Lynching of Grifford

GRIFFORD

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 2/15/2008 at 12:04:17

Maquoketa Weekly Sentinel
April 23, 1897

THE LYNCHING CASE AGAIN!
BARGER SAFELY LODGED IN THE DAVENPORT JAIL.
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

That our readers may see how the news of the lynching of GRIFFORD has been received by our contemporaries, we copy from several of the leading papers of the State. The Dubuque North West gives the following:

The township of Andrew, in Jackson county, some forty or fifty miles from here, has recently been the scene of a most terrible tragedy. The facts, in brief, appear to be these.

A man by the name of Alexander Grifford, about the 27th of last month, murdered another by the name of John Ingles. Grifford was duly arrested, and finally confessed to the murder.

From the confession, it appears that he shot Ingles in the head with a rifle from behind whilst in the woods. He says he was hired to perpetrate the deed by two men named Jarrett and McDonald who were Ingles’ neighbors, on account of some long standing feud between all the parties.

The confession seems to have created so great an excitement that the citizens of the vicinity of Iron Hill Post Office assembled to the number of four or five hundred, headed by Jacob Landis, who, proceeding to the jail, broke into Grifford’s cell, brought him forth to a neighboring tree, adjusted a rope around his neck, preparatory to execution. A clergyman was present, who prayed with the culprit, who is said to have knelt and crossed himself, and after rising, acknowledged the justice of his punishment. He was then at a signal drawn upward by twenty or twenty-five strong men, and shortly expired.

Grifford seems to have been a bad man, having confessed to the attempt upon the lives of two other persons in the vicinity of Iron Hill. He was a single man, 25 or 20 years of age, and has a widowed mother living in Missouri. The accomplices of Grifford escaped, but were pursued, and it was said to be the intention of the people to also hang them if overtaken.

This is a sad tale, throughout, and evinces little of that respect for the due course of our laws on the part of Grifford’s executioners, which should always characterize good and loyal citizens. Of what avail are laws, if every neighborhood may surp the prerogative of deciding upon the lives and destinies of its people! Indeed, whilst the provocation in this case may have been, nay, doubtless was, very great, and sufficient to provoke the temper of the people of Andrew, yet they unsurped an unwarranted jurisdiction in hanging Grifford – from the results of which tho offended majesty of law will scarcely hold them guiltless.