Jackson County Mobocracy

BARGER, LANDIS

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 3/4/2008 at 15:38:17

Cedar Valley Times, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 11, 1857.

MORE OF THE JACKSON COUNTY MOBOCRACY.

The Vigilance Committee of Jackson County would compare very favorably in respect of their cool blooded outrages with the “Border Ruffians” of Kansas notoriety. They boast of superiority of strength and numbers and confidently bid defiance to all authority. Should they continue to manifest the same spirit which has thus far characterized their proceedings and meet with no more effectual resistance, we certainly cannot predict security of life or property within the self constituted jurisdiction. Under such government we pity the person who should become the object of envy, or incur the displeasure of any one. The latest intelligence we have received of their operations is an account of their summary process with W. P. Barger, and one Carroll – which we clip from the Maquoketa Excelsior:
Last Thursday morning, an armed mob of about forty men, passed through this city on their way to DeWitt, headed by one H. K. Landis, Postmaster at Iron Hill, in this county. Their movements were open, calm and deliberate. They reached DeWitt towards evening and repaired in a body to the jail which they entered without resistance. The county officers and citizens looking on with indifference at the violation of their sacred rights and municipal laws. The Sheriff had left the outside door open as he did not wish the jail broken; the door to the prisoner’s lock-up gave way with slight resistance. When the conspirators had dragged the prisoners out, an attempt was made by the Sheriff to summon a possee, and a half dozen brave Clintonians seized Barger by the legs as he was being tumbled into the wagon; but the Mob held fast and drove rapidly away with their prisoner. The other prisoner, Carroll, was secured without difficulty. The Sheriff of Clinton county distinguished himself by breaking the nose of one of the Mob with a blow from a gun. Early on Friday morning the Mob-train passed through the city, with their victims, on their way to Andrew, the seat of Lynch Justice chosen by the self styled Vigilance Committee. Arrived in Andrew, no time was lost in useless preliminaries. A black handkerchief was tied over Barger’s face, the rope adjusted by Captain Landis, a young lad climbed the tree(the same where Grifford swung; and threw it over the consecrated limb. About twenty men laid down their guns, manned the rope, and Barger swung between the heavens and the earth; a few short heavings of the chest, a spasm of the feet and legs and Barger hung a quivering corpse. Men, women, and children looked on the spectacle and winced not. Notwithstanding the summary proceedings of the Mob, a large concourse of people was present. Many went out from this vicinity out of morbid curiosity. Some of them had the pleasure and some were disappointed. We commiserate both classes. After dispatching Barger, the Mob took a vote on Carroll’s case and decided not to hang him just then. He was placed in the jail to be kept and guarded until further orders from the high court of Judge Lynch.