Samuel P. Watkins Charged With Murder

WATKINS, BOSER, CRONK, MORSE, RANSOM

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 2/26/2011 at 00:57:26

Bellevue Leader, May 16, 1877

WATKINS CHARGED WITH MURDER

Samuel P. Watkins, the same man who was tried and convicted for the murder of Sam Cronk in Jackson County in 1868, was charged with the murder of Melius Boser in Monona County. Last August Watson hired a young man named Melius Boser of Monona County, with his team and wagon, to go with him to Marshall County. Since that time Boser has not been seen alive. Watkins was last seen with the team and wagon at Dunlap, and afterwards disposed of them in Council Bluffs. He returned to Monona County and told several stories about young Boser which were found to be untrue. Preparations were made to charge him for larceny of the team, but Watkins got wind of the matter and “skipped out.” Nothing more was done about it until the first of this month, when a party of men on the way to the Black Hills, found the skeleton and clothes of a man at the bottom of Battle Creek in Monona County, and notified the authorities, who took care of the remains of the murdered boy and have arrested Watkins for his murder.

It is needless for us to relate the facts concerning the murder of Cronk, for they are patent to all our readers. Watkins escaped the penalty of the crime although there were few persons in Jackson County but what believed him guilty of that atrocious murder. If he is guilty of this last crime charged upon him, it is a pity that he cannot be hung under our existing laws. Society should not permit such a man or such a monster to live if he is guilty of two such diabolical crimes as these, and the next general assembly of Iowa should hasten to repeal a law that shields from justice such devils.

Some of the particulars of the Boser murder are related by the Monona County Gazette as follows:
On the evening of May 4, 1877 a party of men bound for the Black Hills camped on or near Battle Creek, on the Dunlap road, in Jordan Township, Monona County in the vicinity of the farm of Mr. Ransom. The next morning, Saturday, one of the party started out in search of game, thinking her might be able to find a rabbit for his dog-a large grayhound. He followed up the creek some distance and came upon the clothing of some man. Thinking it strange that he should find some articles in that out of the way place, he pursued his investigations further and came upon human bones. He then returned to his party and they feeling confident there had been foul play, disturbed nothing and carefully marked the place with a stake and at the intersection of the Dunlap road placed another one, and then proceeded on their way westward.

At Castana, they told their story, and Mr. O. Morse, a justice of the peace, at once proceeded to act as coroner in accordance with the code. A jury was immediately subpoenaed and went to the spot indicated by the travelers, and found that the clothes were lying at the foot of some willows with every appearance of having been carried there by high water. The bones were also scattered around some with every appearance of having been disturbed by the action of water, but were all lying within a radius of about ten feet. Every indication seems to go to prove that the remains found are those of young Boser and that he was there murdered by Watkins. The place where they camped last summer on a bluff close to Battle Creek, and but a few rods from the Dunlap road, is plainly marked. The remains of the campfire are still there, and some of the partially burned faggots yet remain. The exact spot where the wagon and horses stood can plainly be seen. Near where the wagon stood are traces of blood and the ground looks as though there might have been a struggle there.

Samuel Cronk grave
 

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