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         Only one more tale of lynching remains to be told, and that tale will be brief in consequence of the affair having occurred in the adjoining county of Jones. It is only mentioned here because the victim was arrested in Cedar County by Cedar County men, and taken by them into Jones County to be tried and executed.

         Hiram Roberts, of Indiana, was the owner of a farm in Jones County, and frequently visited there to look after his interests. On these visits, his associations were with that class of men who were under the ban of suspicion as horse-thieves and counterfeiters. He frequently came over into Cedar County, and made protracted visits among people who were almost known outlaws. His most frequent stopping place was at James W. Hanlin’s, four miles northwest of Tipton.

         About the last of October, or first of November, 1857, Roberts was on one of his visits to the country, and having heard that he had been pretty severely threatened by the members of the Protective Association, he sent word to the leaders of the Association where he was stopping, together with an invitation for them to come and take him. His invitation was accepted. Word was sent around among the people, and Roberts was arrested at Hanlin’s. He was taken across the county line into Jones County to the barn of Geo. Saum. When they arrived within the barn, Roberts was left in charge of a part of those concerned in his arrest, while the other part, a majority, perhaps, went a little distance outside to consult. One of this number was a young man in the employ of a citizen who has always been prominently identified with the affairs of Cedar County, and who had been sent by his employer to represent him, because of other pressing engagements. It may be said too, that the employer was a Justice . . .

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. . . of the Peace at the time, and this may have had something do to with his non-attendance. When this young man learned the desperate resolve of the men by whom he was surrounded, he turned away and started to the barn to get his horse and leave the scene. As he opened the barn-door he was horror-stricken to find that Roberts had already been tried, condemned, sentenced and hanged to a beam overhead, and that he was even then writhing in the agonies of death,. After life was extinct, the body of Roberts was taken down, carried out and rehanged to the limb of a tree, and left there to await the order of his friends.

         It is said by some of those who participated in the Roberts lynching, that before he was hanged, he confessed that he had been engaged in counterfeiting and associated with counterfeiters for a good many years, and that he had put in circulation more than $100,000 of spurious money.

         The Coroner of Jones County was notified of the hanging of Roberts and an inquest was held on his remains, and a verdict rendered in accordance with the facts, as far as the facts should be ascertained. Warrants were issued for the arrest of Charles Williams, Benjamin Freeman, Moses Bunker, William Dallas, George Saum and William M. Knott, charging them with the offense. The Jones County Sheriff and his Deputy came over to arrest the parties named. No resistance was offered, and by agreement and on recommendation of Judge Tuthill, then District Judge, they entered into bonds for their appearance before a Jones County Justice of the Peace, on a certain day named (within two weeks), for a preliminary examination. At the appointed time, Williams, Freeman, Bunker and the others mentioned, accompanied by about two hundred Cedar County citizens, appeared as per agreement, with Judge Bissell as their attorney. They waived an examination, and entered into bonds for their appearance at the next term of the District Court for that county. Their bonds were signed by not less than one hundred of the best citizens of Cedar and Jones counties. At the Spring term (1858) of the Jones County District Court, the parties under bond accompanied by nearly two hundred Cedar and Jones County citizens, appeared in Anamosa to answer to any indictment that might be found against them; but no indictment was returned against them for want of sufficient testimony. In addition to the fact that the vigilantes had taken good care to get important witnesses for the people out of the way; one of the grand jury was in full sympathy and accord with the movement to free the country from the presence of dishonest characters. Besides that one juryman, there were several others who were indifferent as to the prosecution of the case, and it is fair to presume that they did not worry themselves very much about finding an indictment. Since then the affair has almost died out of memory, and the country has maintained a quiet and obedience to law that has made for Cedar county people a praiseworthy reputation. Charles Williams, one of the arrested parties, subsequently removed to Texas; Freeman died in Jones County about ten years ago; George Saum now lives in Davenport; Moses Bunker, William Dallas and William M. Knott have maintained a continuous residence in the county, and are useful, respected citizens.