Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-04-18
From the Dubuque Express d Herald
HANGING BY JUDGE LYNCH. AT
ANDREW. JACKSON COUNTY.

of Andrew, the old county seat of Jack
son Co., twenty five miles south of Du
buque, the particulars Of the hanging a
that place by a mob, on Saturday last, tn,
11th inst, of Eli Grifford, half-breed
Grifford had murdered man named Johr
Ingalls,, about the Goth of March. HI
was arrested and lodged in Jail at Andrew
on the 3lst of March, and was taken from
the Jail on Saturday last, at about
O'Clock, p. NJ, by mob of twenty -foul
of the citizens of the vicinity where th,
murder was perpetratod, Iron Hill Pos
Office. in the same county, and abou
fourteen miles from Andrew. The iai
was entered by force, the door being
broken open with sledge. The jailol
made no resistance, nor called on the citi
zens for help, to protect the prisoner OF
defend the Jail. The uncle of the mur.
derer had few moments before rode into
town and warned the jailor of the approach
of the mob.
The mob was headed by Jacob Lands
of Iron Hill, and on arriving in town
proceeded at once to the Jail and assailed
the door with a heavy sledge. The door
of the cell was strong one, and did not
yield until near two hundred blows had
been struck. There were four other
prisoners in the jail, who, with the assist
ance of Griford, barricaded the door,
The prisoner, on finding himself in the
power of the mob, showed much alarm,
and asserted, on being told it was their
intention to hang him, that eff you hang
me, you hang an innocent man." From
the Jail the mob took Grifford to a tree
just south of the school house, between
that building and the cemetry, when a
rope was put aronnd his neck and thrown
over limb projecting over the pathway
| CONFESSION OF THE MURDER AND IMPLICA-
TIoN OF TWO OTHER PERSONS.
When Grifford found that the citizens
were determined upon hanging him, and
there was no probability of escape, he
made a clean breast of it, confessing that
he shot Ingalls, on Friday the eth, in the
woods, Where MS Dody was Iound. The
weapon used was the rifle, and he ap-
preached his victim from behind, to
within fifteen feet, and shot him in the
head, the ball passing through and lodg-
ing against the skull over the left eve
| The skull in front was fractured, and the
ball found to have split in two parts, OF
the gun must have contained more than
one ball. AT the time, ingalls,, the muir.
dered man, was walking with an axe upon
his left shoulder, and on receiving the
fatal ball fell upon his right side. A
small dog that was with him returned tc
the house the second day, after having in
the interval evidently nestled closely tc
his masters person.
Clifford says that he was instigated tc
the murder, and paid for doing it, by his
uncle, a man named jarrett, and another
named David Mcdonald, neighbors O
ingalls,. An old grudge existed between
them, which had been fostered from time
by hostile acts from both parties ingalls,
had threatened to burn Jarett's house
and for this Ingalls, had been arrested
ingalls, was large and powerful man,
and in personal encounters was too much
for any of his opponents. For this he
was doomed to death, and the confader.
ates, jarrett, Mcdonald and Griford
determined that the deed should be done
by the latter,-the two former agreeing tc
pay him a certain sum and help him tc
leave the State. Grifford is a native OF
Missouri, where his mother resides now
The murderer sought an early opportu-
nifty of eifecting his purpose, which was
but too easily found. Iron Hill is situated
in the midst of a heavy body of timbe,
which stretches away for miles in all
directions, and it consequently afforded
coneealment to accomplish the deed.
Grifford also confessed that he had
attempted to kill two other persons in the
same vicinity-one a man at whom he
shot three times, and the other woman
When told the fatal moment was ap,
preaching, he acknowledged the justice
of his punishment, but said his "uncle
ought to suffer Also"
SCENE UPON THE GROUND OF THE HANGING
From 800 to 500 persons witnessed the
hanging. A prayer was offered up by a
Methodist clergyman, Rev. Mr.. Babcock,
the guilty wretch kneeling and crossing
himself; the surrounding crowd standing
in respectful silence. There was no dis.
turbance, no tumult, and legal execution
could not have passed off in more orderly