Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-04-20
MOB VIOLENCE IN ILLINOIS.
FROM THE ST. LOUIS REPUBLICAN, OF APRIL 9

FROM THE ST. LOUIS REPUBLICAN OF APRIL 9.
We learn from Henry county, Illinois, that series of out
RACES have recently been committed upon the Swedish colony
located in that county, and that they threatened with
termination from the county. The engaged in these
outrages number about seventy from the town OF Cambridge
and Rock River the county, and they are headed by
fellow named John Root This man, it seems, married
Charlotte Louisa Johnson but, they did not live happily
together she left him aud fled her relations for protection
against his violence About the 26h of March, Root visited
the colony, with mob with the intention Of reganing pos
session of his wife, but she had left and gone to place OF
safety Root ated by this deserioD, determined to
himself upon the innocent members of the coonycoected
mob paraded the streets armed and threatened to burn The
houses and kill the inhabitants They searched the colony,
and then left.
On the 27th they returned and commenced demolishng
some the houses off of the boards Of the church,
discharged their guns, and ordered the inhabitants to leave
their houses that they could burn them down. They
drove all the Of the colony into the church, and the
women and children into the hospital Next day, the mob
again assembled and burnt hay stacks Of the colony and
fire to the buildings Little Hill two miles from Cam
bridge. The principal and women of the colony fled
from the fury of the mob and now i'll ST. Louis No
member Of the colony had any thing do with the separa
Of Root and his wife, and of they not answer
able in any shape for It.
Root petends to an intimate knowledge Of bad designs
the part of the colony and ccuaes ISLANDERS OF all kinds
against them But it is known that they innocent
and unofendng people, They Christians, worshpping
God according the Bible, which their sole guide They
eat at table, and work for the common benefit but
each family lives by itself Marriage recognised by them
In nothing do they differ from other Christians, except that
they table, and work for the common bene.
fit They suffered severely from the cholera last year, and
seventy widows with their children left dependant upon
the colony for support The colony sabout acres
Of land church, large ourstory brick dwelling
other brick houses five frame buildings, and other small
houses for wind MILL fax machine, two saw
mills, grst mill, steam Touring mill and large part Of
the land is improved The property, exclusive Of personal
effects valued at S50 000 The colony contains about
100 men, $50 and girls and 200 children. In one
respect they resemble the Quskeshey hold to the doctrine
of and have offered violence to the mob
ton the laws and the offenders should not be suffered to
unpunished. @s
According to the latest advces the mob had fixed the 9Th
instant for the destruction Of the village IN which the coonis
located, butit hoped that this threat not put
into execution certain thata appeals The author
ties Of the county for protection in vain and they have
besought the nterposon Of the Governor of the Stats
request which ought not to be denied them.