St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-07-23
The Meb Spirit.


dressed letter to Governor Grimes,
stating that he has in his hands war.
rants for the arrest of the persons
who hung Bennett Warren, on the 18th
ult, that he is informed that very
large combination has been formed,
banded together by agreement or oath
to execute similar outrages upon 9th.
err persons, and to protect and defend
any of their numbers who may be at
tempted to be dealt with by law, and
that this combination is supposed to
number about two thousand persons
in jackson and the adjoining Counties
The Governor, under date of July
Sd, replies to this as follows:
"You ask me what course shall
be pursued l answer unhesitating.
ly, serve the warrants in your hands,
and enforce the law of the State. You
have authority to summon to your aid
the entire force of your country. If
you deem it to be necessary to do
so, call for that force and prosecute
every man who refuses to obey your
summons.
IF the power of your County is not
sufficient to execute the laws, a suffi-
cient force from other counties shall
be placed at your disposal.
eff the persons arrested refuse to
give bail, and you believe your Coun-
ty Jail to be unsafe, you will have au-
thority to establish guard, or send
the prisoners to some other County in
the State, where they will be secure.
81 am resolved that so far as in me
| lies. this lawless violence, which, un-
der the plea of administering justice
to horse-thieves, sets at defiance the
authorities of the State, and destroys all
respect for the laws, both human and
divine, shall be checked. shall have
no hesitation, therefore, when official
ly advised of the exigency, to call
out the entire military power of the
State, if necessary, to crush out this
spirit of rebellion which has shown it.
self in your County.
II shall direct all the military CON-
panies in the State to hold themselves
in readiness for duty.
As | have been written to on this
subject by your County Judge, and
by other citizens of Clinton, and as l
desire that there should be no doubt
as to my opinions on the subject, or
as to what my action will be, request
you to give publicity to this commu-
nication."
On the other hand, the Vigilance
committees appear to be in no way back.
.--".a a hnu+ mo kipor thamsalvas known
and justifying their proceedings. The
Secretary of the Committee organized
at Big Rock has furnished the editor
of the Clintoniam with copy Of the
proceedings of their regular meetings.
the constitution and bylaws Of the as
ISOLATION, and the names Of the mem.
bers thereof.
The Anamosa Gazette says that the
young man who was charged with
stealing horse near Fairview, last
week, and who was taken from the
house of Mr.. Peet, where he was le-
gally confined, by a mob, has since
stole another horse and left for parts
unknown.
The Gazette gives the following &C
count of the man Soper who was re
Gently hung by the Vigilance Commit
, tee near Toronto, Cedar Co.:
This Soper was rather hard Gus
toner. He has been more or less i'm
, plicatcd in various crimes for the las
i've years. Some three or four year
since, while on journey from liiinoi
to this city, and in company with
: friend, who had travelled the Who'll
distance in his company, and wit
whom he had always been on the bes
terms, he enticed his friend to leav
4 the main road, into by-path, assurin
him that it was the nearest way
= their destination. After they ha
] travelled short distance, Soper Dire
: a pistol and shot his comrade in tn
/ head, stunning him SO severely, tn;
the villain supposed he was dead, an
accordingly riied his pockets an az
taking his clothing, decamped. H
!. victim revived, and was discovefe
II by neighbor, who took him 10 III
y house. Sopcr was arrested and q:
! knowledged the deed, but before III
: trial came oil, the injured man wa
e taken to Spirit Lake, and never r
turned, and Sopcr was suffered to e.
e cape the hands OF justice.
!; We learn that he made full col
j. fession to the Vigilance Committed
J. acknowledging that he had been guilt
e of three other murders, one of hi
y victims being a small boy. He test
It fed that he had stolen over fifty horse
|, since he has been in the business. ID
l also disclosed the names Of gree
j. many individuals, whom he asserte
], were implicated in horse-stealing, q
f The Committe is after several otht
j; individuals, whom they say desers
8 hanging.
/ Five men have now been executed .
: the Committee-Page, Warren, Com
lin, Cassidy and Soper. Some haV
0 fed the country entirely.
I>v