Prisoners Taken From Jail

CARROLL, BARGER, BUCHANAN, WHEELER, BUTTERFIELD, KELLEY

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/31/2010 at 17:05:25

Lyons Mirror, Lyons, Iowa, June 11, 1857

Breaking of the DeWitt Jail

We copy from the Clintonian an account of the breaking open of the jail at DeWitt, which differs somewhat from what we gave last week:

On Thursday about 6 o’clock p.m. our quiet populace was startled by the appearance of mobocrats, consisting of about forty men from Jackson County, who marched quietly into our village (while most of our citizens were at supper) armed to the teeth, for the purpose of breaking open our jail and summarily hanging the Jackson County prisoners there incarcerated.

They marched to the jail and formed a straight line some eight yards in front of the building, evidently exhibiting their entire ignorance of form for a successful attack of the nature contemplated. The Sheriff and Jailor were absent-not a single county officer was at or near the court house-the prisoners were in the jail yard, and nothing seemed to offer an obstacle to the consummation of their blood thirsty designs. Our citizens began to congregate unarmed, around the scene of action-the mob allowed us to pass freely between them and the jail, but under the circumstances and excitement incident to such an occasion, it was impossible to effect any concentrated action on the part of our citizens to resist this shameful aggression upon our rights. A messenger was speedily dispatched for Sheriff Buchanan, who arrived after the mob had entered the jail. He was unarmed, and we do not believe that a single citizen of DeWitt, on the ground had a deadly weapon on his person.

The Sheriff, not the least intimidated by the formidable appearances of the assailants rushed into their ranks and commanded them to disperse, but the mob overpowered him, and dragged the prisoners, Barger and Carroll from the jail. Sheriff Buchanan then manfully defended the prisoners-he seized Barger with one arm and fought the infuriated mob with the other. The County Clerk, Hon. Loring Wheeler, our worthy Recorder, T. F. Butterfield and Dr. Kelley rushed to the assistance of the Sheriff. They fought bravely and undauntedly in defence of the prisoners and the majesty of the law.