USA > Iowa > Clinton County > Wolfe's history of Clinton County, Iowa, Volume 1 > Part 40
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Cedar county, killed 3, wounded 13. houses destroyed 8, loss $15,000. Jones county, killed 9, wounded 30, houses destroyed 13, loss $30,000.
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Clinton county, killed 74, wounded 155, houses destroyed 168, loss $450,000.
Illinois, killed 26, wounded 53, houses destroyed 60, loss $200,000.
Total killed in the storm from western Iowa through to Lake Michigan. 14I, wounded 329, houses destroyed 312, loss $945,000.
STORM OF 1898.
At four thirty P. M. on May 18, 1898, occurred another tornado, in some ways the equal to the great Camanche storm, though not covering so much territory. It originated to the west and struck three miles north of Char- lotte, Waterford township, in its worst fury. There four people were instant- ly killed, many others being badly injured. Trees were twisted off like single stems of wheat straw. Pumps were lifted from out the well's; wagon wheels were twisted off and splintered to pieces, while the iron tires were bent in al- most every conceivable shape. This storm was about a half mile in width, moved slowly, but with wonderful force, having the action of a genuine cyclone. Dead horses, cattle and sheep were strewn everywhere along its fearful path- way. It had in several places the dark green, ugly funnel-shaped cloud. It revolved and its roar was heard miles around and at Delmar was heard an hour before it really struck the township. Among the killed were a number northwest of Charlotte and in that neighborhood. At John Clark's, three miles from Charlotte, an eight-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Solen met death. She had been to school and was returning and stopped at Clark's for safety. The girl, with the Clark family, all started for the creek for safety and she was caught up by the wind and dashed to her death on the ground. The Clark house was totally destroyed. J. Breen, aged eight, and Maggie Mahoney, aged twenty-six years, were killed at Mike Maloney's; the bodies were found in the field after the storm. At the home of H. C. Han- sen, one of the wealthiest farmers in Clinton county, his two barns were totally destroyed; his seventeen-room farm house badly wrecked and nearly all of his stock killed; his loss was ten thousand dollars. The estimate was that four- teen were killed in this storm in this county. It raged about Delmar, where it swept every tombstone from its socket in the cemetery of that place. the storm going to the south of town. Farther west twenty-eight persons hid in one house-that is, in its cellar-and the house blew away, but all were saved. In crossing Liberty township, but one farm house and a school house were destroyed. In Liberty township the storm ran crooked, changing and re-changing in its awful course. It destroyed the properties of Peter
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McAndrews and Maurice Wolfe in Sharon township. South of Delmar it de- stroyed the beautiful home of William Ruggenberg and his large drove of fine cattle. Near Delmar Jacob Allison's son, Obe, was instantly killed. The Benjamin school house was totally destroyed.
The following notes appeared in the Clinton Herald the next day :
"'Sheep are seen hanging in the trees up that way everywhere.
"Not a drop of rain fell either before or after the wind storm, which is a singular thing.
"In the path of this cyclone were some of the finest farms in all Iowa.
"At the Maloney farm was seen barbed wire wound tightly around some small pigs.
"Workmen in the field run for safety to culverts, bridges, streams and wells.
"Trees were stripped perfectly clean of their leaves and small limbs, as if picked to pieces by a threshing machine.
"The storm was heard of at Polo, Illinois, where much damage was done. It went on and on till it struck Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and lost itself in the water of Lake Michigan. In this respect it resembled the great Camanche tornado of July, 1860."
Again, in about 1904, there was another storm of severe action. This one went through Center, Deep Creek and Elk River townships, carrying everything before it. No lives were lost. Great property losers were: In Center township, Peter Eggerts and Herman Peterson; in Deep Creek town- ship, Mrs. Mary McLaughlin ; in Elk River township. August Eggert and the Doyles.
"BIGELOW'S MINT."
With a bit of keen sarcasm, Daniel H. Pearce. in his description of early- day Clinton, speaks of the "earliest manufacturing enterprise" of the place in words as follows :
"Among the early enterprises established in Clinton county was Bigelow's Mint. This establishment was located about a mile and one-half below town, on the place later owned by Mr. Howe. Here hard money was coined in large quantities and distributed in every direction. So great was the demand for coin, and such the briskness of business at this mint at one time, that the workmen confiscated the machinery of a small grist mill on Mill creek, with which to increase the facilities and capacity of their institution.
"Tim Bigelow's money was very well executed and circulated quite cur- rent. In many places it was quite as current as much of the Eastern cur-
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rency, wild-cat bills, and was about as equally good. Such, however, was the pressure of the Democratic party in Iowa, at this time, against banks of issue, that our mint was forced to suspend operations. Mr. Bigelow was driven from his stronghold, for he had previously made a fortress of his house, the upper story being pierced with loop-holes for musketry, determined to defend himself to the last. But he was forced to capitulate by a posse of regulators; his old blacksmith shop (the mint) was demolished and he was threatened with grave and dire vengeance if he ever showed himself in this part of the country again."
Other informants give further information in regard to Bigelow's mint. The first telegraph in this part of the country was probably erected in this county. Bigelow, who was a "hard money man," and whose coin went cur- rent even at the land office, and with which many acres of land in this section are said to have been paid for, had his mint in a log house situated in River- side, below where Davis' lime kiln later stood, near where the railroad bridge crossed the slough on the road between Lyons and Camanche. Another bridge crossed Mill creek near the site of what was later styled Mill Creek bridge.
From each of the bridges a wire was extended to the "mint," so arranged that anyone passing over would ring a bell at the house, upon which labor was suspended, tools carefully laid away, and the artisans at once became agriculturists and devoted themselves to the labor of their farm lands.
It is said that this bogus coin was so well executed that much of it passed current at the land office, and was paid out with other coin at the land sales.
There were several stations along the Mississippi at that day, where sporting gentlemen stopped to trade horses and other property. They were asked no questions, supplied with coin and creature comforts, and passed on their course of dissipation and crime. The "Mint" was one of these stations.
DAYS OF MOURNING.
Aside from the hundreds and thousands of men and women whose deaths caused sadness within the county, there have been three exceptional periods of public mourning for great public men-three United States Presi- dents, Lincoln, in 1865, Garfield, in 1881, and Mckinley, in 1901, all shot down by the hands of assassins. All three assassins paid the death penalty. two at the hands of a court, after trials, and one. J. Wilkes Booth, at the hands of the posse of Union soldiers sent out to capture him.
At the time of Lincoln's death, Clinton was but a small place. The Civil war had just come to an end and it seemed as if peace smiled upon
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every hand, in the North at least. But on the night of April 14, 1865, Booth, at Ford's theatre in Washington, shot and killed President Lincoln. The news spread over the world at a rapid rate. At Clinton the citizens at once began preparations (after the final shock and deep seated grief was dispelled) to carry out some appropriate memorial services over the death of "Honest Abe." The day proved an ideal one; nature smiled and not a cloud mantled the fair sky of springtime. The thoughtful Adjutant-General N. B. Baker, a citizen, but still in office, requested that all meet at the fair grounds at Ring- wood. Long before the appointed hour, thousands were pressing their way to the grounds, the cities of Lyons and Clinton taking joint part in the sad services. The procession, proper, was very long and impressive. The mili- tary companies were out and music of the most touching and solemn order was rendered. General Baker read the numerous dispatches then coming in from Washington relative to the assassins and their capture. Addresses were made by Revs. Kynett and Fairchild, of Lyons, and by Revs. Young, Trues- dell and White, of Clinton. The city was in heavy mourning and business was at a standstill for almost a week. Strong resolutions were passed touch- ing the awful crime committed and in them they urged our Congressmen to go slow about granting amnesty to the Confederate officers and ring-leaders of the war. Such a day had never before been witnessed in Clinton county.
DEATH OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. (From Clinton Daily Herald, September 26, 1881.)
On Friday, September 23, 1881, after the news of Garfield's death had reached Clinton, Mayor C. H. Toll called a meeting at the City Hall, at which a committee was appointed to arrange for a public demonstration of mourn- ing. A committee was appointed, who met on Saturday and drafted resolu- tions recommending a suspension of business, and arranged for a public meet- ing in the Davis Opera House.
The community united with others all over this great land, Monday, in paying the last tribute of respect to the cruelly murdered and deeply lamented President James A. Garfield. The observance of the occasion was marked by a hush of business, nearly every store in the city keeping closed doors all day. A few opened their establishments in the morning for a short time to transact necessary business, and a few delivery teams and drays were out in the forenoon, but as a rule Sabbath stillness reigned along the streets. The railway machine shops, the schools and banks were closed for the entire day, and the saw-mills and some other interests where the question of entire sus-
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pension involved too many difficulties, were run only during the forenoon. The city was draped in mourning, and the hearts of the people were bowed in common and profound sorrow over the nation's incalculable loss.
Every church in Clinton was draped in mourning. Sunday the pastors all preached appropriate discourses.
At the Episcopal church, Rev. James Trimble delivered a fine discourse devoted to the current theme. A broad black band encircled the interior of the room and the chancel was neatly hung with purple and black. Services were held there Monday forenoon at eleven o'clock.
At the Presbyterian church mourning fabrics were displayed, and in the evening Rev. J. G. Cowden preached a discourse on the life and services of President Garfield.
The Congregational church decorations consisted of the draping of the organ and pulpit with a large flag, and a portrait properly trimmed, with two large palm leaves above the picture. The inside entrance was draped with black, and white flowers were placed about the pulpit. Rev. W. L. Brayton's subject in the morning was the words, "God reigns;" in the evening, he also spoke from an appropriate text. There was a prayer service at this church Monday morning at 10:30.
At the Baptist church the decorations were elaborate and beautiful. The Sunday school room below was also draped. The hangings comprised flags and festoons of flowers, including a handsome floral cross and a floral shield. Rev. C. C. Smith gave two sermons devoted to the great disaster and the character of President Garfield, and lessons to be deduced therefrom. Super- intendent Jay Dunham spoke briefly of the event to the Sunday school.
One of the largest audiences that ever filled Davis Opera House crowded that spacious building to overflowing on Monday to attend the memorial exer- cises. Continuous streams of humanity poured into the hall during the half hour preceding the services, until every seat was filled and fifty stage chairs occupied, in addition to standing room about the hall pressed into service. It is believed that fully two thousand participated in the meeting. The stage chairs were occupied by the speakers, committee, singers, city officials and other invited guests.
The hall was very gracefully and quite profusely draped with two broad bands of black about the gallery front, an American flag placed in the center above the stage, and a draped portrait of the late President also overhead. festoons of alternate black and white forming hangings throughout the stage. There were also plants and flowers.
At two o'clock the meeting was called to order by Chairman W. F. Coan.
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and the band played a funeral dirge. The proclamations were read clearly and with much expression by Rev. E. J. Mclaughlin, of St. Mary's church, preceded by some eloquent remarks. The orchestra played a dirge, after which Mr. Coan offered a few appropriate eulogistic sentences.
Rev. C. C. Smith then delivered an appropriate prayer, Rev. J. G. Cowden read several passages of scripture, and the hymn, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," was sung by the choir.
Hon. A. R. McCoy delivered a pathetic and beautifully phrased address of fifteen minutes, followed by the hymn "Nearer, My God to Thee," by the choir, orchestra and audience.
Hon. I .. A. Ellis next spoke for twenty minutes in an effective and elo- quent manner, this being followed by the song, "Rest, Soldier, Rest," by a double male quartette. Rev. W. L .. Bray held and entranced for ten minutes with a fine eulogy. The hymn, "Asleep in Jesus," was sung by the choir, after which the Rev. James Trimble pronounced the benediction, and the exer- cises closed with "Our Native Land" sung by the choir, orchestra and audi- ence.
During the exercises Battery C fired a funeral salute with the cannon at the levee, and the church bells were tolled.
It is of interest to note that Henry Sabin (later superintendent of public instruction of Iowa) used the same flag to drape his house which he used on the occasion of Lincoln's death, draped just as then, the flag having been kept as a relic.
Mayor Stratton of Lyons, issued a proclamation counciling suspension of business and calling a meeting for two o'clock Monday, which was held in Grace church. The stores were all closed and the mills shut down at noon. No business was transacted on Monday.
Public exercises held in honor of the late President Garfield at the Congregational church were largely attended, the building being crowded to overflowing. The meeting was conducted by Rev. Sydney Crawford, who opened with prayer, after which the Rev. C. M. Lombard read passages of Scripture. Singing followed by the choir and congregation.
Remarks appropriate to the occasion were made by Prof. Moses Soule, Dr. J. E. Ennis, Dr. A. W. Blanding, Messrs. J. C. Root, J. F. McGuire, A. S. Baldwin and others. Doctor Blanding spoke of the friendly feeling in the South. Mr. Root compared the circumstances of the assassination with the murder of the Czar of Russia, and Captain McGuire devoted his remarks chiefly to the army life of General Garfield, the others taking general views of the great sad event.
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The church bell tolled every three minutes from two to four. The inter- ior of the church was handsomely and appropriately decorated with beautiful floral work, a finely draped portrait of President Garfield, and profuse drapery of black and white. The services were solemn and the feeling was one of mingled esteem and sorrow.
DEATH OF PRESIDENT WILLIAM M'KINLEY.
For the third time in the history of this country the citizens of Clinton county, in common with all other sections of the Republic, were called upon to pay their last farewell respects, at a memorable service of another assassin- ated President. And in some ways, this was the hardest blow of all, for peace and plenty were on every hand; the war that had brought Lincoln to his death, and the party feeling and acts of political partisans, that fired the brain of a half lunatic in the case of Garfield's assassination, were not in existence : all seemed well; the good-hearted President was viewing the great Buffalo Exposition, and was shot down while extending his hand to welcome a sup- posedly good citizen, attending that great jubilee.
The sad news came to Clinton. Mayor George D. McDaid issued a proclamation to the citizens here in the following words :
"The most dastardly crime of a century has been committed in a time of peace and prosperity. President Mckinley has been assassinated-struck down by the hand of a red-handed anarchist. All good American citizens will deplore this act and mourn his death. I earnestly request that all business in the city be suspended as far as possible on next Thursday, September 19th, the day on which the remains will be laid to rest. Let us unite as one body of one mind and soul to pay the last tribute to our honored dead:
(Signed) "GEORGE D. McDAID, Mayor."
Memorial exercises were held in appropriate manner at the Odeon Theatre, where a never-to-be-forgotten meeting was held. Rev. T. W. Jones, of Grace Episcopal church, was the orator of the occasion. The picked choir sang soft and sweetly, "Nearer, My God, to Thee." This was at 2:30 P. M., the hour and minute that the dead President's remains were being lowered into the vault at his old home in Canton, Ohio. The address was a true and faithful eulogy of William Mckinley. The hall and city in general were properly draped in mourning and for the first time in American history did the principal train service and work in shops and on sections, throughout the
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country, rest from their busy labors for the time being-the entire nation was hushed to silence and sorrow.
Another memorial service was held at St. John's church, where the dead citizen, soldier, patriot, statesman and President was kept in tearful remem- brance by a large audience.
PIONEER DETECTIVES. (Selected.)
It would be singular, did it not illustrate the persistence in human nature of the primitive man's instinct to acquire property by plunder, how many men in a new country take to horse-stealing. It seems as if there must have been some fascination about it aside from its possible profits. For in a virgin country like Iowa, where it was difficult to avoid accumulating wealth naturally and honestly. one cannot now otherwise understand why so many sought to gain a little wealth at the cost of tranquil existence, and at the haz- ard of losing liberty and even life at the hands of their justly incensed neigh- bors. Freebooters never became so troublesome in Clinton county as in the settlements above and below on the river, and also farther west. This was partly due to the prompt and severe repressive measures of the Regulators along the Mississippi, and the Wapsie Rangers in the western part of Clinton and Scott counties.
In 1851, horse thefts in the Camanche and De Witt settlements were brought to an abrupt termination. Previously they had been annoyed by losing good horses in a most mysterious and inexplicable manner. These thefts were contemporaneous with the appearance of a family answering to the name of Jacques, who located on the edge of the bluff, about two miles from Camanche toward De Witt. They seemed not at all anxious to improve their claim, and at the same time kept a sufficient number of horses and cattle to do considerable farming if they had so desired. Adjacent were the places of Robert Welsh, who held the office of constable, and of Capt. R. A. Lyons, later of Elvira, who, after many years plowing the seas, was now making fur- rows in the more stable prairie. Captain Lyons, having brought from Mexico a very swift horse that could not be caught except with a lasso, was one day, when sweeping the wide prairie with a powerful marine telescope, somewhat interested by seeing his precious neighbors in the distance endeavoring to catch the horse with a halter, in which they naturally failed. This, together with the frequent absence of the male members of the family and clumsily explained borrowing of saddles, aroused the suspicions of Messrs. Lyons and Welsh, so
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that they, it being before the days of detective bureaus, determined to see what they could accomplish themselves in the way of ascertaining the bottom facts as to whether the horse trading done by the family came within the do- main of legitimate transactions.
They concluded that. by exciting the women, the latter might be led to involuntarily betray the "true inwardness' of their status as to honesty. Ac- cordingly, Welsh repaired to the yard where the women were milking, about sundown, and engaging them in conversation, adroitly and casually introduced the subject of horse stealing, mentioning, also, that the regulators were on the lookout and that it would go hard with detected culprits. While this dia- logue was going on, Lyons had, unperceived, approached through the tall grass, keeping on the other side of the house, entered it through a window and snugly ensconced himself under a bed, in quarters that to most landsmen would have been too contracted for comfort, but an old sailor, who had often slept in a narrow berth or hammock, could endure the position for a few hours without grumbling, though in some respects it was like Falstaff's in the buck- basket. After Welsh had detained the women till dark by his alarming, but seemingly neighborly and friendly discourse, the agitated women sat down without a light in the cabin, and in conversation lasting till midnight fully disclosed to the keen-eared amateur detective the dark secrets of the gang, their method of working, accomplices, haunts and routes of travel. As soon as they were asleep, Lyons quietly slipped out, artistically replacing the bar at the door, and at daybreak, awaking Welsh and telling him to watch the lair. harnessed up and drove toward De Witt. Beyond Brophy creek, as he ex- pected, he met one of the Jacques, riding a remarkably fine steed which, in response to Lyons' inquiry, he claimed to have bought at Dubuque. His rascally assurance so enraged the Captain as to attract Jacques' notice, and prompt the question : "What makes you so pale?" Lyons answered that he was not feeling very well that morning, and rode on to Brown's cabin on Ames creek, where he quickly unharnessed and followed Jacques' trail toward the timber belt upon Brophy creek. On the way he notified the Cannons, father and sons, who at once gave chase (the old man on horseback and the boys on foot, outstripping him), joining in the pursuit of the common enemy. Lyons succeeded in keeping his quarry in sight, notwithstanding the other's efforts to elude him as they traversed the timber, and, once on the open prairie, rode straight at the fugitive, and after a short headlong chase and desperate resistance, overhauled and overpowered single-handed and tied the desperado before the Cannons, the fleetfooted boys still leading their mounted sire, came up. The culprit was taken to Camanche, and soon afterward was
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escorted by a numerous and distinguished delegation to Swan Island, just be- low the city. There, by an inquisitorial process in vogue during those days, in which a rope materially assisted the memory, the prisoner, previously sullen and silent, suddenly concluded to expose all he knew of the gang. Subse- quently he was regularly tried and sent to the penitentiary.
Acting on the information thus extorted, a posse at once set out for Du- buque, where another Jacques was found, enjoying himself in carnal com- pany among wassailers of low degree. They politely waited for him to finish his dance, then brought him via Maquoketa to Clinton county, where, in a convenient grove near Welton, was held a special meeting of the Holy Broth- erhood, which also resulted in the noose procuring a satisfactory confession. That resulted in the trip of a still larger party to Farmersburg, Clayton county, where a regular robbers' roost was surrounded and captured, together with a whole caballa of horses and arsenal of weapons. The rascals escaped, but the gang was effectually dispersed. When the Regulators returned to Dubuque, their formidable and disciplined appearance and numerous trophies attracted general attention and approval, and horses were thereafter safer along the lower Wapsie bottom.
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