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ANNALS OF IOWA
VOL. XI. IOWA CITY, JANUARY, 1914
ATTEMPTED
LYNCHINGS IN IOWA.
BY PAUL WALTON
BLACK.
In this paper an attempt has been made to set forth
the various attempted lynchings in Iowa in such a way as to
be of value to the students of history and sociology. In
doing this a brief history of the various cases has been
given, followed by a critical analysis and interpretation
of them, and closing with a chronological list of the cases
with a short history of each.
It is probably true that some of the cases of attempted
lynching have not been discovered by the writer, but it is
believed that the investigation has resulted in obtaining
approximately all of them. It is certainly true that enough
of them have been discovered to make the conclusions drawn
from the analysis practically the same as if it were known
that all of them had been
discovered.
The phenomenon of lynching is distinctively American
an probably had its origin in the United States in the
latter par of the eighteenth century. Other countries have
had mob violence, but the mobs of other countries have not
exercise the same correctional power over offenders as the
mobs the United States.
The term Lynch Law has been so broad in its meaning as
to include many kinds of punishment administered by a mob
The change in the content of the term has been
characteristic of it in Iowa as elsewhere, and in order to
get a definition that would include all the social
phenomena which were at any time included in it, it was
necessary to select a very broad statement of what could be
termed a lynching. The best attempt at defining it was
found in the Ohio Laws of 1896. Here a lynching is defined
as follows:
Any collection of individuals assembled for any
unlawful purpose intending to do damage or injury to
anyone, or pretending to exercise correctional power over
persons by violence, without authority of law, shall for
the purpose of this act be regarded as a "mob" and any act
of violence exercised by them upon the body of any person,
shall constitute a lynching.
This very definitely defines a lynching. An attempted
lynching would be any trial at accomplishing such violence
as is defined in the above law which results in failure for
any reason whatsoever. The cases enumerated in the
chronological list have found place there because they were
attempted lynchings according to this definition.
For data on the cases here given the writer searched
through approximately all of the existing files of
newspapers published in the State from 1834 to 1860, after
which time the (search was continued and confined to the
files of the Iowa State Register, Burlington Hawk-Eye, and
the Iowa City Republican. These files were found in the
collections of the Historical Department of Iowa at Des
Moines and The State Historical Society of Iowa at Iowa
City and in various other libraries and newspaper offices
in the central and eastern part of Iowa. Such other sources
as the ANNALS OF IOWA, annals of counties, the Iowa
Biographical Series, The Iowa Journal of History and
Polities, county histories, etc. as well as correspondence
with about three hundred persons who were acquainted with
the facts relative to the various cases, were freely used
in order that the cases might be justly presented.
To the persons included in the list of correspondence
the writer is deeply indebted for much information that
otherwise would have been unobtainable. Especially to
Professor F. I. Herriott of Drake University, and Professor
J. L. Gillin, previously of the State University of Iowa,
now of the University of Wisconsin, is he indebted for
encouragement and helpful criticism. In a number of cases
the names of the persons who were objects of attempted
lynchings could not be found, and where this occurred blank
spaces have been left to indicate the fact in the
chronological list of the cases. In other cases the exact
place and time of occurrence could not be found, and where
this difficulty was encountered the internal evidence was
used, where there was any, to define the place and time,
and where there was no evidence as to the time and place an
arbitrary arrangement in the chronological list was
necessary.
With the opening of the Black Hawk Purchase in 1833
large influx of immigrants began in that part of the
present State of Iowa lying north of the Des Moines river
and directly, west of the Mississippi, a tract of land
about fifty miles wide reaching as far north as Clayton
county. The majority of the very early immigrants came from
the South. After a short time other districts of the United
States contributed in larger proportions. It was long after
the State was admitted to the Union that the native-born
gained the majority. A statistical analysis of the census
reports will show a very complex population in the early
part of Iowa history and with this fact in mind the student
of sociology is not surprised at the large amount of such
crime as lynching in the State.
Those who came to Iowa in the early immigration
movement were rugged, aggressive people whose home life
previous had been in the less favorable districts of the
United States for obtaining subsistence, and as a result
they were constantly used to doing things for themselves
and not waiting for the slow arm of the law to effect them.
Coming from the rough and broken
districts of the South and the eastern parts of the United
States, they naturally settled along the rivers and streams
in Iowa where fuel, water, and protection were near at
hand. Considering the prairies as unfertile because no
trees grew on them, the wooded region was more attractive
and became settled first. This fact brought the district in
which crime was committed within the rougher districts for
the most part. More than that, criminals could commit crime
and escape justice easier in the wooded districts than in
any other, and for this reason, together with many other
contributory ones, the crime districts of Iowa in the early
days were confined largely to these wooded districts. The
same environment favorable to crime lent facility to
lynchings, and as a result the lynchings were likewise more
frequent here than elsewhere.
So far as this investigation has been able to
disclose, there have been at least sixty-eight attempted
lynchings in Iowa. These have not been evenly distributed
over the time space from 1834 to 1912, but if one glances
at the chronological description of these cases he will see
that they have been becoming increasingly prevalent if an
absolute number basis is taken for a comparison. On the
other hand if one compares the attempted lynchings of
recent times with those of the early period on a per capita
basis he will find that they are becoming less frequent.
The causes for the attempted lynchings may be classed
as direct and indirect. The direct causes were the
occasions for the attempts and the indirect causes were the
conditions of the environment that were favorable to
lynching. Of the direct causes there were political,
economic, and social ones. The largest number of these were
social, of which murder was the most frequent. It occurred
more than thirty times. Of all the cases that could be
definitely located it was found that fifty-three per cent
of them occurred in wooded districts. This fact shows that
probably the environment added much indirectly to the cases
of attempted lynching. This fact when considered along with
the fact that the districts were populated with a large
Southern
element coming from the less favorable districts of the
South, adds something towards the explanation of the
lynching phenomenon.
It was found that the months of the year when the most
of the attempted lynchings occurred were April and July. If
the time of occurrence is charted it will be seen that the
general tendency is for the attempts to increase with the
general rise in temperature, reaching the highest mark in
July. A statistical analysis of the day of the week on
which the different attempts occurred, showed a marked
tendency to approach a maximum on Wednesday and on
Saturday. This varied from the curve representing the
lynchings in that they tended to occur most often at the
last of the week. A possible explanation may suggest itself
in the economic conditions which make attempted crimes and
especially lynchings more easily successful at the close of
the week when the work of the week is done and crowds
gathered in the towns for trading and social intercourse.
An investigation into the time of day when the attempted
lynchings occurred showed that they were most frequent in
the night when rapid fulfillment of plans and escape of
detection were possible.
The causes of failure to accomplish the purpose of the
mob gatherings are varied. Many failed on account of the
efficiency of the police force and the strength of the
jails, others by the escape of the victim and lack of mob
leadership, and still others by the compliance of the
intended victim with the demands of the mob.
The mobs that attempted to lynch in Iowa varied in
size, but so far as estimates could be obtained they showed
an average of more than three hundred per mob.
The mob composition has been varied. Some were
composed of liquor men. some of farmers with no
organization behind them, some were composed of Vigilantes
and Regulators, and still others of various elements.
Other indirect causes might be mentioned, among which
are "yellow journalism," inadequacy of the courts, etc.
Such causes have added to the mob excitement and the degree
of openness with which they acted. The participants have
reverted to the primitive instincts and allowed conditions
adverse to self-preservation to draw them into actions
impossible in calmer moments.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS ATTEMPTED LYNCHINGS IN IOWA
CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED.
Patrick Brennan.—"A Mr. John O'Morra was knocked on
the head with a club while sky-larking, as they called it,
by Patrick Brennan—rather rough playing as the poor man
died immediately. The officers of the lynch law turned out
to arrest the offender, but he had made his escape.
G. W. Hayes, Jefferson County.—One of the early claim
holders in Jefferson county was G. W. Hayes. He laid claim
to a much larger tract of land than was usual for a
settler, and when his neighbors remonstrated with him he
remained obstinate, refusing to give up any of it and went
to Fairfield to enter his claim. While he was away a mob
came to his house, thinking he was at home, and attempted
to frighten him out by shooting holes in his house. His
wife, being the only one at home, was badly frightened and
was able with much difficulty to persuade the mob that her
husband had gone to Fairfield to enter the claim.
G. W. Hayes, Jefferson County.—At another time the mob
came to the home of G. W. Hayes and placed a board over the
chimney and attempted to smoke him out but they failed in
this also. Hayes persuaded them that he had sufficient
evidence to convict them in court and they ceased to molest
him.
Patrick O'Connor, Dubuque County, May 19, 1834.—This
same Patrick O'Connor who was mentioned in the article on
Lynchings in Iowa was the object of an attempted lynching
on May 19, 1834. This mob action occurred just after the
murder of George O'Keaf when the people were highly excited
by the news of the murder. The more conservative members of
the mob persuaded them to desist and allow the man a fair
trial.
The Reeves family, Polk County.—The Reeves family was
suspected of being connected with the gang of horse thieves
that were doing so much work in Polk county, and a mob of
citizens went to the Reeves home and gave them orders to
leave the country under penalty of severe punishment if
they refused to go. Then the family moved to Fort Des
Moines from their
home in Linn Grove on the North River. There were two old
men and several grown sons in the Reeves family.
The Reeves family, Polk County.—The Reeves family had
not lived in Fort Des Moines long when Cameron Reeves
killed James Phipps. The citizens of North River heard of
it, and fearing that some trouble would arise over it they
took upon themselves the trouble of forcing them again to
move. Cameron had been placed in jail at Oskaloosa, so he
escaped the visit of the mob. The remaining family were
visited one day by about sixty men and were again told to
leave the country. When the mob was approaching, Presley
Reeves saw them and thought that be would make a run for
liberty, and started across a corn field. He was captured
in a short time and brought back. The mob forced them to
load all their possessions on wagons and leave. After their
departure they seem to have made a better record, as
Cameron became a prominent man in Omaha and served as
sheriff for several years.
Harvey Leonard,— — , Scott County, September 5
1855.—"We learn from the Davenport Gazette that a mob of
Germans, armed with pitchforks, and old muskets and
revolvers, made a demonstration upon the office of a
Justice of the Peace in that city, on Wednesday last, to
recover possession of some liquor seized and deposited
there under the liquor law. Four of the ringleaders of the
crowd were arrested, not, however, without stout
resistance, in which the sheriff was severely pounded over
the head with a club, and his assistant shot in the side.
"The Anti-Temperance ticket was successful in that county
at the late election and hence these first fruits' of the
Locofoco Liquor triumph.
Richard Custer, Washington County, April 15, 1856.—A
sturdy blacksmith of Marion township, Washington county,
named Richard Custer, was accused of adultery and the
spirit ran so high that a lynching party was organized.
Probably about fifteen men went to his home on the night of
April 15,1856, at ten o'clock, and attacked the house.
Custer defended himself and shot John Deweese and killed
him. Deweese was the mob leader, and when he fell, Custer
made his escape in the confusion and the mob were unable to
find him when they had regained their self-control.
Isaac Ridgway, Poweshiek County, 1857.—Isaac Ridgway
was the father-in-law of William B. Thomas who was lynched
in Poweshiek county in 1857. The Ridgway family had made a
bad record in the county and surrounding country and the
citizens finally decided to rid the country of them. In the
Spring of 1857 a mob came to the Ridgway home and gave them
orders to leave the country within ten days. In the ten
days' time allowed, Isaac went to Des Moines and, before
Judge W. H. McHenry, filed information against eight or ten
of them. These men were brought up and examined before the
Mayor of Des Moines and after a time were discharged. Those
who had been thus brought up then charged Ridgway with
perjury and had him brought before a justice of the peace.
Ridgway was allowed to give bail and it was purposely
arranged that as many of his family as possible should have
their names attached to the bond, for they knew that this
would be the last of Ridgway. As soon as Ridgway was
released on this bond, he and his whole family left the
country.
Canada McCullough, Cedar County, 1857.—As lynching in
Cedar county became more frequent in 1857, some of the best
citizens began to denounce it as a means of justice and to
censure those who participated therein. Among those who
thus denounced lynching was Canada McCullough, a wealthy
farmer of Cedar county. The Regulators heard that he had
been
denouncing them and they gave him orders to leave the
country. McCullough decided to remain in the country and
defied their power to control his denunciations. He
provided himself with three rifles for self-defense and
made portholes in his cabin so that he might be ready for
an attack. One day in 1857 the Regulators came up on
horseback and stopped in front of his home.
McCullough stepped to the door with a loaded rifle, ordered
the leader to stop and make known his business. He was
informed that he must cease denouncing the Regulators - or
leave the country at once. McCullough replied that he would
do as he pleased about that and ordered the mob to withdraw
or suffer the consequences. The mob knew that he was a sure
shot and that he would defend himself with his life, and
after a short parley they withdrew and did not molest him
again. The Regulators were from Big Rock and they were well
known by McCullough.
John Pardee, Nat Pardee, Ben Pardee, Bart Pardee,
Boone County, spring of 1857.—In the spring of 1857 the
Pardee family, consisting of John, Nat, Ben, and Bart, were
suspected of stealing and were ordered out of the country.
They did not obey the orders and finally the farmers of
Boone county attacked the house, but they found it well
fortified. Being unable to get the Pardees out of the house
in this manner, they tried burning them out. A wagon loaded
with bundles of oats was prepared and rolled toward the
house, and as it approached the bundles were lighted with
fire. As they were about to cast the burning oats bundles
on the house the Pardees opened fire and frustrated the
attempt. One of the mate was killed and some others were
wounded. After a parley they decided to wait until morning
and then attack the house again, but when morning came the
mob found that the Pardee family had left the country. The
house not being watched closely during the night, the
Pardees secretly escaped.
Henry Garrett, Jackson County, April 17, 1857.—The
confession of Gifford to the murder of Ingles implicated
David McDonald and Henry Garrett. Gifford said that these
two men had hired him to kill Ingles. A mob gathered and
after a short search found Henry Garrett. In order to get
him to surrender, the mob had to promise him a fair trial
in the courts. He had been so well fortified in his home
that he could defy the mob, and they had to make this
concession to get him without loss of life among
themselves. The mob never intended to carry out their
promise, but to make it appear that they did they turned
him over to the officers, intending to get him later from
them. The justice of the peace, Eleazer Mann, learned that
the mob intended to lynch him, and he took his prisoner
secretly out of the back door of the jail and transferred
him to Davenport, going via Fulton and Bellevue. From
Davenport he was again taken to Fort Madison for safe
keeping. When the mob heard that he was transferred to Fort
Madison they gave up hopes of getting him, but it was not
until they had followed close upon the heels of the
prisoner for some time that they ceased to follow him.
William B. Thomas, Poweshiek County, April 17, 1857.—
William B. Thomas, alias "Comequick ", when on trial at
Montezuma for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Casteel, came near
being lynched on April 17, 1857, by a mob that collected
because of the delay of the case in the court. The lynching
was prevented by a strong guard force that had been placed
about the court room. Judge Stone and others made addresses
to the mob and finally succeeded in dispersing it. Thomas
was lynched a little later.
—, — , — , Cedar County, June, 1857.—About the 25th of
June, 1857, a woman and two men were chased out of Cedar
county because they had been suspected of harboring horse
thieves. The Committee seems to have followed them as far
as Burlington where they found that one of the men had gone
through that place only a few hours in advance of the
Committee. So far as has been learned, the mob did not
catch any of them.
—, Jackson County, July, 1857.—Because the vigilance
committee in Jackson county thought that the taxes were too
high in one township, they met in July, 1857, and demanded
that the assessor reduce them. The assessor was waited upon
by the committee in order to force him to accede to their
demands.
—, Jackson County, July, 1857.—A certain surveyor
established a line in Jackson county that was not agreeable
to a member of the vigilance committee, and he, too, was
the object of the committee's visitation in July, 1857. As
a result of this visitation the surveyor packed up his
possessions and left the country.
__, , Cedar County, July 31, 1857.—The organization of
the "Law and Order" men did good work in Cedar county on
July 31, 1857; when they prevented a mob from lynching two
men they had taken from Mechanicsville.
J. W. Brown, Mahaska County, August 3, 1857.—On the
night of the election in Oskaloosa, August 3, 1857, J. W.
Brown, the editor of the Herald, and E. W. Rice sat talking
in the office of the former, when about midnight a saloon
keeper, Bowen, and his gang, came past. Brown and Bowen had
difficulty in getting along peaceably with each other.
Stopping under the office window they began to make threats
upon the life of Brown, which were easily overheard within.
As the threats became more violent, Brown armed himself and
stood ready for defense. A few minutes later Bowen was
heard to declare that he would head the gang and they would
clear the office. As he started for the door, Brown called
out to him to stop or suffer the consequences. Bowen
reached the door and started to break it open, but was shot
before he succeeded. He fell,
mortally wounded, and the mob did not dare go further.
Leonard Brown, Polk County, 1860.—In 1860 Leonard
Brown was prosecuting some saloon keepers in Des Moines and
their anger was so aroused against him that they attempted
to mob him.. Brown escaped, however.
A. N. Marsh, Polk County, 1862.—The marshal of Des
Moines, A. N. Marsh, in 1862, killed a man named King with
whom he had had trouble and at the time was attempting to
arrest. As soon as Marsh saw that his victim was dying he
fled to his home and from thence to parts unknown. A mob
pursued him, threatening to use summary vengeance if they
were able to catch him.
— —, Keokuk County, 1863.—The vigilance committee
became aware that a thief was at work in Keokuk county some
time in 1863, and they set about to catch and lynch him.
The committee gathered at a school house one night and
hitched their horses in the woods nearby. It is reported
that while they were organizing within, the thief passed
by, saw the horses and
knowing what it meant, left the country. The mob was
estimated at about a. hundred men.
Benjamin McComb, Wapello County, August 31, 1864.—
Benjamin McComb was on trial for a double murder in Ottumwa
in 1864 and a mob, which grew irritated at the long
proceedings in the courts, on August 31st, attempted to
lynch him, but by doubling the guard force the officers
were able to prevent it.
Poweshiek County, October, 1864.—Some officers were
sent to arrest a number of Copperheads about fourteen miles
south of Grinnell in October, 1864, and in making the
arrest one of the officers was shot and mortally wounded.
One of the Copperheads was also wounded and captured. He
was taken to Grinnell where he came near being lynched by a
mob.
Emerson Reed, Green, Shields, Dubuque County, March,
1865.—Emerson Reed, Mr. Green, and Mr. Shields were
arrested in Galena, Illinois, and brought to Dubuque for
trial. They were met by a mob of about four hundred men
crying "Hang them", but the prisoners were finally safely
lodged in jail in spite of the mob efforts to lynch them.
James Madison Kibben, Henry County, April 16, 1865.—
James Madison Kibben was a Virginian and a Democrat and
though at all times loyal to the Union he felt that the
Civil War was brought about through the machinations of
politicians and could have been avoided. He was kindly
disposed toward the Southern people and while for the Union
was not entirely friendly toward Lincoln. "Mt. Pleasant was
intensely loyal to both the Union cause and Abraham
Lincoln, and Mr. Kibben's ideas were unpopular in the
community. There had been murmurings against him and by
some he had been stigmatized from time to time as a
'Copperhead'. Throughout the War some evidences of ill will
had been shown the family. His daughter, Mary, was a
teacher of mathematics in the college at Mount Pleasant.
While there was no direct cause for it, the feeling
was such that she resigned. The entire family withdrew from
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Kibben
and her daughters afterwards returned, but Mr. Kibben did
not. "During the War a stranger called at the house and
tried to gain the confidence of Mr. Kibben and beguile him
into expressions of sympathy with the Southern cause. It
was always thought by the family that this man was a spy.
Near the end of the War a son, Walter Kibben, resigned his
position in Sanders & Kibben's bank because of the ill will
growing out of the discussion of War subjects. "In these
matters the Kibben family were not so ill-used as some
others in Mount Pleasant. "No personal violence was
suggested until the day after the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln. Mr. Kibben had gone to the bank as usual and was
sitting in the bank office when the news of the calamity
came. In discussing it he said in the presence of quite a
number that were assembled that, 'the country could not
afford the loss at that time as well as it might at an
earlier period. This was misconstrued and misquoted by some
person unknown, until in the words of the mob that
assembled it was claimed that he had said that, 'it was too
bad that it had not happened before'. One Wray Beattie,
hearing the rumor, went to the bank to demand an
explanation but did not find Mr. Kibben, who had started
for home. Not gaining any satisfactory information, Beattie
gathered from the street corners and from in front of the
post office a group of men which soon grew into a mob, and
they started after Kibben shouting 'hang him', 'hang him.'
The mob on its
way, Beattie dropped out. They overtook Mr. Kibben at his
gate and demanded a retraction. Being a man of stern
disposition, there was no possibility of any retraction
from him. His daughters came out of the house and asked him
to say anything that the mob wanted in order that he might
come in and be left in peace. He said to them that he was
an old men,: and infirm, and that he 'might as well die now
as at any time'. The disturbance attracted the attention of
William Corkhill and Charles Snider, both prominent
Republicans, Abolitionists and Lincoln men. They came and
appealed to the mob for reason, finally proposing that
Kibben return to the Bank, repeat his remark and explain
the meaning. This he consented to do if the mob would
precede him to the bank, refusing to go with the mob or in
their custody. The mob having left, he proceeded with
Messrs. Corkhill and Snider to the bank, where he stated
his true meaning and the crowd dispersed. The family cannot
recall
the names of any of the mob, but are sure that it did not
include any persons of standing in the community. There was
no further trouble, but for a long time there were threats
of violence. The family purchased firearms and prepared to
defend themselves, but there was never any occasion for
their use. After a time a reaction set in and former
friends were reconciled.
— —,— — ,— —, Jackson County, 1867,—Not long after the
Conk murder trial in 1867, in Jackson county, three men
were taken to the jail at Andrew on charge of murder. The
citizens were aroused and a well-laid plot was made to
lynch the prisoners. The town was picketed so that the
prisoners could not escape. It became known to the officers
that a lynching was intended, and in order to save the
prisoners it was necessary to run the picket and get aid
from Maquoketa. A little boy was selected and sent out as
if to get the cows, and by morning a posse came from
Maquoketa just in time to save the prisoners. The mob had
arrived at 9:00 a. m. but the plans were defeated when the
aid came.
Hiram Wilson, Lucas County, July 6, 1870.—Hiram Wilson
was captured in the woods near Chariton by a mob on July 6,
1870, and only by a stout fight by the officers did he
escape being lynched. The reason for the attempt at
lynching was that he had mortally wounded Sheriff Lyman of
that city. He was lynched later on the same day when the
news of the death of the
sheriff had spread.
George W. Kirkman,- Polk County, December, 1874.—
George W. Kirkman had the reputation of being a very cruel
husband. He drove two of his sons from home and his wife
also left, refusing to live with him. She fled to the home
of William Zinsmaster, her brother-in-law. Kirkman had
property in Polk and Story counties and was of considerable
wealth, and when Mrs. Kirkman fled from his home, the
neighbors, judging from his actions, thought he had gone
insane and an attempt was made to divide up the property
for the support of the family. Kirkman refused to have this
done and attempted to get his wife to return. Zinsmaster
had been appointed to make a division of the property and
of course some feeling arose on account of it between him
and Kirkman. A few nights afterwards Zinsmaster's barn was
burned and evidence pointed to Kirkman as the offender. The
citizens took the matter up and sent him an invitation to
attend an investigation meeting. He declined this
invitation. A mob of citizens took him to the woods and
threatened to hang him, but after a long parley he was
allowed to go. He was lynched a little later.
Samuel E. Watkins, Monona County, June 27, 1877.—
During the night of June 27, 1877, a mob raided the Onawa
jail with the intention of lynching Samuel E. Watkins who
was confined there on charge of murder. Through the efforts
of the sheriff the prisoner was saved.
Reuben Proctor, Warren County, November 12, 1877.— The
lynching of Reuben Proctor was prevented on November 12,
1877, because of the strength of the jail at Indianola. The
jail was stormed for several hours and finally the mob gave
up and left, thinking they could not break open the door.
If they had known it, only a little further effort would
have made it successful as the door was almost ready to
give way . when they ceased. Proctor had been confined for
assault. Miss Augusta Cading, the victim, died a little
later, and as he was on trial another mob succeeded in
lynching him.
Henry Weese, Lee County, March, 1878.—On the fifteenth
day of March, 1878, occurred the murder of Henry and
Margaret Greaser in Jefferson township, Lee county.
Evidence led to the arrest of Henry Weese and Fredrick
Knoch as the murderers. Knoch proved an alibi but Weese was
retained in Ft. Madison jail for trial. A search through
the clothes of Weese discovered more than $1,900. He was
considered guilty by such a number that finally a mob went
to the jail one night and demanded that he, be delivered to
them. The former mayor, Dr. A. C. Roberts, then editor of
the Democrat was a popular man, and as he lived near the
jail he was secured to address the mob, and after a time he
was able to disperse them. Weese was tried later for the
double murder, proven guilty, and sentenced to the
penitentiary for life.
—Jones, Benton County, June 10, 1878.—After a mob had
burned William Hick's barn, wounded him and frightened him
out of the country, they immediately went to the house of
Jones, June 10, 1878, and attempted to lynch him, but they
did not find him. Several volleys were fired into the house
in a vain effort to get him out, but no response came and
they finally
disbanded.
— — Green County, July, 1878.—"At Grand Junction a few
days ago a tramp attempted to commit an outrage on two
little girls, six and seven years, whom he had enticed off
in the weeds, but was frightened off by parties who
discovered his designs, arrested and narrowly escaped
lynching. This happened about the middle of July, 1878.
Henry Abel, Washington County, July 2, 1879.—An
exconvict, Henry Abel, was paying his respects to Miss
Haskins of Clay township, Washington county, when an
objection made by the parents caused him to murder both of
them. Abel was searched for by the mob who intended to
lynch him if they caught him, but they were unsuccessful.
This was on July 2, 1879.
William Pickering, Louisa County, July 3, 1879.—The
murder in Louisa county, of William Teets by William
Pickering on July 3, 1879, called out a large mob which
pursued the murderer, intending to lynch him. Pickering
evidently had committed the murder because of the marriage
of his mother- in-law to the victim, whom he disliked.
Jerome West, Jones County, October 1, 1880.—An
exconvict, Jerome West, was arrested and placed in the
penitentiary on charge of murdering George W. Yule of
Jackson township, Jones county, and on October 1, 1880, a
mob of - about four hundred men, thinking he had been
placed in the county jail, attacked the jail and were
disappointed to find that West was not, there.
John Weise, John Gwinn, Charles D. Errickson, Polk
County, April 14, 1882.—At the time of the murder of Mayor
R. W. Stubbs of Polk City, Polk county, John Weise, John
Gwinn, and Charles D. Errickson were arrested on charge of
murder. An attempt was made by a mob in Polk City on April
14, 1882, to lynch these men, but the officers succeeded in
getting them away to Des Moines for safe- keeping..
Leonard Brown, Polk County, July, 1883.—Leonard Brown
was outspoken against mob action at the time of the murder
of Mayor R. W. Stubbs of Polk City, and some of his
neighbors set upon him one day in July, 1883, in order to
force him to keep quiet on the subject.
William Barber, Isaac Barber, Bremer County, June 6,
1883.—William and Isaac Barber, two desperadoes well known
in Iowa, were arrested in 1883 on charge of murder and
confined in the jail at Waverly. Rumors of a lynching party
being formed put the officers on their guard and they took
the prisoners to Independence for safe-keeping. In the
night, June 6, 1883, the mob came to the jail at Waverly
and demanded the Barber brothers, but they were
disappointed to find they were not in the jail.
Robert Moore, Cerro Gordo County, September 18, 1884.—
During the fair at Mason City in September, 1884, quite a
disturbance was created by an insult offered a married
woman by Robert Moore of Freeport, Illinois. The husband of
the woman knocked the offender down, and in a few minutes a
guard of soldiers came and placed him in custody. About
midnight, September 18th, a mob came to the guard house and
attempted to lynch Moore, but the officers
succeeded in defending their prisoner.
James Reynolds, Decatur County, August 2, 1887.—The
assault upon Mrs. Lewis Noble of Leon caused the arrest of
James Reynolds, the offender, and his confinement in the
Leon jail. The officers feared a lynching and removed the
prisoner. On August 2, 1887, a mob came to the jail and
searched it in vain to find Reynolds. The next morning the
sheriff brought him back to Leon and bail was secured for
him. This was a bad move, for Reynolds assaulted three
other women as soon as he was loosed. He was arrested again
and a mob lynched him on the night of the fourteenth.
Prank Pierce, Des Moines County, June 30, 1891.—The
graveyard at Burlington was used as a dumping ground for
garbage by a few individuals and it became necessary to
forbid it. On June 30, 1891, Frank Pierce came to the
graveyard with a load of garbage and was informed by E. H.
Wishard that he could no longer unload there. Pierce had a
reputation for ugly acts, and he drew two revolvers and
shot Wishard. Pierce was arrested and brought to jail, and
by the time he arrived a mob of about five hundred awaited
him. They would have lynched him had not the militia been
called out and blank cartridges used. This was the second
time that a mob came near lynching him, as he had been
sought by one in 1888.
Edward Walton, Wapello County, October 16, 1893.—Dr.
Edward Walton was arrested for the murder of Melinda Amelia
Cook, upon whom he had performed a criminal operation, and
as the officers brought him in a carriage to the jail in
Ottumwa, a mob attacked the officers in an attempt to wrest
Walton from their hands and lynch him. The officers
succeeded in getting him safely lodged in jail, but the
talk of lynching was kept up all day and the mob remained
about the town until night.
Leon Lozier, Pottawattamie County, January 17, 1893.—
The well-known sprinter of Council Bluffs, Leon Lozier, was
arrested for assault on Madaline Anderson, a girl five
years old, and as he was being taken to jail a mob
followed, threatening to lynch him. The mob was addressed
by Sheriff Hazen and the Dodge Life Guards were called out
to protect the jail. Several other speeches were made and
finally the mob dispersed. The leaders were arrested, but
whether they were finally prosecuted has not been learned.
John Hamil, John Krout, George Weems, Polk County,
May, 1894.—A conductor on the Great Western Railroad,
Lucias Blake Ridpath, was killed May 19, 1894, by two men
while he was on his way to take charge of his train in Des
Moines. The next day John Hamil and John Krout were
arrested and charged with the crime. On the 21st George
Weems was also arrested as one of the perpetrators of the
murder. Krout was talkative and told much about the crime.
The
people became much aroused and threats of lynching were
frequently made. A mob gathered at the police station, but
because of lack of organization and also because of the
efficient police force the mob was not able to get the
prisoners. On the way from the police station to the county
jail another mob was encountered, and with difficulty the
men were lodged in jail. The mob remained about the jail
for hours. The prisoners were secretly taken out of the
city to prevent their being found if the mob should become
unmanageable. Krout was released after a time and Hamil and
Weems were convicted and sentenced to be hanged.
— —, Pottawattamie County, May 31, 1894.— A tramp
brutally assaulted Mrs. George Smith of Pottawattamie
county on May 31, 1894, and a mob collected and pursued the
tramp with ropes, intending to lynch him, but he could not
be found.
Orlando P. Wilkins, Charles W. Crawford, Madison
County, March 6, 1895.—The bank robbers, Orlando P. Wilkins
and Charles W. Crawford, were arrested on March 6, 1890,
before they had got very far from the robbed bank in Adel.
After the capture a mob came and wanted to lynch Crawford
who had been placed in jail, but by persuasion they were
dispersed. Wilkins was shot to death in the capture.
R. E. Martin, Wapello County, April 4, 1896.—Little
Eva Moore, twelve years old, was assaulted on April 13,
1896, at Ottumwa and the news spread so rapidly that in a
very short time many people were on the streets curious to
see the results of the search for the offender by the
police. As the excitement grew more intense a rope was
procured and the mob awaited the time when the little girl
should identify the offender among those constantly brought
in by the police. The mob thought R. E. Martin would be
identified when he was brought in and they intended to
lynch him, but the little girl could not recognize him as
the man. The craze subsided after a time and the mob
dispersed.
Wilbur Smith, Charles Harris, Ralph Duncan, Wapello
County, August 28, 1896.—Three men, Wilbur Smith, Charles
Harris, and Ralph Duncan were arrested for entering a house
in Ottumwa and assaulting Miss Nellie Warner, twenty years
of age, and a mob of about three hundred attempted to wrest
them from the sheriff but the sheriff was on his guard and
prevented it. Harris was from Blakesburg and Duncan was
from Illinois.
A. D. Storms, Des Moines County, February 9, 1898.—The
dead bodies of Mrs. Fannie Rathbun and her daughter, Mary,
were found by the police at their home, 1616 Dodge St.,
Burlington, on the 30th of January, 1898. They had
evidently been dead for a week. Evidence was discovered
that caused the arrest of A. D. Storms as principal and F.
Fox, S. Johnson,
William Williams, Jones Lannon, and Joseph Burchman as
associates. The excitement grew intense over the affair and
finally a mob, said to be led by W. A. Pruden and Charles
Gallagher, formed at Patterson's barn and went to the jail'
to lynch Storms. The mob was probably composed of as many
as five hundred men. Placards had been posted to arouse the
citizens and
call them to the mob meeting. The police mixed with the
mob, found out their intentions and succeeded in getting
Storms out of the back door of the jail just in time to
save him. This mob collected on Tuesday evening, February
9, 1898, and after a short time went to the jail. When the
officers told the mob that Storms was not there, they
refused to believe it until a search had been made of the
jail and even through the home of the sheriff, with no
success. Even the room of the sheriff's daughter, who lay
critically ill, was invaded and the closets broken open in
a mad search for the suspected man. Scouting parties were
put out to search the city and these did not give up the
idea of finding Storms until after midnight. At one time
the mob passed within one block of the closed carriage that
contained Storms, but they did not know it and Storms was
taken to
Mediapolis and then to Anamosa for safe-keeping. Storms
later confessed to the crime and implicated many others in
his confession.
Alva Brooker, Monroe County, November 24, 1900.—The
rape of Mrs. Sarah Hovel of Albia caused the arrest of Alva
Brooker (colored), charged with the crime. A large mob
attempted to lynch him on November 24, 1900, but Company G
of the Iowa National Guards prevented it.
Charles Arnett, Webster County, December 19, 1900.—A
large mob gathered at the jail in Ft. Dodge on December 19,
1900, and made such a noise about the premises that Charles
Arnett was frightened into confession of his guilt by the
threats of lynching from the outside. The charge against
Arnett was theft.
Seymour Washington, Polk County, September 1, 1901.—
As Miss Ada Ware was crossing the fields on her way to
Valley Junction on September 1, 1901, two negroes assaulted
her. She succeeded in getting away and ran home. Her father
mounted a swift horse and rode to town as quickly as
possible and aroused the police. Search for the offender
was begun, and many suspects were brought in for
identification by Miss Ware. The news spread and caused a
large mob to gather about the jail, and the ones brought in
were closely watched. Finally Miss Ware identified one
negro, Seymour Washington, and the mob, already very much
excited, grew worse and ropes were procured and attempts
were made to lynch him. The jail was besieged and was the
object of a bombardment of flying missiles for some time.
Washington was placed in a car and taken to Des Moines as
soon as possible, and the lynching was prevented.
Edward Davidson, Wapello County, February, 1902.—The
twelve year old daughter of William Gallagher, living two
miles northeast of Eddyville, was criminally assaulted by
Edward Davidson of Pekay, in February, 1902. Davidson was
arrested and confined at Eddyville. Plans were laid to
lynch him, but the officers heard of them and took him to
Ottumwa and thus frustrated the plans of the mob.
W. L Horn, Appanoose County, December 21, 1903.—A
murder near Salem church, Appanoose county, on December 21,
1903, called forth a mob that searched all night for the
offender. He was found dead the next morning, having
evidently killed himself rather than allow the mob to lynch
him, which they intended to do if they had found him alive.
—Burk,— Zimmerman, Pottawattamie County, December 28,
1903.—Two negroes, Burk and Zimmerman, assaulted, robbed,
and offended two women in Council Bluffs, December 28,
1903, and when they were arrested and placed in jail a
large mob attempted to lynch them, but an extra guard force
made the jail secure and prevented the lynching.
Harry Thompson, Woodbury County, April 18, 1904.—
Continued disturbances were made in Sioux City by Harry
Thompson, and finally Mayor John Bunn caused a warrant to
be issued for his arrest. When the warrant was read to
Thompson, he resisted, escaped, procured weapons, and shot
Bunn. The citizens tried to lynch him, but the sheriff took
him in charge and succeeded in getting him aboard a train
and out of the city.
James Price, Boone County, November 19, 1904.—A negro,
James Price, shot and fatally wounded Thomas Albright and
then escaped to the woods in Boone county. On November 19,
1904, a mob searched for him, and judging from their talk
they would probably have lynched him if he had been found.
Stories spread about that he had been cornered on a
sand-bar and lynched, but no evidence can be found to
verify this story.
Victor Lee, Henry County, August 2, 1905.—The public
sentiment against Victor Lee was shown on August 2, 1905,
when he took his wife from New London to the insane asylum
at Mt. Pleasant. The citizens sympathized with his wife and
felt this was only a means of getting rid of her. They
probably would have lynched him as he went away but the
sheriff had him too well guarded. When Green Lee returned
that night they egged him, and evidently they thought
Victor Lee would return also, but he remained at Mt.
Pleasant and thus escaped.
Frank Brothers, Polk County, September 27,
1905.—Howard Wittell was arrested and brought to the police
station on September 27, 1905, by Detective Frank Brothers.
In the arrest Brothers had wounded the boy with a shot from
his revolver and this aroused the citizens so that a mob
followed him to the station. No man was found among them
who would dare lead the mob to lynch him and finally they
dispersed.
Robert Hyde, Charles Martin, Polk County, July 16,
1906.— Two negroes, Robert Hyde and Charles Martin, pushed
a white woman off the sidewalk in Des Moines on the night
of July 16, 1906, and they came near being lynched for
their aggressiveness. A mob took a rope from a street car
and would have hanged them if the police had not been
re-enforced just at that moment. The mob grew in size and
did not disperse for some time.
Thomas Grimes, Henry County, January 22, 1907.—The
jail was besieged at New London on January 22, 1907, by a
mob who sought Thomas Grimes (colored), supposed to be
confined there on charge of the murder of J. W. Govin. The
mob was outwitted by the officers who had learned of the
danger of a lynching and had removed the prisoner to Mt.
Pleasant.
Ray Edwards, Wapello County, January 25, 1908.—On the
night of January 24, 1908, Mrs. Clara Erwin was assaulted
by a negro. Ray Edwards was arrested and charged with the
assault. The indignant citizens came to the jail in a mob
and demanded Edwards. The officers put out all lights in
the jail and sent in a riot call to the police
headquarters. When the sheriff came before the mob he told
them Edwards was not in the jail, and to make sure, a
committee from the mob searched the building but failed to
find him. He had been secretly taken to Albia for
safe-keeping.
John Junkin, Wapello County, February 21, 1909.—The
murderer of Clara Rosen of Ottumwa created much trouble for
the authorities, as several attempts were made to lynch
him. The assault on Mrs. C. M. Johnson made the state of
feeling worse, and a mob went to the jail, February 21,
1909, to lynch him. Being admitted to the jail by the
officers they made search for him but were unable to find
him. He had been taken to Albia.
John Junkin, Des Moines County, February, 1909.—When
the officers were taking John Junkin to Ft. Madison in
February 1909 a mob mat them at Burlington and showed their
attitude by casting missiles at Junkin.
John Junkin, Wapello County, March 12, 1909.—When John
Junkin was brought back to Ottumwa on March 12, 1909, he
was sought by a mob at the jail. but after staying about
the jail for a time, creating much disturbance, the mob
dispersed.
John Junkin, Appanoose County, June 1,
1909.—Immediately following the death sentence of John
Junkin in Centerville, a mob attempted to lynch the
prisoner and the officers ad a hard time getting him safely
on the car for Ft. Madison. This was June 1, 1909.
J. A. Keefner, Polk County, August 8, 1910.—Because J.
A. Keefner's automobile caused a runaway and the injury of
the team by running into a wire fence, a mob of farmers
threatened to lynch Mr. Keefner. Word was sent to Des
Moines and officers came to his rescue within a very short
time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAMANCHE AND ALBANY FERRY
The subscriber respectfully informs the traveling
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JAMES CLAIBORNE,
Proprietor.
Camanche, June 5, 1839.
—Iowa Sun, Davenport, November 13,1839. |
