Iowa
Old Press
Dubuque Herald
Dubuque, Dubuque co. Iowa
March 9, 1865
THE GAMBLERS
The proclamation of Mayor Thompson and Sheriff Mahony, published
yesterday morning, will commend itself to every good citizen of
Dubuque. We have good reason to believe that there are at least
twenty-five professional gamblers in this town and have been for
the past two months, and it is high time they were rooted out. It
was but a short time ago that they came near destroying one of
the principal business blocks in town by fire, and though they
did not probably commit the crimes of Sunday night, yet every one
gave them the benefit of believing it to be them at first as was
shown by the first arrests made, and it is more than probable
that the real criminals now in jail are engaged in gambling when
not breaking into other people's houses and shooting down the
owners in cold blood who attempt to defend their properties.
The haunts of these gamblers are well known and every one of them
is "spotted," and if they consult their own welfare
they will jointly and speedily depart and seek more congenial
clime. A reasonable time will be given them to leave, and if they
are found here after that time they will regret it. We know the
whole community will stand by the public officers in the
discharge of their duties. Let, therefore, the whole crew of
gamblers, blacklegs, burglars, thieves and pimps be cleaned out.
[transcribed by K.W., April 2013]
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Dubuque Herald
Dubuque, Dubuque co. Iowa
March 15, 1865
DEATH OF JAMES L. LANGWORTHY
The Oldest Settler of Dubuque Struck by Apoplexy
The city was startled yesterday afternoon by the intelligence of
the sudden death of James L. Langworthy. He was known to
everybody hereabouts, not only from the fact that he was the
oldest resident of the city, having come here at a period earlier
it is believed than any other white man, but from the fact that
he had been up to the day of his death an active man.
He left home Monday morning apparently in his usual good health
to attend to some business at Monticello. He arrived there safely
and passed the night with his half brother, William Langworthy,
who resides there. Tuesday morning he went to the house of Mr. J.
L. Davenport by invitation to breakfast, and had been there but a
few minutes engaged in conversation and as he stooped down to
remove his overshoe suddenly uttered a cry and at once sunk away
into insensibility, and died in a very few minutes. His disease
is reported to be apoplexy. It was shortly after 7 o’clock
when he died.
The body was brought home on the train yesterday, accompanied by
his brother and Mr. Davenport, and upon its arrival was at once
transferred to his residence. The time of the funeral is not yet
fixed.
Mr. Langworthy was born in Vermont in the year 1800, and was
consequently at the time of his death 65 years of age. His
parents removed to New York when he was a mere child, and in that
state the rest of his brothers were born. He came to this country
as early as 1828, long before the Indians relinquished their
possession, and was with others driven across the river where
they remained until the Indian title was extinguished, when he at
once returned. This was in 1830, and he has resided constantly
ever since. He and his brother Lucius obtained the claim to most
of the land on which the City of Dubuque now stands, it is said
for $700. They resided in the upper part of the city and their
land was mostly in that direction, embracing all of the Couler
Valley and Langworthy Hollow. They entered at once into mining
and probably struck the first rich lead. They held onto the real
estate, and in the flush times of 1856, the two brothers were
reported to be worth three millions. But the crash of 1857 went
hard with them as it did with all landholders, and James had
never fully extricated himself from it. During several years they
ran the bank of J. L. Langworthy & Bros., now occupied by the
German Savings Bank, which block is, in fact, owned by the
Langworthys.
J. L. Langworthy was married in Galena in 1840, and leaves a wife
and four children, one son and three daughters. One daughter is
attending school in Chicago and has been telegraphed to return
home. Mr. Langworthy was a generous hearted and open-handed man,
with some faults, no doubt, like all of us; but now remembered
only as the good citizen and the old pioneer.
[transcribed by K.W., December 2010]