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Attempted Lynchings in |
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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. William B. Thomas William
B. Thomas, alias “Come quick�, 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 ease in the
court. The lynching was prevented by a strong guard force that had been
placed about the court room. Jude Stone and others made addresses to
the mob and finally succeeded in dispersing it. Thomas was
lynched a little later. |
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