Home > Records > History Main > Elk Horn 1868-1918

Summer 1882 -- Harlan residents were awakened in the night by the town's fire bell. "Fifty masked men had surrounded the jail, frightened the keys from the jailor's wife, and whisked (a man known as) Hardy away to the bridge over the Nishnabotna River, just south of town, near the flour mill."

Hardy was hanged, shot and dumped into the river.

The mob scattered into the crowd that had gathered, and disappeared.

The mob execution apparently closed a murder case at Polk City that started about two weeks earlier.

The postmaster at Polk City, north of Des Moines, was shot to death. The manhunt spread from the capital city and the trail was picked up within 48 hours east of Audubon, where the two men took a team of horses froma farmer at gunpoint.

They next were seen at the creek just south of the Kimballton Post Office where two men, John Gardner and E. Baxter, were building a bridge across the creek. The two fleeing men aroused suspicion when, after being told they could not cross the bridge safely, they forced their horses to jump the stream.

Gardner and Baxter took to their horses and followed the fleeing pair. The desperados abandoned one of their horses, which had given out, and were on one horse heading for the grove southwest of Elk Horn.

The two men on one horse disappeared into the dense thicket of the grove. Gardner, Baxter and two Dane farmers stayed on the fringe of the grove. When they heard a horse whinny in the thicket, they rode into the grove and brought the horse out.

They soon were joined by about 20 others who formed a picket around the grove. Others joined the picket line as the word spread, coming from Oakfield, Exira, Audubon, Kimballton and Elk Horn. By the time it was dark these again were joined by as many as 300 new pickets. The crowd of some 2,000 now included men from Harlan, Marne and other communities.

The two thieves had been seen earlier by a man identified as Hallock of Oakfield, who caught sight of the two men, called out, "Here they are," and was shot. As the others tended to Hallock, the desperados fled deeper into the grove.

"Provisions were sent to the pickets from nearby towns and farms. A new line of march was started after dark. About half way through the grove, the two men again were sighted. One of the men shot and wounded John Maddy of Marne.

The two thieves then left the grove and broke for the tall prairie grass. They were about 40 yards into a wheat field when one of them was felled by a shot from the rifle of Levi Montgomery of Exira. The man died about 30 minutes later.

The other man was captured, to the cries of, "Hang him. Hang him," from the crowd.

The man was taken to the nearby public road. He first told officers his name was William Smith, that he was 22 years old and from Texas, that his mother died when he was 10 years old and that he believed in a supreme being. He later was identified as Hardy. His people were from Missouri.

The crowd began crying again for a rope and even with officers attempting to quiet the cry, a rope was placed around the man's neck and he was taken at a run toward a bridge across Indian Creek. The crowd moved with such violence and noise that horses were frightened and buggies upset.

Hardy was taken to the center of the bridge and was told he was going to die. He asked for a pencil and paper with which to write to his mother and asked someone to convey it with his $14 to her. Dick Griggs of Exira was selected. The back of a scale book was given to Hardy for his letter.

"Prominent men then spoke to the crowd, pleading with them not to defeat justice, and keep their hands clean of human blood," one report said. "Then the prisoner spoke at length of his innocence (he said he was guilty only of horse stealing and that he had never killed a man); after which citizens again spoke, tring to cool the blood-craving spirit already ripe."

"Finally a vote was taken to decide his fate. The majority favored letting the law prevail, the report said. "During this ordeal Hardy stood with rope around his neck, expressionless."

When the division was made, the sheriff reportedly termed it a vote favorable to justice; Hardy was in the sheriff's buggy and the sheriff started his horse and buggy onto the road, at a smart pace, through those who favored the sheriff's wishes and who would be less apt to stop the buggy.

Hardy was taken to the county jail where the later mob took the law into its own hands.

September 1882 -- With the dedication of the new church building it was noted the congregation had had 5 presidents including the current president, Niels Steffensen, who took office in 1880.

His predecessors included Ole Therkelsen 1875, Rasmus Hansen 1876-77, Christian Madsen, 1878, and Jorgen Jorgensen 1879.

December 17, 1886 -- Danish Mutual Fire Insurance Association reported $42,587 insurance in force--dwellings $6,350; home furnishings $3,757; farm buildings $3,030; horses $9,945; cattle $8,515; hogs $1,530; grain and hay $7,045; machinery and tools $2,500.

The company's first fire loss (summer 1886) was on the Thor Madsen farm. Coverage included the barn $50, granary $20, corn crib $7 and implements $5.

Hans Petersen was named to succeed secretary Nels Molgaard who died soon after the company was organized, while on a visit to Denmark.

The first year assessment was set at 5 1-2 cents per $100.

The company's philosophy was embodied in this, from Petersen: "The insured must have all he is entitled to, but no one must have more."