Richmond palladium., 1850-05-01
Gross Outrages upon Women and
Children.

| we learn from Henry county, Illinois
that series of outrages have been com.
mltted recently upon the Swedish colony
located III III lat county. and that they are
threatened with determination from that
country. The men engaged in these out
RACES number seventy. from the town.
Cambridge and Rock River. in the same
county. and they are headed by a 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 pro-
lection agains, his violence. About the
26fh March. Root visited the colonys with
mob. with the intention Of regaining
possession of his wife, but she had left
and gone to place Of safety. Root. irri-
tated by this desertion, determined to
avenge himself upon the members Of the
colony-collected mob, paraded the
streets armed, and threatened to burn the
houses and kill the inhabitants. They
searched the colony. and then left
On the 9th they returned, and com.
menced demolshing some Of the houses.
tore off some Of the boards of the church,
discharged their guns, and ordered the
inhabitants 10 leave their houses so that
they could burn them down. The,
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 burnt the hay stacks ofthe
colony. and set fire to the buildings at
Little Hill. two miles from Cambridge
The principal men and women of the COL
ony fled from the fury of the mob, and
are now in ST. Louis No member of the
colony had anything to do with the sepa.
ration Of Root and his wife, and Of course
they are not answerable in any shape
for it.
Root pretcnds to have en- intimate
knowledge Of the bad designs on the
part of the Colony, and circulates SLAM
der OF all kinds against them. But it is
known that they are an innocent, and un.
offending people. They are Christians.
worshPing God according 10 the Bible,
which IS their sole guide. They eat at a
common table, and work for the common
benefit, but each family lives bv ITSELF
Marriage is recognized by them. In
nothing do they differ from other Chris.
'ians, except that they eat at common
table. and work for the common benefit.
They suffered severely from the cholera
'"'' y oii StNtIIty "luOWS Win tnelr
children are lett depe ndent upon the colo
ny for support. The colony owns abou,
1000 acres of land. church, a large
four story brick dwelling house. two 9TH
er brick houses, five frame buildings, and
other small houses for store rooms.
wind mill. flax machine. two saw mills.
a grist mill. steam Touring mill. and
large part Of :he land is improved The
property. exclusive cf personal effects, is
valued at $4,000. The colony now
about 100 men, $50 women and
girls, and goo children. In one respect.
they resemble the Quakers they hold to
the doctrine of resistance; and have
offered no violence to the mob
\ people such we have described
mainly women and chldren-are at the
mercy. 1t seems. of an outrageous mob
We did not suppose Illinois could pro.
duce seventy in any one county. who'd
engage in such outrayes, and
particularly when the objects were wom-
en- and children. The sooner thew are
driven from the State the better it will be
Tor lis reputation. The colony deserves,
and should receive the instant protection
of the laws. and the offenders should not
De suffered to 90 unpunshed
According to the latest advces. the
mob had fixed the 9th instant for the de-
'tructlon of the village in which the colo
1lsts were located. but it is hoped that this
hreat was not put into execution 1t is
certain. that all appeals to the authorities
'f the county for protection are in vain
md they have besought the interposition
'f the Governor Of the State-a request
which ought not to be denied them.-[St. II
louis Republican.