USA > Illinois > Ogle County > The history of Ogle County, Illinois, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics history of the Northwest, history of Illinois etc > Part 36
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Within a short time after the Regulators commenced their work of extermination, as previously mentioned, and about the time the piratical clan had sworn vengeance against the people of White Rock, Mr. W. S. Wellington, who had been chosen as the first captain of the Regulators, resigned and John Campbell, a Scotchman and a devout Presbyterian, was chosen as his successor. Within two weeks after his election, he received a letter from William Driscoll filled with most direful threats-not only threatening Campbell's life, but the life of every one who dared to oppose their murderons, thieving operations. The only effect of this letter was to add fresh fuel to the already kindled flame, and in directing the rage of the entire community against the Driscolls. Soon after the receipt of this letter by Mr. Campbell, one hundred and ninety-six of the Regulators assembled together and marched to the residence of the Driscolls, in South Grove. On approaching the place, they discovered a number of ruffians armed to the teeth, as if inviting the attack. When within a half a mile of the house, they halted to complete arrangements for the assault. There it was determined that one of the number should go forward and heard the lion in his den. While preparing to draw lots as to who should undertake this death-ride a young man, who afterwards became one of Rockford's best known citizens, volunteered to undertake the mission, and immediately started. As he neared the house, the door flew open, and nearly a score of ruffians, all armed with pistols, dashed out and made for the woods. The old man Driscoll mounted a fast horse and was soon beyond pursuit. One man remained behind, and he informed the two hundred determined men that Driscoll had gone to Sycamore to muster his forces, and that they would return in two hours to fight them. Nothing daunted, the Regulators dismounted and threw themselves upon the ground to await the coming of Driscoll's mob.
At three o'clock in the afternoon Driscoll returned, but instead of bringing his threatened company of confederates, he brought Sheriff Wal-
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rodd, Squire Mayo, and the Probate Judge, Lovell, of DeKalb County. These gentlemen inquired the nature of the strange gathering, in reply to which Mr. Campbell, as leader of the citizens, made a decided and effective answer, every word of which fell with powerful force against Driscoll and his confederates. He not only told why they were there, and for what pur- pose they had come, but what they intended to do. He told of crimes the Driscolls had committed-how William Driscoll and another man had robbed Waterman's store at Newburg, Boone County, and secreted the plunder in a hiding place in Hickory Grove, and that in a day or two after- wards Driscoll had gone in the dead hour of night and stolen the goods from his confederate, thereby "making himself the meanest thief on the face of God's earth." The Driscolls stood by livid with rage and gnashed their teeth as Campbell told of their dark deeds.
When Campbell had finished, the three gentlemen from DeKalb, who had come over with Driscoll, abandoned then, and told the Regulators that any time they needed help to carry out their purpose to call on Sycamore, from whence they could rely on at least one hundred good and willing men.
The Driscolls were then notified to leave the state, and were allowed to name the day when they would depart. They fixed the time at twenty days. Soon after the citizens dispersed to their homes.
The Driscolls did not leave the country, nor did they make preparations to leave. On the contrary, they continued in their evil ways, and if possi- ble became bolder and more defiant than ever, notwithstanding they made the most solemn protestations that they were making arrangements to quit the country.
In less than ten days after the events narrated above, a meeting of the ontlaws and desperadoes was held on the farm of William Bridge, at Washington Grove, where the murder of Campbell and Chaney was planned, and David and Taylor Driscoll detailed to the murder of Campbell. They were sworn to waylay Campbell, and not to leave him until he was a corpse.
It was never certainly known who of the gang were detailed to murder Chaney, but it is known that on Friday night, June 25, 1841, his intended and designated assassin visited his premises in the dead hour of night. Chaney had two ferocious watch dogs, who "treed" them on his corn cribs, where they remained until nearly daylight, when they managed to quiet the dogs, and got away under cover of the same darkness that con- cealed their murderous coming. During the aların created by liis dogs, Chaney got up from his bed, and started out to see what was wrong, but taking a second thought and remembering that his murder had been threatened, he returned to his bed, and thus saved his life. His murder, however, was reported the next morning at school by Hettie, the little daughter of Bridge. Her story was this: She slept in a trundle bed which was drawn ont from beneath the bed occupied by her father and mother. In the morning just before daylight, she overheard her father telling her mother that "Chaney was killed last night by some men that had been sent to do that work." This statement of his child, too young and innocent to manufacture the statement, or to know the part her father bore towards the murderous banditti, left no reason for the settlers to doubt that Bridge knew all about the scheme, the time fixed and the names of the cut-throats set to carry out that'part of the sworn vengeance of the infamous and cowardly combination.
Sunday, June 27, 1841, the two Driscolls-David and Taylor-who
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had been appointed and sworn to murder John Campbell, accomplished the atrocious and bloody purpose. Saturday the 26th, Mr. Campbell had gone to Rockford, where he remained over night, returning to his home, in White Rock, about noon on Sunday. In the afternoon he and his family went to church at a school-house one mile west of his residence, from which service they returned between five and six o'clock. After supper Campbell lay down on a lounge to rest. About sundown, he arose, went out of the house and started towards the barn. which stood across a lane from his house. In the lane, and a little south of the crossing between the barn and the house, there was a copse or " bunch" of hazel brush, which, in full leaf, was thick enough to hide his murderers. As he stepped through the gate from the door yard into the lane, his assassins rose up from behind the bunch of hazels and remarked, "We want to go to the burnt mill,* but have lost our way." Before Campbell could answer, David Driscoll raised his gun, and aiming it at the object of their wrath and sworn vengeance, shot him through the heart. After he was shot, Campbell re-entered the gate, and, blinded by approaching death, turned a little to the southeast, and fell a lifeless corpse fourteen feet from the gate. The Driscolls had kept their oath.
After the shooting, the murderers turned and started in a southeast direction, leaving the house a little to their left. As Campbell fell, his wife ran to him, and as she reached his lifeless remains, she called after the flee- ing scoundrels, " Driscolls, you have murdered John Campbell." As Mrs. Campbell uttered this exclamation, the murderers made a temporary halt, and Taylor Driscoll raised his rifle and pointed it towards her, but lowered it without firing, and the two resumed their retreat from the scene of blood. In the meantime, Martin Campbell, aged about thirteen years, a son of the victim, seized a double-barrelled shot gun and running around the house, aimed at the fleeing murderers, pulled the trigger, but both caps snapped. The gun was double charged with buck shot, but having been loaded for some time and exposed to damp and wet, failed to go off, and thus the murderers both got away.
News of this murder spread like wildfire. Indignation against the Driscolls was aroused to fever heat. On Monday, the 28th, the remains of Campbell were buried. After the funeral, the excitement and indignation against the perpetrators and instigators of the bloody crime broke out afresh. The very air was filled with threats of vengeance against them, and nothing but the lives of the murderous gang would pay the penalty. News of the terrible crime had been carried to Sycamore, Oregon and Rockford, and help in the work of extermination demanded, and it was given. Monday afternoon Rockford was more like a deserted village, than a bustling, busy little town. Every mau that could go, went-all determined to avenge Campbell's death.
A little after sunrise on Monday morning after the murder, old John Driscoll was arrested by the Ogle County sheriff and posse comitatus at the house of his son David, near Lynnville, and during the day he was taken to the jail at Oregon City.
* The mill here referred to had belonged to John Long, who had taken an active part against the gang, and in revenge it is supposed some of them had burned his mill. The same night the mill was burned, the incendiaries broke all the legs of the only horse Mr. Long owned, and which he used to ride between his residence and mill, which were situated about one mile apart. After that occurrence, Mr. Long was rather reticent and indifferent towards the wretches-seemingly awed into submission and silence.
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As soon as it was sufficiently light on Monday morning, the friends and neighbors of Campbell began to look around for some evidences that would help them trace the murderers, believing that, while David and Taylor Driscoll had perpetrated the bloody work, accessories were near by to offer their assistance in case they were foiled in their undertaking, and likely to be overpowered. They pretty soon came on what seemed to be the tracks of five horses pointing in the direction of David Driscoll's. One of these tracks was marked by a part (two nails and the cork) of a horse- shoe. This trail was taken up and followed to David Driscoll's stable. While a part of the men went to the house and entered it, another part went into the stable, where they found an animal that seemed to have been hardly ridden, and still covered with hard, dry sweat. An examination of the feet of this animal discovered a part of a shoe that corresponded exactly with the tracks discovered at Campbell's, and which had been followed a distance of seven miles, to where the animal was found. This was consid- cred strong circumstantial evidence, at least, and the next important step was to learn who had ridden the animal, and old man Driscoll, the only male member of the family present, was thus interrogated by one of the posse :
" Who rode that animal in the stable (describing it) this morning?"
"I rode it." replied the old man, "from Sonth Grove."
" Who rode it to South Grove last night? "
" I rode it there yesterday afternoon."
" Who rode it from near Campbell's place yesterday evening? "
To this last question the old man made no answer, and from that time forward, he maintained a dogged, stubborn silence, only speaking when it was unavoidably necessary.
William T. Ward, the sheriff of Ogle County, when he found Driscoll would answer no more questions upon that point, spoke to him as follows :
" Driscoll, that broken horse shoe and the tracks it left, have placed you in a quandary from which you will find it difficult to extricate yourself, and I take you under arrest, in the name of the people of the State of Illinois, on suspicion of being accessory to the murder of John Campbell."
During the time thus occupied, one of the female members of the Driscoll honsehold (a daughter-in-law) remarked to some of the posse that the old man "was a bad and dangerous character, and that if he had received his just deserts, he would have been shot long ago."
Breakfast was soon served, and the old man was told to eat his break- fast and get ready to accompany the sheriff. He sat up to the table, but ate very sparingly, after which he was told to bid his wife (who was there) and the rest of the family "good-bye," as he might never see them again. Calmly, coolly, indifferently, and without feeling, as far as outward indica- tions showed, he turned to his wife and said, " Take care of yourself, and do the best you can "-" only that, and nothing more," and then went out to his death.
William and Pierce Driscoll were arrested at their homes at South Grove, DeKalb County, on the afternoon of the same day, by the Rockford men, and taken to the residence of John Campbell, and kept under guard over night. David and Taylor Driscoll, William K. Bridge, Richard and Thomas Aikens were also sought after, but were not found. They had escaped the vigilance of an outraged people, and fled, no one knew whither. Tuesday morning, the 29th, the people of White Rock, having heard that
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the citizens of Rockford had William and Pierce Driscoll prisoners at Campbell's, prepared for immediate and decided action, and while the set- tlers were gathering in force, three of their most trasted and determined men came to Oregon, and, against the protestations of the sheriff and the admonitions and warnings of Judge Ford, took John Driscoll from the enstody of the sheriff, hurried him across the river, and started towards Washington Grove via Daysville. At Daysville a temporary halt was made, and there Obed Lindsay and Phineas Chaney took the old man aside to interrogate him in regard to his former life. He confessed to them that he had been a very bad man, and that he had done many unlawful and vicions things but that he had never committed murder. He admitted that he had stolen, or caused to be stolen, as many as fifty horses. The question was asked him, if the number would not reach five hundred, which he answered by saying, " may be it might ; I have lost count. I have paid out hundreds of dollars to young men for stealing horses from men against whom I have had a grudge, and from which I never received a cent of profit. I paid these hundreds of dollars in small sums of from ten to twenty dollars cach. I did not expect any profit from such expenditures. All I wanted was sweet revenge. I also did a great wrong towards Pierce, my son, whom I was the means of sending to the Ohio penitentiary. I had a grudge against a man that lived seven miles away, and determined to burn his barn. Pierce lived half way between my place and the man against whom I held this grudge. I went to Pierce's stable, in the dark hour of night, took out his horse, rode to the barn, set it on fire, and returned the horse to the stable. The roads were muddy and the horse was easily tracked. The tracks led to and from Pierce's stable, and he was arrested, tried. convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for three years, and served out his time." Pierce Driscoll subsequently confirmed this state- ment, which left no room to doubt the terribly depraved nature of his father.
At Daysville the crowd had increased to about one hundred men. When Lindsay and Chaney had finished questioning their captive prisoner, the excited crowd moved on towards Washington Grove, where they arrived about ten o'clock, and were joined by the Rockford division with their pris- oners, William and Pierce Driscoll. After the White Rock people crossed the river with old man Driscoll, an inch rope halter was taken from a horse's head and tied around his neck, and in this way he was taken to the place of execution. Neither one of the other prisoners were hampered by man- acles of any kind.
When all parties had arrived at Washington Grove, as many as five hundred indignant and outraged citizens were present. Some from Win- nebago, some from DeKalb, some from Lce, but the majority was made up from Ogle County. Almost all classes of citizens were represented-farm- ers, mechanics, lawyers, preachers, doctors, justices of the peace, constables and sheriffs. Among the lawyers present, were E. S. Leland (since a prom- inent judge, and now living at Ottawa), W. W. Fuller, of Oregon; Jason Marsh and - Latimer, of Rockford. Leland was chosen as a general director of the proceedings to ensne. The Regulators were ordered to form in a circle around a large black oak tree. One hundred and twenty of them thus formed, when Mr. Leland suggested that if there were any men in that circle that were objectionable, on any account, that challengers be selected to point them out and have them removed. Under this ruling, the number was reduced to one hundred and eleven men. Chairs were placed
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within the circle and occupied by the prisoners, justices of the peace, etc. The witnesses were sworn by one of the justices present, and the prisoners arraigned for trial. William Driscoll was arraigned first, and asked by Mr. Leland " if he had ever instructed his brother David to go to the Captain's (meaning Campbell) at twilight in the evening, pretend to be lost. call him out to inquire the way, and then shoot him down, as they did in Iowa, on a certain occasion, and saying, 'd-n them (the Regulators), they will all run then, as they did there?' " The accused answered in positive language that he had not. Henry Hill, as worthy a man as ever lived in Ogle Connty, was then sworn and examined. He testitied that he had heard William Driscoll give the accused the instructions just quoted, and named the time and the occasion. Driscoll's memory thus refreshed, he answered: "I remember it now; I did nse the language, but only did it in jest; " when Leland replied:
" Driscoll, you will find that jesting away good men's lives is a serions matter. and that it will not be tolerated in this community."
The evidence of Henry Hill, and others who corroborated him, was held as sufficient to establish his guilt, as accessory to the murder of John Campbell.
The old man Driscoll was next arraigned and similarly questioned. The broken horse-shoe track and other evidence which he could not explain away was submitted to the jury of "one hundred and eleven " men. The examination of witnesses was thorough. Both men were given fair and just opportunities to show their innocence, if they were innocent, as accessories to the murder of Campbell. Besides this, there were other crimes that liad been traced to the hands of these men, and upon which they were also ques- tioned. Failing to explain away the dark and damning circumstances that surrounded them -- that pointed unerringly to their guilty participation in many well-specified crimes -- they were held to answer.
The proceedings were conducted calmly, coolly, deliberately, but with a firmness and determination that showed the citizens to be in earnest in their determination to free the country from the dominion and presence of outlaws.
At last, when the examination of old John Driscoll was concluded, the question was put to the men forming the circle within which the prisoners had been tried:
" What say you, gentlemen, guilty or not guilty?"
"Guilty," was the unanimous response of the one hundred and eleven men composing the jury before whom John and David Driscoll had been tried, and they were sentenced to be hanged.
When the sentence was announced, the condemned men begged that the sentence be changed-that they might be shot to death, instead of being " hanged like dogs." A motion for a change of sentence was submitted to the men who had found them guilty and announced the penalty, and the request of the trembling wretches was granted with but few dissenting voices.
At this point in the proceedings, the old man was allowed to go aside with Jason Marsh for consultation and confession. When the time granted for this consultation had expired, Marsh announced in a few words that Driscoll had no confession to make, and urged the crowd not to be too hasty in the premises, and that time be allowed the men to prepare for death. A respite of one hour was granted them for that purpose, which was prolonged
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to fully two hours. Two ministers, who were present, prayed with the con- demned men, to one of whom, it is said, William Driscoll confessed that he had murdered no less than six men with his own hand. He prayed for forgiveness and became quite penitent. The old man was determined, and held out to the very end, without uttering even the simple prayer, "God have mercy on my soul."
At the expiration of the time granted, a few men began to clamor for a full remission of the sentence; some few others favored the plan of remanding them to the custody of the law officers, and thus evade the responsibility they had taken upon themselves. In the midst of these clamors and suggestions, Latimer, for the people, made a vehement address, saying that nothing but blood would palliate the crimes that had been com- mitted, that as long as the gang of outlaws were permitted to remain on the earth, no community would be safe from their depredations and crimes. The Driscolls, if not the head centres and authors and instigators of the untold robberies and murders that had been committed in the country, were at least accomplices, and had shared in the plunder. He maintained that the people were justified in taking the course they had, that their safety demanded it, that the murder of Campbell must be avenged, and that if the actual murderers could not be found, those who planned the foul deed must suffer in their stead, and concluded by urging the immediate execution of John Driscoll and his son William. Jason Marsh followed, briefly, in the same line of argument. These arguments had the effect of stilling the clamors of those who were called the "weak-kneed," and to dispel from the minds of the prisoners all hopes of a stay of proceedings.
The men were formed in line, numbered, and divided into two death divisions, as nearly equal as the number would permit, fifty-five in one division and fifty-six in the other. One division was detailed to the execu- tion of the old man, and the other to the execution of William. The old man was led forth first; his eyes were bandaged, and he was made to kneel upon the earth. All things in readiness, the signal to fire was given, and the old man fell to the earth, riddled and shattered to pieces with the charges of fifty-sir rifles.
William's fate came next. In the last hour, abject fear overcame his former boldness, and his hair turned almost white. In a semi-conscious condition he was led forth, and in a few minutes his body was riddled by the discharges from the other fifty-five rifles, and lay bleeding and quiver- ing by the side of his father.
Pierce Driscoll, who had been released from custody, was told that he would be permitted to take charge of the dead bodies of his father and that teams and help would be provided to convey thein home and prepare them for burial, but the offer was declined with the declaration that he would have nothing to do with it. Spades and shovels were procured, and a rude grave was dug on the spot where they had been killed, and, unwashed and uncoffined, ghastly and gory, their bodies were rolled into the one grave together and covered over. Six weeks later, their bodies were taken up by their friends, washed and given a decent burial.
Unparalleled excitement followed these proceedings. The volunteer club scoured the country in every direction to find William K. Bridge, Taylor and David Driscoll, and Bridge barely made his escape. When the Regulators were at his house, he was hidden in an excavation underneath it. When the Regulators had gone, he left his home and fled to Henry,
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on the Illinois River, in Marshall County, and took refnge with a member of the gang named Redden. The officers, by some means, got on his track and traced him to his hiding place, and found him concealed in the garret of Redden's house, where he was arrested and brought back. He was taken before William J. Mix, a justice of the peace, for examination as being accessory to the murder of John Campbell, but, for want of sufficient evidence, was discharged.
Taylor Driscoll was arrested some years later, and brought back to Ogle County, where he was indicted for the murder of John Campbell. A change of venue was granted, and the case was sent to McHenry County. On the first trial, the jury disagreed, and a new one was granted. On the second trial, the conrt allowed the defendant's counsel a wide latitude in the cross examination of witnesses for the prosecution, especially of Mrs. Campbell, who was a nervons, irritable woman, and they worried her into statements that so injured the case that Driscoll was acquitted.
David Driscoll also left the state, and thus avoided arrest.
The measures thus inaugurated to free the country from the dominion of outlaws was a last, desperate resort, but it seemed to be the only remedy left to the settlers. Many of those engaged in the execution of John and William Driscoll, father and son, became wealthy and respected, and are now among the most influential citizens of the county.
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