History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 77

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168

USA > Wisconsin > Green County > History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 77

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MARRIED.

"In Brodhead, Green county, on the 30th ult., by Rev. O. Curtis, George W. Tenney, editor of the Monroe Sentinel, to Mattie E. Love.

"The above notice escaped our attention last week, but not from any design. We congratu- late George upon his success in Love-matters, and trust that each little Tenny-elfin may prove as Love-ly as Mattie-rimonial felicity could wish .- Monroe Sentinel Oct. 29, 1856."

SHOCKING MURDER.

[From the Monroe Sentinel, July 8, 1857.]

We were informed on Monday, by J. B. Perry, Esq., of Albany, before whom an inves- tigation was made, that about sunset on the 4th inst., Nehemiah Root, an old man of sev- enty-five years, residing in the town of Mount Pleasant, shot Eben C. Foster, a son-in-law, killing him instantly. The circumstances are briefly these :

There had been a personal difficulty between the parties for a long time, and about sunset of the day mentioned, Root approached within a short distance of Foster and levelled his gun at him, which he perceiving, turned to flee, and immediately received the contents of one barrel loaded with a slug or slugs in his left shoulder breaking that, also the collar-bone and burying itself in the lung. He took two or three steps and fell upon his face in' the sand, a corpse. His wife hearing the gun and cries of a child, hur- ried to him, turned him upon one side, saw one gasp, and all was finished. The murderer went into the house, barricaded the doors and win- dows and declared he would shoot the first man who attempted to enter. One Gideon Gillett, by a ruse, having succeeded in entering, grap- pled and secured him after a violent resistance. He was tried before Esquire Perry, of Albany

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

and in default of bail committed to the county jail.

A coroner's jury having been summoned to sit upon the body of Foster, rendered a verdict in accordance with the facts.

It is thought by some that the murderer was insane at the time of the commission of the deed, but as far as we can learn, it is generally conceded to have been one of the coolest, most wanton and unprovoked murders that ever have been recorded.

BOLD AND SUCCESSFUL THEFT.

"Our citizens were startled on Saturday morn- ing last, by the announcement that James Haw- thorne, who resides about a mile south of this village, had been relieved of between $1,200 and $1,500 in gold the night before.

"It appears that the thieves (there were two of them, as the tracks indicated) entered the house sometime between 12 o'clock and daylight and proceeded to the bedroom where slept Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne, removed a cradle contain- ing a child, drew out a heavy trunk from under the head of the bed, picked up Mr. Hawthorne's pantaloons and left, rifling the pantaloons and leaving them upon the door-step. They then took the trunk to the barn, broke it open, took out the gold, dropping a couple of twenties in their haste, and decamped, their tracks leading up towards this village. When the almost im- possibility of entering a house in the dark with- out making a noise, the danger of wakening the child, who was almost always restless, the neces- sary noise that would be caused by drawing ont a heavy trunk, and carrying it off, are all taken into consideration, the boldness of the theft is wonderful.

" On Saturday morning suspicion having rested upon two young men stopping at the Monroe House, named Samuel Jackson and Wil- liam Garrington, they were put under arrest, and their personal property examined by Sheriff Sutherland. No case, however, having been made out against them, they were discharged.

Mr. Hawthorne offers $500 for the arrest of the thieves and return of the money, or half the contents of either wallet for the return of the same .- Monroe Sentinel July 29, 1857.

ANOTHER CASE.

The State of Wisconsin es. George Davis. On Friday of last week, upon complaint of Benjamin Chenowoth, for passing counterfeit money, George Davis was arrested and brought before Justice Hill for examination. Hiram Stevens for the State and A. J. Brundage for defense.

Defense submitted a motion to dismiss on grounds of informality of warrant, which motion was argued, and decided for the defense, and prisoner acquitted, whereupon a new warrant was served upon defendant. On Saturday, upon examination, the prisoner was held to bail in the sum of $1,000 for his appearance at the next term of the circuit court, which bail was imme- diately paid by a man who announced himself as a stranger to Davis. Monday morning Davis commenced a suit against the complainant, the justice and the sheriff, laying his damages at $2,000. This is the last shape affairs have as- sumed."-Monroe Sentinel, Aug. 19, 1857.

THIE HAWTHORNE BURGLARY.

"We, in common with numbers of our citi- zens, were most splendidly sold in that counter- feit three dollar bill ease which we mentioned last week. That trial was all a shum, as will be seen.

Word reaching a pretty sharp detective officer, whose name has now escaped us, that there had been light-fingered work going on at this point, he appeared, and per an understood arrangement passed a counterfeit bill and was put in the same cell with Garrington-one of the supposed burglars-to await his examination. Here he elicited from Garrington, a full account of the Hawthorne affair, as also some other serious af- fairs of a like nature. He managed the thing very adroitly. Garrington and Jackson now confess the whole matter. The former says that

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

he entered the house abont 2 o'clock in the morning, alone, Jackson remaining on guard. Carefully he entered the room-crept under the bed-found a cradle in the way and removed it -carefully worked the trunk ont from under the bed -picked it up (together with the pant- aloons) and went to the barn and broke it open, as has been previously stated. They deposited the funds in a bank near 'Smith's Mill Pond.'

"Their card was very adroitly managed. They could prove, by the clerk of the Monroe House, that they were in the house at 1 o'clock of that same morning, and appeared as usual at the breakfast table the same morning.

"We called on the prisoners, Friday morning, and found Garrington evidently under deep con- viction for his sins. He has no further hope of freedom, and no surety but that a violent death may soon be his fate. Jackson is very much younger in crime and has become quite sobered of late. He thinks he has learned a life lesson, and that he will profit by it.

"The money is nearly all accounted for."- Monroe Sentinel, Aug. 26, 1857.

REMOVAL OF GARRINGTON.

"On Thursday of last week, G. G. Davis ap- peared in town with a requisition from Gov. Chase, of Ohio, and also a warrant for the per- son of William Garrington alias William Jones, alias William Macy, alias Nebraska Bill, who has been for some time occupying rooms in our county jail. The documents charge upon the prisoner the murder of Cyrus Beebe, a city marshal of Columbus, Ohio, a murder commit- ted in open daylight and in the streets of the city.

"In accordance with the summons, on Friday morning Sheriff Sutherland delivered the prison- er to Mr. Davis, who immediately left with him for Ohio. By politeness of the sheriff, we had a short interview with the prisoner prior to his departure. His manner was calm, and not ma- terially changed from his former appearance, though there was, however, a more anxious and perturbed look upon his face than we had

previously noticed. He had evidently passed a'restless night, for the summons to leave was considered almost equivalent to a sentence of execution. After taking his seat in the carriage he appeared to be overwhelmed with emotion, and bade some acquaintances 'good-bye, boys, forever.' May God have mercy on him.

"The sheriff retains a memento of his prison- er in the shape of a complete and ingenious set of burglar's tools which had recently been made for use in this locality. They betoken an amount of skill, that should have been exercised in a legitimate business .- Monroe Sentinel, Sept. 2, 1857.

CIRCUIT COURT.

His Honor, Judge J. M. Keep, is now holding the September term of court, in this village. He is disposing of the docket rapidly. Yester- day afternoon, Samuel Jackson was brought into court and plead guilty to the indiet- ment of theft-he having previously plead guilty to the indictment for burglary- and received his sentence. After a few preliminary remarks, the court sentenced him for the first indictment, six years confine- ment in the State prison, the first ten days of each January being solitary confinement; for the second indictment, three years confinement in the State prison at hard labor, the first ten days of July in each year being solitary con- finement; the sentence to take effect from Tuesday noon, Sept. 8, 1857 .- Monroe Sentinel, Sept. 9, 1857.

ESCAPE OF JACKSON.

"Samuel Jackson whom we mentioned last week as having been sentenced to nine years hard labor in the State prison, for burglary and theft, on Friday morning of last week, made good his escape.

"The escape was made about the hour of 7 A. M., and in manner as follows: By aid of a small strip of wood torn off from the cell parti- tion, he succeeded in picking the key to his cell door out of a lock in the cell opposite, and

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IIISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY

turning the lock up to the grating, unlocked it -as any person can readily do-passed through the open doors into the street and southerly through the village into the woods.

"The officers-sheriff and jailor-came in for a large amount of censure from the public, and naturally enough, since the prisoner could not have escaped without remissness somewhere. The sheriff is principally blamed for not fetter- ing the prisoner's feet, and the jailor, because he left both doors in the hall opening to the cells unlocked, and in that condition himself left the jail. Our columns are open to these officers to make any explanation or defense they may choose.

"Active efforts have been made since the escape of Jackson, to retake him, but up to the present writing-12 M. Tuesday-without suc- cess. See reward offered in another column." Monroe Sentinel, Sept. 16, 1857.

THE MURDER OF BEEBE.

"Jones, who murdered Cyrus Beebe, in this city, on the 27th of April, 1854, we understand, has two or three aliases. Ile was sometimes known as William Jones, then as William Mason, and again as Nebraska Bill. The last title is doubtless a fitting one, for there is not much doubt but that he is as bad. a Bill as the Ne- braska Bill, of Douglas. He is said to take his arrest very calmly, and that he acknowl- edges that he shot Beebe, but did not know that he killed him. He is committed to jail to answer the charge of murder in the first degree. Ilis trial will take place in October next."- Ohio State Journal, Sept. 1857.

SAD CASUALTY.

[From the Monroe Sentinel, Sept. 16, 1857.]

On the 9th inst., in the town of Albany, Green Co., Wis., Mrs. Juda Crook, wife of John Crook, while drawing a pail of water at the well, by the house, by some means lost her balance and was precipitated to the bottom of the well and instantly killed. The well was eighteen feet in depth. and it is supposed that

she had lain there some nine hours before dis- covered.

MONROE IN 1858.

[From the Monroe Sentinel, Jan. 27, 1858.]

Monroe is the capital and center of Green county, one of the finest counties in the State. It contains about 3,000 inhabitants. It is more substantially built than most of the interior towns, and contains several most elegant brick blocks. Monroe is built upon a gently rolling prairie, skirted on three sides by a belt of heavy timber. Green county is one of the richest and most varied and beautiful, in sources of wealth in the whole State. Its surface is rich, rolling prairie and woodland, interspersed with beautiful streams, and gemmed with thousands upon thousands of springs of sparkling water, which bubble from the base of every hillock. The earth is filled with the richest of lead deposits, and many thousands of pounds are annually raised.

From Mr. Tenney, of the Sentinel, we derive the following information :

" The nearest important town on the north is Madison, distant forty miles ; on the east, Janesville and Beloit, thirty-five miles; (we have not mentioned Brodhead, which, as a rail- road town, will be the principal business point for the four eastern towns of the county ;) on the south, Freeport, twenty-six miles ; on the west and northwest, Shullsburg and Mineral Point, forty miles each. This allows Monroe for business, twelve towns in Green county, to which add three towns in Stephenson county -- Oneco, Winslow and one other-the town of Wayne, Wyota and Argyle in Lafayette county and the town of Wallwich, in Iowa county- the trade of which towns will center to this railroad point -- and we have as a result :

TOWNS. SQUARE MILES. 432

Green County.

Stephenson County. 3

108

Iowa County .. 1

105

Lafayette County

Total area 684

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

All of this area is well settled and is the finest portion of all Wisconsin and Illinois for agricultural resources. Some of the towns have been settled twenty-five years.

The trade of 684 square miles, well settled, then, is one reason why Monroe will flourish.

All this region of country has heretofore principally been accommodated at Freeport on the Galena & Chicago Railroad. But few firms in Monroe have done any considerable trade at Mil- waukee. They understand the importance of this market for their produce, and will avail themselves of it. Not one quarter of the wheat crop of last year has yet been marketed-all of which will come forward before another har- vest. Even with the present low price for wheat, thirty-eight to forty-two cents, at Mon- · roe, they ship enough to pay the expenses of running the branch to that place. About 20,- 000 bushels of wheat are now in store awaiting shipment.

DEATII OF JOIIN B. PERSONS. [From the Albany Times, June, 1858]

Drowned in Dayton, on Tuesday, the 22d inst., William Persons, aged thirty-seven years, son of John B. Persons. The deceased leaves a wife and five small children, as well as an aged father, to mourn his loss-he being the last of twelve sons and daughters that this aged veteran has been called upon to follow to the grave. The funeral, on the 24th, was attended by a large concourse of people to pay the last sad rites to the departed.

MAN KILLED. [From the Monroe Sentinel Feb. 2, 1859.]

Weare informed that Charles MeLane of this village [Monroe], was suddenly killed on Monday evening of the present week, by the overturn- ing of a load of hay upon which he was riding. The accident occurred about eight miles north- west of Monroe, on the Mineral Point road. Our informant says the unfortunate man fell upon a stump, the binding pole at the same time falling upon him, crushing him so badly that he died in five minutes after being carried

to the nearest house. He leaves a wife and child to mourn his loss.

TWO VANDERBILTS. [From the Brodhead Reporter. Nov. 1859.]

NOTICE .- Whereas, my wife, Sarah Vander- bilt, has left my bed and board without just cause or provocation, therefore all persons are forbidden to harbor or trust her on my account as I will pay no debts of her contracting after this date. D. VANDERBILT.

CLARENCE, Oct 14, 1859.

REPLY TO THE ABOVE .- In replyto the above I would say that so far as my leaving is concerned, it is strictly true; but when he states that I did so without just cause or provocation, he states what not only he and I, but all our neighbors and this community generally, know to be a bare-faced falsehood. Mr. Vanderbilt has been unremitting in hisef- orts ever since our marriage to swindle me out of my property which I held in my own right when I married him, and has succeeded to quite an extent. In regard to board, he knows as well as many others that my money has bought what we have lived upon for the last two years. I therefore forbid any one harbor- ing or trusting him on my account after this date; and I furthermore forbid all persons from purchasing any more of my property from Mr. Vanderbilt, as I shall hold them strictly responsi- ble for the same. "SARAH VANDERBILT."

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

[From the Brodhead Reporter, April 26, 1861.] We have never been called upon to chronicle an accident in this country more shocking than that which happened at Monroe during the gen- eral gathering last Monday evening.

Judd Hurlbut, son of Col. L. Hurlbut, and Edward Morris, son of the Rev. Edward Morris, and other young men of Monroe, were firing a cannon, and, as is often the case, while loading, the gun was discharged prematurely by the heat caused by the rapid firing. The two young men were working at the ramrod. The right hand of young Morris was completely

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

blown off at the wrist and shivered to atoms - his face frightfully burned and torn by the slivers of the rod. Mr. Hurlbut's left arm was also blown off, his right hand burned and muti- lated shockingly, so that half of it has since been amputated.

The shattered arms of both have since been amputated.

Both of them were young men of generous and noble impulses, and men of good habits and bright prospects for the future. They were highly esteemed by all who knew them.

Charles Humphrey, who was thumbing the cannon, had his thumb torn and his face badly burned.

Such accidents as the above are common. Young men are too careless in times of excite- ment.

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. [From the Monroe Sentinel, May 21, 1862.]

On Friday last, near Twin Grove, in the town of Jefferson, Horace Hunt was struck by lightning and instantly killed. Mr. Hunt was at work in the field near a straw stack. He had a team, hired man and two boys with him at the time. The hired man was stunned so severely that he did not recover his conscious- ness until the team had gone some distance. The boys were also affected so that they were blind for a short time. The electric current struck Mr. Hunt upon the neck and passed down the body and both limbs to his heels. Only about one week ago while Mr. Hunt was taking shelter from a rain storm in a horse stable covered with straw, the stable was struck by lightning and he was stunned, from the effects of which he had not fully recovered.

CAPT. JAMES BINTLIFE'S COMPANY. [From the Monroe Sentinel, Aug. 27, 1862.]

Names of the members of Capt. Bintliff's company, in the 22d regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers:

James Bintliff, captain; Thomas II. Eaton, 1st lieutenant; Flnette Annis, 2d lieutenant ; Nelson Darling, orderly sergeant; Charles A. Booth, 2d sergeant; Stephen F. Ball, 3d ser-

geant; W. S. Cole, 4th sergeant ; William W. King, 5th sergeant ; C. R. Deniston, Ist corpo- ral ; Leopold Seltzer, 2d corporal; Aaron H. McCracken, 3d corporal ; Myron H. Puf- fen, 4th corporal; Emmet F. Phelps, 5th corporal ; Edward Aldinger, 6th corporal ; A. H. Cole, 7th corporal; William J. Witham, Sth corporal.

Privates :- Gideon Allen, Andrew Arnot, Golac Anderson, Isaac R. Blake, William D. Bennett, Israel Brewer, teamster; Ira M. Bar- rus, William Cox, N. E. Combs, W. H. P. Can- field, Isaac T. Carr, H. L. Cunningham, George Crooks, Josiah Clouse, Samuel Damen, John Denny, Eben I. Dorman, John C. Denniston, Abner Darling, William A. Divan, Ole Erick- son, Klouse Erickson, Ole Enderson, Madison H. Fleek, Nathan C. Gould, P. E. Gleason, Thomas Gray, Edwin Gardner, Timothy Gray, John R. Gates, Alonzo H. Griffin, Nels Gallex- son, Hans Gulbrandson, Daniel Gradel, W. H. Holmes, M. J. Hancock, William Human, Wil- liam J. Hunt, Amos G. Hill, Orrin J. Hale, Halber Halberson, Stener Hanson, Thor. Iver- son, Jesse D. Jackson, J. J. C. Jackson, John Johnson, Ilozel Johnson, Martin Johnson, R. R. King, Z. L. King, Henry Knor, Ole Kittel- son, Adolph Kerner, Knut A. Knutson, James R. Lafferty, Carroll Morgan, James S. Moon, James McConnell, John McConnell, Lars Mickleson, Eli Michael, Edward Nelson, John D. Precher, Thomas Proctor, Marvin L. Rhines, Henry Roberts, Michael Rima, George Robinson, Ole Renelson, M. H. Sisson, A. C. Squires, Christo- pher Syverson, James F. Snyder, Enoch South, Absalom Saucerman, Solomon Shrake, II. L. Sowls, Christ Tochterman, Christopher Tree, William N. Taft, Aaron Worley, Benjamin F. Wright, Chaney Ward, L. J. Wetzler and Brun- nen G. Zum.

AN OLD CITIZEN OF MONROE GONE.

[From the Monroe Sentinel, Nov. 26, 1862.]

The following letter from Norman Eastman, Esq., our Washington correspondent, brings the sad tidings that one of our old citizens, D. S.

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

Jones, Esq., is dead. Mr. Jones was a brother- in-law of Mr. Hill, the landlord of the United States Hotel, and we believe well known to most old residents :

WASHINGTON, D. C., Nov. 16, 1862.

EDITORS SENTINEL :- It is with feelings of sorrow that I have to announce to the citizens of Monroe, the death of D. S. Jones, formerly of that place, but latterly a resident of this city. Mr. Jones died on Friday evening, the 14th inst. He has been sick for about six weeks. Ile has been for several years an invalid, at times suf- fering from hemorrhoids or piles. Since his residence in this eity he has been acting as night watchman in the interior department. Ilis position afforded him a great deal of leisure time, and since the organization of the Soldiers' Aid Society he has devoted that leisure time to the work of looking after and caring for the sick and wounded soldiers. His special field of work was in the hospital of Alexandria. He was faithful, assidnons and untiring in his la- bors, and by his unremitting kindness and at- tention he had gained the good will of the hos- pital officials and attendants, and particularly of the Wisconsin soldiers with whom he came in contact. Many of them will miss him, and with us will have cause to regret his death.

By his unremitting exertions in behalf of the soldiers he aggravated his old disease, which soon prostrated him, and has carried him to his final resting place, a sacrifice upon the altar of his country. Those of us who were daily brought in contact with him, and knew him will deeply mourn his loss, for a faithful co-laborer has left us forever.

Mr. Jones was thirty-eight years of age, and has left a wife and one child to mourn his early departure to the spirit-land, and well may they mourn, for as a husband and father, he was kind and faithful.

His remains will be taken to Baltimore to-day, and buried there by the side of his father and other members of his family.

I remain, yours, truly.

NORMAN EASTMAN, Sec'y.

Sudden Death. [February 10, 1864.]

On Wednesday evening of last week, John Ellis, of the town of York, died suddenly, as follows :

He had been in our village with a load of grain and was driving out to the house of Sam- uel Truax, (some three miles from town) to stop for the night. When about half a mile this side of Mr. Truax's he suddenly dropped the lines and tumbled ont of the sleigh. A young man named Thurston was riding with him, and immediately seizing the lines and heading the horses for the fence, he hitched them, and hastened back to where Mr. Ellis was lying in the road. Raising him up he discov- ered a little foam on his lips, but very little sign of life. He called for help, and Mr. Shrake, whose house they had just passed, hastened out. With Mr. Shrake's assistance the body of Mr. Ellis was placed in the sleigh, and Thurston drove rapidly to the house of Mr. Truax, but when he arrived there life was extinct. Justice Rote, of this town, next morning impaneled a coroner's jury, before which evidence was ad- duced showing that deceased had for some time been subject to occasional fainting spells, orig- inating in heart disease, and they accordingly returned a verdict that he died a natural death of that disease. We learn that Mr. Ellis leaves a wife and three children, in comfortable cir- cumstances, so far as property is concerned.

Horrible Affair. [Feb. 8, 1865 ]

A terrible tragedy was enacted in the south- ern part of the town of New Glarus on the night of the 5th instant. A German named Joseph Frogner, a farmer in good circumstances, who had been accustomed to loan out money from time to time, had just received some $800 or more from a person who took up a mortgage. The money was paid either Saturday or Sunday, and was kept in Trogner's house. On Sunday night Trogner's daughter, a girl some twelve years old, was aroused by seeing a man enter

EL Chintan

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

her bedroom, in the upper part of the honse. Instinctively she feigned sleep, and the burglar went to a corner of the room and took from an old almanac the money which Trogner had lately received, and retreated down the stairs.

As he passed Trogner's door, (who, with his wife, was sleeping in a room below,) Trogner came out to arrest him. As he opened the door the burglar struck him on the head with an ax, which seemed to stun him for a moment, but he quickly recovered and made at the burglar again. The latter struck him another fearful blow with the edge of the ax, cutting the whole side of his face and head open, and leaving him on the floor apparently in a dying state. Mrs. Trogner then came toward the door, but before she had reached it the miscreant met her inside the room and attacked her with the ax, (the girl looking through a stove-pipe hole from the room above and witnessing the assault,) and struck her three or four blows. With great presence of mind she feigned death, and the burglar left her,after having inflicted several severe wounds. The girl looked from her window, and in the bright moonlight saw the man, dressed as a sol- dier, stand by the side of the house for some minutes (apparently listening for sounds from within), but after satisfying himself that all was quiet he walked leisurely away np the road.

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History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 77

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168