Iowa Old Press

Jackson Sentinel
Maquoketa, Jackson co. Iowa
March 30, 1871

BRUTAL OUTRAGE - W.F.MCCARRON ASSAILIED BY A MOB AND TERRIBLY BEATEN -INDIGNATION MEETING
For a week or more past the various saloon keepers of this city, through the instrumentality mainly of Mr. W. F. McCarron, State Temperance Lecturer, and Grand Worthy Patriarch of the Sons of Temperance, have been subjected to a series of prosecutions for violations of the prohibitory law. This has been the means of concentrating upon the head of Mr. McCarron the united wrath of that portion of community who believe that the right to retail tanglefoot and kindred drinks, regardless of statutory enactments, is one of those “inalienable rights” for which our forefathers so freely shed their blood in the days of ’76. Threats of personal violence had been freely made on the streets for several days, not only against Mr. McCarron, but other citizens who had been in any way instrumental in the prosecutions. Still, no one believed that these men, who had already placed themselves in the grasp of the law, could willfully and premeditatedly, by an act of such pendous folly, still further put themselves beyond the pale of public sympathy, and in the clutches of an outraged and doubly insulted law. That they were simply mistaken is evidenced in the disgraceful proceeding of last Monday, which has stirred the indignation of this community to its profoundest depths, and which can but end in the still further disgrace, humiliation and severe punishment of the perpetrators. On that day, about the hour of noon, Mr. McCarron had gone to the Post Office for his mail, and after receiving it quietly stepped to one side to peruse the letter. No other person was present at the time with the exception of Mr. F. Thompson, Deputy P.M. On a moment after, two men entered and inquired about their mail. While Mr. Thompson was thus engaged, two or three others entered, closed the front door, and walking rapidly up to Mr. McCarron, without a word of warning struck him. Hearing the noise, Mr. Thompson promptly started to his assistance, but as he attempted to emerge from behind the counter, was met with the stern command from the two men who had first entered, “Stand back!” He succeeded, however, in reaching the door, and , and shouting loudly for help, soon brought assistance, upon approach of which the scoundrels who had been kicking, pounding and stamping Mr. McCarron hastily fled.

The news of the outrage spread rapidly, and in a few moments a large crowd of excited and exasperated citizens had assembled, who needed but little more incentive to organize into a mob that would have carried destruction to every saloon in the town. Fortunately, however, for the good name of our city, better counsels prevailed, and the indignation of the community found proper vent in the public meeting which came off in the evening.

[Transcribed by K.W., March 2011]

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