to get them off the ground. While they were moving away a farmer named Mart Myers stepped up in front of the men and declared with an oath that no man would dare remove his badge. He had no sooner spoken than the offensive emblem was snatched from his lapel by one of the wounded men. He and Alloway (who was unarmed) immediately clinched, and while they were struggling Myers drew his re- volver and shot Alloway through the body. The latter snatched the revol- ver from him, and throwing him on the ground tried several times to shoot him through the head, but the pistol snapped, and after striking Myers a
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