The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-19
Mob Violence Gross Outragcs upon Women
and Children.


We learn from Henry county, Illinois, that a Sc
ries of outrages have recently been committed upon
the Swedish colony located in that county, and that
they are threatened with determination from the
county. The men engaged in these outrages num-
Der about seventy, from the town of Cambridge and
Rock river, in the same county, and they
headed by fellow named John Root. This man, il
seems, married Charlotte Louisa Johnson but as
they did not live happily together she left him and
fled to her relations for protection against his vio
ence. About the Goth March, Root visited the col
ony. with mob, with the intention Of regaining pos
session of his wife, but she had left and gone to a
place of safety. Root, irrtated by this desertion,
determined TO ayenge himself upon the innocent
members OF the coony-collected a mob paraded
and kill the inhabitants. They searched the col
ony, and then left.
On the 9th they returned, and commenced de-
molishing some Of the houses, tore off of the
boards Of the church, discharged their guns, and
ordered the to leave their houses that
they could burn them down. They drove all the
men of the colony into the church, and the women
and children into the hospital. Next day, the mob
again assembled, and burned the hay stacks of the
colony, and set fire to the buildings Little HILL
two miles from Cambridge. The principal men
and women OF the colony hed from the fury of the
mob, and are now in st. Louis. No member Of the
colony had any thing TO do with the separation Of
Root and his wife, and of course they are not an
swerable in any shape for it.
Root pretends TO an intimate knowledge of the
bad designs on the part of the colony, and circu-
lates ISLANDERS ofall kinds against them. But il is
known that they are an innocent and unof1ending
people. They are Christians, worshpping God ac-
cording TO the Bible, which Ia their sole guide
They eat ut a common table, and work for the COM
mon benefit, but each family lives by itself. Mar
rage is recognised by them. In nothing do they
differ from other Christians except that they eat at
a common table, and work for the common benefit
They suffered severely from the cholera last year
and seventy widows with their children are left de-
pendent upon the colony for support. The colony
owns about four thousand acres Of land, church,
large story brick dwelling house, two other
brick houses, five frame buildings and other small
houses for store-rooms; a windmill, fax machine,
two saw mills, grist mill, steam Touring mill,
and large part of the land is improved. The
property, exclusive Of personal effects is valued at
$50,OO0. The colony now contains about one hum
drcd men, two hundred and fifty women and girls
and two hundred children. In one respect they re-
semble the Quakers-they hold TO the doctrine Of
non resistance and have offered violence TO the
mob.
people such as we have descrbed-mainly wo-
men and childrcn-arc at the mercy, il seems, Of
nois could produce seventy men in any one county
who would willingly engage in such outragcs, and
particularly when the objects are women and chill
dren. The sooner they are driven from the State,
the better IL will be for her reputation. The colony
deserves, and should receive, the instant protection
Of the laws and the offenders should not be suffered
TO go unpublished.
According 10 the latest adyices the mob had
fixed the 9th instant for the destruction Of the viii
lage in which the colonists located but IL is
hoped that this threat not put into execution.
Il s certain, that all appeals to the authorities of
the county for protection arc in vain and they have
besought the interpostion of the governor of the
State-a request which ought not to be denied TO
them.--iSf Louis Republican.