USA > Minnesota > Waseca County > Child's history of Waseca County, Minnesota : from its first settlement in 1854 to the close of the year 1904, a record of fifty years : the story of the pioneers > Part 35
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Much of the sueeess of her husband and family, finaneially and otherwise, was due to her unselfish devotion and untiring indus- try. She was unusually well informed for a person so burdened with eare, and her business shrewdness was of a high order. She was kind, gentle, and affectionate, a good neighbor and a stauneh defender of what she believed to be right. Few persons were ever held in higher esteem than was she by all her neigh- bors.
Hon. J. S. G. Honner, county treasurer of Redwood county, died at his home in North Redwood, after an illness of two weeks, June 21, 1888. Mr. Honner was born in the state of New York in 1831. His parents removed to Canada where he lived until fifteen years of age and then went to Michigan. In 1856 he eame to Minnesota, and settled in Iosco, this county. He was elected county commissioner in this county in 1862 and served two years. He removed to Redwood county in 1864, and was one of the first settlers there. He was one of the first commissioners of that county, was the first register of deeds and for a number of years was assessor of the town of Honner which was named in his honor. He was elected to the legislature in 1866, again in 1870 and in 1872 was a member of the state senate. IIe held the office of county treasurer at the time of his death. He was married in Waseea county in 1858, to Antoinette Green, who sur- vives him. They had six children, three of whom survived him.
Arden D. Monroe, son of II. C. Monroe, of Waseca, aged twenty-four years, seven months and ten days, was killed by a runaway team, near Elmore, Minn., Thursday evening, the 19th of July, 1888. The deceased, who was married to Miss Mix, of Waseca, December 1, 1887, and lived near Algona, Iowa, had been in the county with his wife visiting for a few days. He had also purchased some cattle to take back with him. They stopped with his brother in Vivian a day or two and then continued their journey, he driving the eattle, and his wife the team. The horses were young, and as they were driving along near the railroad track, about two and a half miles from Elmore, in the evening, a train came along. Young Monroe held the horses by the head until the train passed, and then went ahead to look after the rattle, telling his wife to follow with the team at her leisure. Ile had gone ahead some distance when she started
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the team. One of them commenced to kick and plunge, and got one leg over the tongue, when both commenced to run. Mr. Monroe came back to stop them and was instantly run over. The horses ran but a short distance when the tongue fell down and ran into the ground, throwing Mrs. Monroe out of the wagon. She went back to her husband and found him senseless. Some hay-makers near by eame to her assistance and Mr. Monroe was taken to Ehnore, where he died the next day. There was a de- pression of the skull, near the temple, as though a horse had stepped on his head, and his jaw bone was broken. His father was notified by telegram and went immediately to Elmore, re- turning with the body to Janesville on Saturday. The remains were buried in the Alma City cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Woodbury, among the very early settlers at Wilton, died at Jamestown, N. D., Sept. 3 and 4, 1888, of typhoid pneumonia. Mrs. Woodbury died on Monday, at 1:30 p. m., and Mr. Woodbury at 6:30 Tuesday morning. According to the best information of the writer Mr. Woodbury was born in 1808, in Massachusetts, and was therefore about eighty years of age. The telegram announced that Mrs. Woodbury was about ninety. They settled in Wilton in 1856, and built and kept what was known as the Washington House, where they continued to re- side until 1882, when they went to Dakota.
The death of Mr. Jackson Turnacliff was announced in the Wa- seca County Herald of Nov. 30, 1888, as follows :
"Ever and anon, as the years glide along, the hurrying throng of life's duties comes to a sudden halt, and we stand beside the yawning grave, that great leveler of mankind, where the proudest and strongest are but dust, where the weakest and poorest enjoy equal privileges in God's great laboratory of nature. This week we are called upon to record the death of Mr. Jackson Turnacliff, of Wilton, who died Tuesday night or Wednesday morning of cancer of the bowels. Mr. Turnacliff had long been a sufferer from some internal disease which had baffled the skill of our best physicians. In order to determine the disease, Drs. Young and Cummings made a post mortem examination on Wednesday which clearly demonstrated that he died of cancer of the bowels. Jack- son Turnacliff was the son of Mr. Ferdinand Turnacliff, residing in Wil- ton. He was born in the state of New York, May 6, 1835, and while a child was taken by his parents to Ohio, where he remained until twenty years of age, when he went to lowa, where he sojourned only a short time. In December, 1855, in company with a Scotchman, by the
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name of Wm. Young, and Dr. Ambrose Kellogg, he came from Jackson county, Iowa, on snowshoes to Minnesota, arriving at Sutlief's place about New Year's. He made a claim on section seven, town of Otisco, which he pre-empted. He afterwards bought land in section twelve, Wilton, adjoining it, where he has ever since resided. He married Miss Lucia E. Barber, of Ohio, in 1858. His wife and a family of eight children, sev- eral of whom are married, survive him. He lived here through all the hard times of the early settlement of the country, but was in such cir- cumstances financially that he was not only able to live comfortably himself, but to lend a helping hand to some less fortunate. He was a good citizen and neighbor, an industrious and frugal man, and a kind and indulgent parent. The date of his death was Nov. 27, 1888.
Mr. Dennis Sheahan, of St. Mary, was killed by accident Dec. 2, 1888. A loeal paper gave the following account :
Last Saturday evening, as Sheriff Krassin, Mr. John Madden, assistant road master, and Mr. D. Connell were going to supper, about six o'clock, at the crossing of the M. & St. L. road, on Elm street, they discovered a broken oil-can, a lap robe and other indications of an upset. Upon looking around they found the body of Mr. Dennis Sheahan, about two rods east of the railroad track, beside the street. He was stretched at full length on his back, in an unconscious condition. They carried him to the city engine house and summoned Drs. Cummings and Chris- tie. After an examination, Mr. Sheahan was carried to the livery stable office of Sheahan & Baldwin, where he remained until he ceased to breathe, about 5 o'clock Sunday morning. He remained unconscious up to the time of his death. As he was alone at the time of the acci- dent, it is not known just how it happened. His horses and buggy were found in the west part of the city not seriously injured. It is not known that any hones were broken, and only a slight bruise was found on one elbow. It is supposed that death resulted from concussion of the brain. Mr. Sheahan was among the early settlers of St. Mary, hav- ing taken up his residence there in 1856. By his own industry and that of his family, he had accumulated a large property as a farmer. He was about sixty-two years of age, and left surviving him a worthy wife and ten children.
POLITICS.
Politically speaking, 1888 was an exciting year. For some time corruption had run wild in the county, and even the corrup- tionists themselves fell out with one another. The head boodler was Charles MeKenna who "could smile and smile and be a villain." Matters came to a head, Sept. 22, 1888, and the fol- lowing record of events is taken from one of the local papers published at the time :
AUGUST C. KRASSIN.
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"The democratic convention was called to order by Hon. R. O. Craig, chairman of the committee, who read the call. On the instant of the closing word in the call John Moonan nominated Thos. Bohen for chair- man. Some one moved to amend by substituting the name of Martin Laudert, of New Richland. On a vote the amendment was declared lost; then Bohen was elected. He thanked the convention, and announced the election of a secretary in order.
"On motion of John Moonan, James Timlin, of Iosco, was elected, with- out opposition. Mr. Moonan escorted him to the table.
"A committee on credentials was appointed and as soon as its report was received and adopted, Mike Murphy moved to proceed to nom- inate by ballot a candidate for sheriff. As a result of the halloting, Krassin received 48 votes, Maloney 20, and Keeley 2. The chair de- clared Krassin nominated. The convention then proceeded to the nom- ination of representative which resulted in the choice of J. L. Hanson, of Otisco. Matters were getting warm, when Pat. Spillane moved to nominate county treasurer next. John Moonan moved to amend by substituting auditor for treasurer. The amendment was declared car- ried. The first ballot gave J. E. Madden 46 votes, and Daniel Murray, Jr., 21. The former was declared the nominee.
"McKenna's friends hegan to get excited and several of them moved to nominate treasurer next; but McKenna's Nemesis, John Moonan, moved to amend by substituting superintendent for treasurer and the chair, amid much confusion, noise, and tobacco smoke, declared the amendment carried. Dr. Christie was nominated by acclamation, loud and long, for county superintendent.
"Then pandemonium in a mild form (mild for this convention) reigned supreme for a few moments.
"Dr. Craig moved the nomination of P. McGovern for county attorney by acclamation. The motion prevailed.
"By this time there was 'blood on the moon,' and John Madden moved to proceed to hallot for county treasurer.
"Hon. Wm. Brisbane nominated McKenna, and Darling Welch nom- inated Henry Chase. The ballot was taken, and the whole convention crowded around the tellers' table to watch the result. Pretty soon John Moonan gave a whoop, and declared there was a fraudulent vote cast by McDowell, who was not a delegate. The tellers announced the vote as follows: McKenna 37-Chase 37.
"Quick as a flash some one moved that 'Henry Chase be declared the nominee of this convention.' The chair put the motion amidst the wildest confusion and declared it carried, while at least one-half of the dele- gates and many others were yelling in a way that would have excited the jealousy of a Modoc band of braves on a scalping expedition.
"The decision of the chair added fuel to the fire, and the excited Mc- Kenna men rushed to the table, shook their fists in the face of the
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chairman and demanded a second ballot. The chair vainly pounded the table with a cane and shouted 'Order, gentlemen, order.'
"Old men with gray hair, young men and middle-aged men, all joined in a pandemonium such as the old court house never saw before,
"The sheriff finally mounted the table, armed with a cane, commanded the peace, and ordered every man outside the railing except the officers of the convention. He pleaded and commanded by turns until partial order was again restored.
"Some one then moved to take another ballot for treasurer. The chair decided the motion out of order. John Moonan moved the nomination of C. Deyling for register of deeds. Then the floodgates of Babel were again opened, and, amid the wildest yelling and hooting, the chair put the motion and declared it carried.
"By this time it began to look as though there might be something more serious than chin music, and Hon. Wm. Brisbane, declaring that he never before saw in all his life such a disorderly crowd, moved to ad- journ. Thos. Bohen, the chairman still 'full of sand,' put the motion for adjournment and declared it carried, while the McKenna men were still shouting 'ballot!' 'ballot!' 'We'll have a fair ballot or bolt.' 'Give us a ballot,' etc., etc.
"By this time the platform inside the railing was crowded with excited and angry men, and the sheriff had to call in the whole police force of the city to get the surging crowd back outside the railing. At last partial order was restored, and Mike Murphy mounted the table, stating that the president of the convention had abandoned his position, and advising that the delegates present choose another chairman and proceed to fill out the ticket. That seemed to please those remaining (many having left the hall) and Hon. Wm. Brisbane was elected president. He ac- cepted the election, remarking that although the convention had adjourned on his motion, he hoped that there might be a fair ballot at last.
"Mike Sheeran moved that they proceed to ballot for treasurer, that the name of each delegate be called, and that each vote in response to his name. This motion seemed to prevail. Then there was a hunt for a list of names, the secretary having left the hall. The list was finally secured. As a result of this ballot, McKenna received 39 votes and Chase 12.
Without seeming to comprehend the ridiculousness of the proposition, Pat, Spillane moved to make McKenna's nomination unanimous, and the motion prevailed. Without acting upon the nomination of court com- missioner, county surveyor, or coroner, the convention came to a close by common consent."
After the convention there was much excitement on the streets and it was evident that the "war" would continue. The follow- ing appeared in the Herald of Oct. 5, 1889 :
"Before the last Herald was published there were rumors upon the street that Mr. McKenna, county treasurer, had left the country and was a de-
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faulter in thousands of dollars. These rumors were stoutly denied hy his friends, who claimed that he and his wife had gone to Faribault on a visit, and would return in a few days. The Herald, ever careful of publishing damaging statements ahout anyone without proof of facts, refrained from making public the rumors.
"It has since come to light that, on Saturday evening, after the Demo- cratic convention, McKenna at once commenced arrangements to leave. He sold his interest in the store to his partner, Mr. Bell, arranged some other matters very privately, and, on Tuesday morning, engaged a livery rig and took his wife with him to Faribault, giving out that they would visit friends there a few days. That allayed suspicion, and if any were in the secret they kept it. Mrs. McKenna did not return until Friday evening, which gave the treasurer plenty of time to join the hoodlers in Canada before anyone here was aware of the facts.
"On Friday, the board of audit met to examine the accounts and funds of the treasurer. They found a defalcation, and a special meeting of the county board was called. The state examiner was notified, and came down on Monday. He made examinations, results of which appear of record as follows:
"Board of county commissioners met in special session, October 1, 1888, at 2 o'clock p. m., for the purpose of examining into the condition of the county treasury-members were all present.
"The board of audit, consisting of Philip Purcell, chairman of the county hoard, S. Swenson, county auditor, and M. B. Keeley, clerk of district court, reported that on the 28th day of September, 1888, they met for the purpose of examining the books and vouchers of said office. Their examination resulted as follows:
July 14th, 1888, county funds on deposit in Bank of Waseca, as reported by the bank to hoard of audit $13,744 71 Amount of deficiency in Bank of Waseca, Sept. 28th, 1888, or $3,727 04
not accounted for
Amount drawn on private checks 1,863 39 Amount of private accounts on memorandum hook. 1,096 19
$6,686 62
Add together the sum unaccounted for, $3,727.04, the amount drawn on private checks, $1,863.39, and the amount credited to his private accounts, $1,096.62, and the total is $6,686.62, which is only $11.98 less than the de- falcation which is reported to be $6,694.64. We are informed that the Bank of Waseca explains that matter by saying that the bank officer July 14, made a mistake in giving the amount of the county money de- posited-the mistake being the amount of $3,727.40.
"The commissioners adjourned to meet Oct. 2. At this time the board met with the members all present.
"The hoard approved of the report. The public examiner being pres- ent, stated that he had sent a dispatch to Governor McGill, and the board adjourned until 1.30 p. m.
16
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"Upon the reassembling of the board, a dispatch was received from Governor McGill to the effect that Chas. McKenna had been removed from office. Thereupon the county commissioners proceeded to the election of a treasurer to fill the vacancy.
"The ballot resulted in three for H. C. Chase and two for J. B. Hayden. Mr. Chase was declared elected treasurer ad interim.
"The bond of Mr. Chase was fixed at $30,000. Mr. Chase appeared and filed his bond with R. O. Craig, J. O. Chandler, John Finley, and W. W. Day as sureties.
"In the evening the board of commissioners met and instructed the county auditor to cause an action to be commenced against Chas. Mc- Kenna and his sureties, in district court, for the recovery of moneys belonging to said county."
Mr. McKenna never returned or made good the defalcation, and his bondsmen had to make good the loss to the county. There was universal sympathy for his bondsmen, all of whom were farm- ers and hard working men that had made their property by hard work and close economy. The brutality of thus betraying the con- fidence of friends is worse ten times over than ordinary stealing.
THOSE ELECTED.
The fall election was an exciting one and resulted in the election of the following officers: representative, Otto Hanson; county auditor, S. Swenson; register of deeds, A. F. Kruger; treasurer, Emil Dieudonne; probate judge, Hon. W C. Young; sheriff, A. C. Krassin; county attorney, W. D. Abbott; school superintendent, J. B. Dye; court commissioner, G. R. Buek- man ; surveyor, Orson L. Smith; coroner, H. J. Young: county commissioners, J. O. Sunde, Albert Remund, Hon. H. M. Bnek.
CHAPTER LVIII, 1889.
DIED WITHIN THE YEAR, E. K. CARLTON, P. A. ERWIN, SAM KIRSTE, MAJ. W. C. YOUNG, NATHAN WOOD, MRS. McDONOUGH, WM. BEVANS, SAM MANTHE-COUNTY GOVERNMENT-ROAD AND BRIDGE APPROPRIATIONS-TAKEN TO PRISON, FRANK CONWAY OF ELYSIAN.
With the opening of the year eame death and sorrow as well as mirth and happiness. Mr. E. K. Carlton, of Woodville, well known to older residents, died Jan. 1, 1889. He was born in Otsego county, New York, Feb. 5, 1811; was married to Miss Mary Curdick, July 31, 1842, at Hornellsville, New York. Soon after he removed to Wiseonsin and settled in Dodge county. In 1854 he sold his farm there, and the following summer came to Minnesota and settled on East Prairie in Rice county. He soon sold out there and came to section five in Woodville in June, 1856. He remained on this farm until the fall of 1877, when he sold it. Thereafter he resided in various places in the state, but finally returned in 1881, to this eounty. Mary, his wife, died July 27, 1879. Mr. Carlton left a twin brother and three children to mourn his death.
That old veteran, Mr. Prudin A. Erwin, of St. Mary, peacefully breathed his last on Wednesday morning, Jan. 2, 1889, about 8 o'eloek. Mr. Erwin was born in Fairhaven, Rutland county, Vermont, Oct. 16, 1797. In 1802 he was taken with his father's family to the wilderness of Franklin county, New York. He enlisted in the last war with Great Britain, in 1813, and served in the United States army until the elose of the war. He con- tinued to reside in Franklin county until 1863, when he came to
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Minnesota, and opened a farm in St. Mary. His wife died in 1867. Mr. Erwin was a most excellent citizen and a kind neighbor. His death was as peaceful and quiet as if he were going to sleep. IIe will long be remembered by those who knew him for he was one of God's noblemen.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
The county commissioners met this year in annual session Jan. 1, the members being Messrs. Peterson, Sunde, Conway, Pur- cell, Deyling, and Buck. Mr. Peterson was elected chairman. The county printing was divided among three papers-the Her- ald got the tax list; the Radieal, the financial statement; and the Argus, the proceedings of the board. Nothing more than the ordinary routine business transpired at the January session.
At the March meeting nothing more than ordinary transpired. At the May meeting the following appropriations were made :
One hundred and fifty dollars was appropriated to build a road on the town line between St. Mary and Woodville, to be expended under the supervision of Commissioners Remund and Peterson; $75.00 was ap- propriated to build a new bridge between sections 22 and 27, St. Mary, to be expended under the supervision of J. Conway; $100.00 was appro- priated to grade approaches to the Markham bridge, and to grade slongh on section 5, Alton, to be expended under the supervision of Com- missioners Conway and Buck; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the First district, to be expended under the supervision of J. O. Sunde; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the Sec- ond district, to be expended on roads outside the city of Waseca, un- der the supervision of O. Peterson; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the third district, to be expended under the supervision of A. Remund; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the Fourth district, to be expended under the supervision of J. Conway; $250.00 was appropriated for roads and bridges in the Fifth district, to he expended under the supervision of H. M. Buck.
A SAD RECORD.
The following appeared in a Waseca local paper. August 2. 1889 :
Frank Conway, of LeSuenr county, many years ago convicted of steal- ing a pair of H. A. Wagoner's horses, was again arrested last week, and will be taken to Stillwater next Monday afternoon, by the sheriff of this county, to serve out the remainder of his term of five years-four years and nine months, we hear. After his conviction of this horse- steallng crime, he obtained bail, after being in Stillwater some three
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421
months, pending an appeal to the supreme court. His case was argued before the supreme court and that tribunal took six months in which to decide the matter. Frank says that when the case was argued he un- derstood that he was discharged. However that may be, he went to Illi- nois and also to Kansas, and when the supreme court decided against him his bail was forfeited. Shortly after going to Kansas, he was arrest- ed and put in jail, where he remained some nine months. Next he was arrested in Illinois, convicted of passing counterfeit money, and sentenc- ed to ten years in the penithentiary of that state. Some months ago his term expired in Illinois, and he returned to his old stamping ground, near Elysian, where he was arrested and brought to Waseca. Conway is now sixty-two years of age, and begins to think the way of the transgressor is hard. Between twenty and thirty years ago, he was a very popular man in LeSueur county, and was county commissioner for several years. From his youth he was steeped in crime, but his jolly ways and honest speech, together with his native shrewdness, threw the community off his track, and only now and then a man suspected his true character. Like most men of his class, he was somewhat of a gambler, and a hard drinker at times. It is claimed that he was, for many years, the leader of a gang of thieves and counterfeiters extending from Illinois to the extreme Northwest. Whether that be true or not, certain it is that some young men in the West took their first steps in dissipation and deviltry under the influence and leadership of Frank Conway. It is wonderful how vice will pull down and degrade a man. This man had native ability for almost any position in life. He was naturally kind-hearted and knew how to be honorable and upright, and yet he has followed a life which has brought his gray hairs in sorrow and remorse to the verge of the grave in a felon's cell.
NOTABLE DEATHS OF 1889.
From the Herald:
"For a number of years a remarkable family lived in the town of St. Mary, section 32, between the farm of Roger Garraghty on the east, and the old Christian Krassin farm on the west. The members of the house- hold were Samuel Kirste, and his two sisters, Rose and Justina Kirste. They were very oddly acting people. Although German born and sur- rounded by their own country people, they never associated or mingled with them. The land was held in the names of the women. Samuel was a miller, by trade, and for several years was employed in the Okaman mill. Rose Kirste died over two years ago, and Justina died on the 15th of March, 1887, leaving her property by will to Samuel. It appears that the eighty acres of land upon which they lived became the property of Samuel Kirste upon the death of his two sisters.
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