USA > Minnesota > Cottonwood County > History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, Volume I > Part 50
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The company is perhaps the most completely equipped of any concern of its kind in the county. It has a capacity of thirty thousand pounds of butter-fat per month, and is equipped with all the latest machinery, at a cost of three thousand dollars. A brick building erected especially for the purpose, was constructed in 1902 at a cost of five thousand dollars. The plant is equipped with a chemical refrigerator, a four-ton ice plant and a ten-horse-power electric motor.
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ST. JAMES CREAMERY ASSOCIATION.
The St. James Creamery .Association was organized in 1901 and has had a steady growth ever since. It is the largest institution of its kind in the county, has about two hundred and twenty patrons and a capacity at the present time of thirty thousand pounds of butter-fat per month. The output is marketed in St. James and New York City.
This establishment is a stock concern, composed of a number of the leading farmers and business men of Watonwan county, and represents another industrial enterprise which goes to demonstrate that St. James will ultimately be a manufacturing point of importance on the two trunk lines of railways which girth the city.
This creamery was originally conceived and founded for the purpose of affording an accessible and profitable market for the farmers in this vicinity. How well it has fulfilled its mission and materialized on the financial end and compensated its stockholders, is evidenced by reports and returns which the concern can exhibit. The creamery being under the direction of responsible men interested in the welfare of the county. natur- ally, as a matter of self-pride as well, produces naught but the acme of purity and wholesomeness.
They have a capacity of large proportions, even though the demands made upon them are as much, if not more, than they are able to satisfy. They have installed the latest machinery: their product is chemically pure, and the public need have no fear of bacteria or bacilli or disease germs when they consume the dairy products turned out by this creamery. The pub- lished report of this association in July. 1914. stated that there were then two hundred and thirty patrons, who received twenty-nine cents per pound for the butter-fat for that month and that the same amounted to a total of seven thousand two hundred and twenty-six dollars.
CHAPTER XVIII.
MURDERS AND OUTRAGES COMMITTED IN THE COUNTY.
While it is not the object of this chapter to deal in detail with all of the crimes committed in this county, yet the following cases are thought to be of sufficient importance to give them space in this connection.
Perhaps the most sensational murder trial in the history of Watonwan county was held in the May term of court, 1874, in which Andrew Johnson was charged with the murder of Lais Johnson, of Long Lake township. On May 12 the jury found a verdict of guilty against the accused, whereupon Judge Waite pronounced the sentence of imprisonment in the state peni- tentiary at hard labor for life.
A brief history of the case is as follows: It appears that the parties. Andrew Johnson, Lais Johnson and wife, were acquainted before coming to this county and the two men were sometimes at variance. They both came to this county and settled near Kansas Lake. Lais's claim was three- fourths of a mile from the lake and Andrew's house three-fourths of a mile from Lais. Their acquaintance was kept up after they settled on their claims. Lais was a small man and not very energetic and the evidence went to show that his wife used to go out and work for the neighbors, especially in the harvest field, when she could get highest wages and generally Lais did not go with her. They had three children at the time. Among those for whom Mrs. Lais Johnson worked was Andrew and on account of some suspicious circumstances Lais became jealous of Andrew. This jealousy soon led to contention between Lais and his wife and he forbade her going ont to work. About this time Lais got a gun with the supposed intention of protecting himself. This was in 1872.
There were stories circulating that Lais was insane and it was found that they were mostly started by Andrew. He went to Madelia, with an interpreter, to get an order of the probate judge to send Lais to the asylum and received a summons for that purpose and had Doctor Neill, of St. James, to examine Lais. A short time previous to this Lais and Andrew had a fight at the house of the former and Andrew, being much the larger .. gave Lais a beating and badly injured his head. While in this condition
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the Doctor had made an examination and decided that Lais was partially insane, but did not order him sent to the asylum. This was in October. On November 8 Lais mysteriously disappeared and his wife said he had gone begging, although at the time he had a comfortable house, with some crops they had raised and some cattle. Suspicions were aroused; Andrew Johnson and Lais's wife were arrested. a preliminary trial held and suffi- cient evidence produced to prove that Lais had been murdered, but as the body had not been found they could not be indicted and were released. Early in the winter Lais's wife went to live with Andrew (although it was stated that she made application to another family first). The next April Andrew went away and in a few days Lais's wife also. On May 25 the body of Lais was found at Kansas Lake. On his head over the right ear was a large wound. the face badly gashed and the cheek bone broken. His shirt and vest were wrapped about the head and he had on uo shoes. The coroner's inquest was held and a verdict reached that he came to his death by the hands of Andrew and Caroline Johnson. In the meantime a letter was received by Andrew's brother from Omaha, signed Jan Jensen, asking how the "land lay." Communication was at once had with officers at Omaha and a person found, answering the description. Upon going to Omaha the sheriff found them living together as man and wife. They were brought back to Madelia, committed to jail and married therein. In the February term of court Andrew was indicted by the grand jury. His lawyer was Hon. M. J. Severance.
FOUR MURDERED IN A FAMILY.
Just twenty years ago, at the Goblinski farm in South Branch town- ship. occurred an awful crime by which the father, two sons and a daugh- ter were murdered.
On Deceniber 22, 1896, as seen by the files of the Madelia Times of about that date, the citizens of the neighborhood were horrified by the report that about the creamery in South Branch township an awful crime had been enacted. The Times said: "This report was brought in by P. Gilles- pie, who had been at the house and just come to town. He saw some of the neighbors there at the house. There was much excitement and it was difficult to ascertain the circumstances. He heard from them that a man named Fred Becker, who had run a thresher engine for Mr. Goblinski two or three seasons, was living with the family. The father had been to St. James and after his return he and Becker had trouble about the conduct of
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his daughter, Anna, with Becker, and reproved her. Thereupon Becker drew a revolver and shot at the man several times, one taking effect, killing him instantly. He shot at August, the eldest son, the daughter and another son. He saw the dead body, but he could get but little of the details of the tragedy.
"Smith Keech, who lives at St. James, came down from there in the afternoon. He and several others had driven out to the scene of the murder that morning. Sheriff Forsyth had been notified and, accompanied by Dep- uty Bird and Coroner Rowe, had got there a short time previous and were examining the bodies. They found one, that of the murderer, who, after killing the girl, shot himself fatally, and they lay in one room and the father and August, killed while running, lay in another room. Another boy, Carl, who was shot twice and dangerously hurt when going upstairs, had been taken to a neighbor. It was a horrible sight and enough to make one's blood run cold.
"A representative of the Times was there Tuesday afternoon. The inquest had been held and the house cleaned up some, but the bodies lay awaiting the arrival of the undertakers. The daughter's body had been placed in the kitchen beside her brother. Charles, who was the one killed, and August hurt. The murderer lay in the front room, where he fell. and the brain had oozed from the wound in the top of his head, where the bullet passed out. He was closely shaved, well dressed and seemed prepared to go away. Hle had acted somewhat strange, and some even thought him insane. He was about twenty-five years of age, and his name was John Kable. The father was forty-eight, Charles, twenty, Anna, thirteen and August, twenty-two years of age. The affray occurred at about six o'clock in the morning. The mother and two younger boys were out in the barn milking, and did not know of the awful murder until it was all over. No eyewitness of it is alive. August was upstairs. Coming down he was shot when he opened the chamber door, which he closed and went upstairs and jumped out of the window, followed by the youngest brother, who ran to the neighbors and gave the alarm. For a time people were afraid to go into the house till they learned the assassin was dead."
OTHER CRIMES.
In the last week of June, 1916, at the usually quiet and law-abiding village of Madelia, a shooting affray took place between one "Bill" Jones,
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commonly called "Sporty Jones," and a horse buyer named Jess Marsh. The two men had returned from New Ulm, where they had been drinking too freely of spirits and trouble ensued. At Madelia at eleven o'clock, Sat- urday night, June 24, they had a fist encounter in which Jones got the worst of it. On Sunday afternoon following, still under the influence of the liquor's effect, Marsh and a horse buyer were standing beside an automobile. in front of a drug store, when Jones came up the sidewalk from the west. When he saw Marsh he stepped down from the walk and went around the car, as Marsh was standing on the side of the street by the machine. A few words were exchanged and then the report of a revolver was heard, and Leo Jacobson, an innocent bystander, turned and entered the drug store. saying that he was shot. Ile was soon hurried away to Mankato to the hospital. The shot was evidently intended for Marsh. missed its mark and struck young Jacobson. Jones deliberately picked up the revolver and put it into his pocket and walked to his room. Marshal Jacobson arrested Jones and placed him in jail, but at the time of the arrest the revolver could not be found. Later, it was discovered in Jones's trunk. Marsh was also arrested and held as a witness and placed under five hundred dollars bond. Jones claimed that it was accidental and that Marsh hit the gun with his cane and fired it off. At the hospital it developed that the ball passed through the young man's body, cutting the intestines in ten places.
A SUICIDE.
The last week in June, 1916. the people of South Branch township were horrified at hearing that an attempted murder and suicide had taken place in that township at the home of William Luptke, a respected resident. It appears that a young man named Ilenry Goblinski had been keeping com- pany with Luptke's daughter, and his attentions had became very distaste- ful to the girl's father, who ordered the young man off the place. The man Goblinski is about thirty-six years of age. He armed himself and went to Luptke's farm some time Saturday night, and concealed himself in the hay mow of the barn. It was between six and seven o'clock on Sunday morn- ing that the girl's father went to the barn, and as he was climbing up the ladder of the hay-loft, Goblinski opened fire on him. He shot twice. one bullet taking effect in each shoulder and plowing its way through the body downward. Luptke dropped to the floor and then Goblinski turned the gun on himself and sent a bullet through his heart. He died instantly.
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VISIT OF NOTORIOUS BANDITS-NORTHFIELD ROBBERY.
In 1876 took place the much-talked-of Northfield bank robbery, at Northfield, Minnesota, the Younger brothers, notorious Missouri bandits, taking the lead in that raid. While Northfield is not in Watonwan county, but in Rice county, there was a connection with this county from the fact that the raiders purchased horses at St. Peter and trained them partly there and partly in Madelia of this county, and Cole Younger, in his autobiography written in 1903, makes considerable mention of himself and others of the raiding band stopping at various places in Watonwan and Cottonwood counties. Much general interest has always been had by the people in this part of Minnesota in this bold daylight bank robbery. Hence the following portions of the narrative concerning it are here inserted, as written by Cole Younger, who served, with others, a term in the penitentiary at Stillwater :
When we split up in St. Paul, Howard, Woods, Jim and Clell Miller were to go to Red Wing to get their horses, while Chadwell. Pitts, Bob and myself were to go to St. Peter or Mankato, but Bob and Chadwell missed the train and they had me in a stew to know what had happened to them. We watched the papers but could find nothing about any arrests, and Pitts and I bought our horses at St. Peter. I was known as King and some of the fellows called me Congressman King, insisting that I hore some re- semblance to Congressman William F. King, of Minneapolis. I bought two horses, one from a man named Hodge and the other from a man named French, and while we were breaking them there at St. Peter, 1 made the . acquaintance of a little girl, who was afterwards one of the most earnest workers for our parole. A little tot then, she said she could ride a horse too, and reaching down I lifted her up before me and we rode up and down. I asked her name and she said it was "Horace Greeley Perry." and I replied: "I wonder you're such a little tot with such a great name." "I won't always be little," she replied. "I am going to be a great big girl and be a newspaper man like my pa." | Her father was a St. Peter journalist and a great admirer of Horace Greeley and insisted on naming his daugh- ter after Greeley-hence the masculine name. ] "Will you still be my sweetheart then and be my friend?" And she declared she would. a prom- ise I was to remind her of years later under circumstances of which I did not dream then.
Many years afterward, with a party of visitors to the prison, came a girl, perhaps sixteen, who registered in full. "Horace Greeley Perry." I
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knew there could not be two women with such a name in the world and I reminded her of her promise, a promise that she did not remember, althoughi she had been told how she had made friends with the bold, bad man, who afterwards robbed the Bank of Northfield.
Very soon afterward, at the age of eighteen, I believe, she became as she had dreamed in childhood. "a newspaper man," editing the St. Peter Journal, and to the hour of my pardon she was one of the most indefati- gable workers for us.
A few years ago failing health compelled her removal from Minne- sota to Idaho and Minnesota lost one of the brightest newspaper writers and one of the best and truest women and stanchest friends that a man ever knew. Jim and I had a host of earnest advocates during the latter years of our imprisonment. but none exceeded in devotion the young woman who as a little tot had ridden unknowingly with the bandit who was so soon to be exiled for life from all his kin and friends.
THE NORTHFIELD RAID.
While Pitts and I were waiting for Bob and Chadwell we scouted about. going to Madelia and as far as the east part of Cottonwood county, to familiarize ourselves with the country. Finally, a few days later. the boys joined us, having bought their horses in Mankato.
We then divided into two parties and started for Northfield by some- what different routes. On Monday night. September 4, 1876, we were at LeSueur Center and court being in session there we had to sleep on the floor. The hotel was full of lawyers and they, with the judge and other court attendants had a high old time that night. On Tuesday night we were at Cordive, a little village in LeSeuer county, and Wednesday night in Millersburgh, eleven miles west of Northfield. Bob and his party were then at Cannon City, to the south of Northfield, west of the Cannon river. We took a trip into town that forenoon and I looked over the bank. We had dinner at various places and then returned to the camp. While we were planning the raid it was intended that I should be one of the party to go into the bank. I urged on the boys that whatever happened we should not shoot anyone.
"What if they begin shooting at us?" one suggested. "Well," said Bob. "if Cap is so particular about shooting. suppose we let him stay out- side and let him take his chances." So at the last minute our plans were
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changed and when we started for town Bob, Pitts and Howard went in front, the plan being to await us in the square and enter the bank when the second detachment came up with them. Miller and I went second to stand guard at the bank, while the rest of the party was to wait at the bridge for the signal-a pistol shot-in the event they were needed. There were no saddle horses in evidence and we calculated that we would have a consid- crable advantage. Wrecking the telegraph office as we left, we would get a good start and by night would be safe beyond Shieldsville and the next day could ride south across the lowa line and be in comparative safety. But between the time we broke camp and the time they reached the bridge, the three men who went ahead drank a quart of whisky and there was the initial blunder at Northfield. I never knew Bob to drink before and I did not know that he was drinking that day till after it was all over.
When Miller and I crossed the bridge the three were on some dry- goods boxes at the corner, near the bank, and as soon as they saw us went right into the bank instead of waiting for us to get there. When we came up I told Miller to shut the bank door which they had left open in their hurry. I dismounted in the street, pretending to tighten a saddle girth. J. S. Allen, whose hardware store was near, tried to go into the bank, but Miller ordered him away and he ran around the corner shouting: "Get your guns, boys, they are robbing the bank." Dr. H. M. Wheeler, who had been standing on the east side of Division street, near the Dammier House, shouted "Robbery, robbery," and I called him to get inside, at the same time firing a pistol shot in the air as a signal for the three boys at the bridge that we had been discovered. Almost at this instant I heard a pistol shot in the bank. Chadwell, Woods and Jim rode up and joined us, shout- ing to the people in the street to get inside, and fired their pistols to empha- size their commands. I do not believe they killed anyone, however. I have always believed that the man, Nicholas Gustfusson, who was shot in the street. and who it was said did not go inside, because he did not under- stand English, was hit by a glancing shot from Manning's or Wheeler's rifle. If any of our party shot him it must have been Woods. A man named Elias Stacey, armed with a shotgun, fired at Miller, just as he was mounting his horse, filling Clell's face full of bird shot. Manning took a shot at Pitts' horse, killing it, which crippled us badly. Meantime the street was getting uncomfortably hot. Every time I saw anyone with a bead on me I would drop off my horse and try to drive the shooter inside, but I could not see in every direction. I called to the boys to come out of the
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bank, for I could not imagine what was keeping them so long. With his second shot. Manning wounded me in the thigh and with his third he shot Chadwell in the heart. Bill fell from the saddle dead. Doctor Wheeler, who had gone upstairs in the hotel, shot Miller and he lay dying in the street.
At last the boys who had been in the bank came out. Bob ran down the street toward Manning, who hurried into Lea & Hitchcock's store, hoping in that way to get a shot at Bob from behind. Bob, however, did not see Wheeler, who was in the hotel upstairs behind him, and Wheeler's third shot shattered Bob's right elbow as he stood beneath the stairs. Chang- ing his pistol to his left hand Bob ran out and mounted Miller's mare. How- ard and Pitts at last came out of the bank. Miller was lying in the street, but we thought him still alive. I told Pitts to put him up with me and I would pack him out, but when we lifted him I saw that he was dead and I told Pitts to lay him down again. Pitts's horse had been killed and I told him that I could hold the crowd back while he got out on foot. I stayed there pointing my pistol at anyone who showed his head until Pitts had gone perhaps thirty or forty yards and then putting spurs to my horse I galloped to where he was and took him up behind me.
"What kept you so long?" I asked Pitts. Then he told me they had been drinking and had made a box of it inside the bank. Instead of carry- ing out the plan as originally formed of seizing the cashier at his window and getting to the safe without any interruption, they leaped right over the counter and scared Heywood at the very start. As to the rest of the affair inside the bank I take the account of a Northfield narrator :
With the flourish of his revolver one of the robbers pointed to Joseph Heywood, head bookkeeper, who was acting as cashier, in the absence of that official, and asked :
"Are you the cashier?" "No." replied Heywood, and the same question was put to A. E. Bunker, teller, and Frank J. Wilcox, assistant bookkeeper, each of whom made the same reply. "You are the cashier," said the robber. turning upon Heywood, who was sitting at the cashier's desk. "Open that safe-quick or I will blow your head off."
Pitts then ran to the vault and stepped inside, whereupon Heywood followed him and tried to shut him in. One of the robbers seized him and said: "Open that safe now. or you haven't a minute to live." "There is a time lock on." Heywood answered. "and it can't be opened now."
Howard drew a knife from his pocket and made a feint to cut Hey-
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wood's throat, as he lay on the floor, where he had been thrown in the scuffle, and Pitts told me afterwards that Howard fired a pistol near Hey- wood's head to scare him. Bunker tried to get a pistol that lay near him, but Pitts saw his movement and beat him to it. It was found on Charley when he was killed; so much more evidence to identify us as the men who were at Northfield.
"Where is the money outside the safe"? Bob asked. Bunker showed him a box of small change on the counter, and while Bob was putting the money in a grain sack, Bunker took advantage of the opportunity to dash out of the rear window. The shutters were closed, and this caused Bunker an instant delay that was almost fatal. Pitts chased him with a bullet. The first one missed him, but the second went through his right shoulder. As the men left the bank Heywood clambered to his feet and Pitts, in his liquor. shot him through the head, inflicting the wound that killed him.
We had no time to wreck the telegraph office, and the alarm was soon sent throughout the country. Gov. John S. Pillsbury first offered one thou- sand dollars reward for the arrest of the six who had escaped, and this he changed later to one thousand dollars for each of them, dead or alive. The Northfield Bank offered seven hundred dollars and the Winona & St. Peter Railroad Company five hundred dollars.
A CHASE TO THE DEATH.
A little way out of Northfield we met a farmer and borrowed one of his horses for Pitts to ride. We passed Dundas on the run, before the news of the robbery reached there, and at Millersburg, too, we were in advance of the news, but at Shieldsville we were behind it. Here a squad of men. who, we afterward learned, were from Faribault, had left their guns out- side a house. We did not permit them to get their weapons until we had watered our horses and got a fresh start. They overtook us about four miles west of Shieldsville and shots were exchanged, without effect on either side. A spent bullet did hit me on the "crazy bone." and as I was leading Bob's horse it caused a little excitement for a minute, but that was all. We were in a strange country. On the prairie our maps were all right, but when we got into the woods and among the lakes we were practically lost. There were a thousand men on our trail, and watching for us at fords and bridges where it was thought we would be apt to go.
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