Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1857-05-02

- 49, -
VOL. XIV, NO. 49, ser 4
Hnnging by Judge Lynch. at An.
! drew, Jackson County.
| MURDER AT IRoS HUI P. O.-HoRRrBLH
CONFESSION OF THE MURDERER.
7aco Other Men to be Hanged By the
@ Citizens!
! We have just learned from Mr.. Black
Iof Andrew, (the old county scat Of Jack
lson co. twenty-five miles South Of Dubu-
lque, the particulars Of The hanging, at that
Iplace, by mob, on Saturday last, the 18th
inst, Of Eli Gritford, a half breed. Grit
ford had murdered man named John In
lgalls, about the 2sth Of March. He was
ARRESTED, and lodged in jail at Andrew, on
1.-The 3Ist of March, and was taken from the
Jail on Saturday last, at about two o'clock
lP. NJ, By mob of twenty -four Of the cit
liens of the vicinity where the murder
was perpetrated, Iron Hill Post Office, in
the same county, aid about fourteen miles
from Andrew. The Jail was entered BY
force, the door being broken open with a
tsledge. The jailor made no resistance nor
called on the citizens for help, to protect
the ,prisoneror defend the Jail. The uncle
Iof the murderer had, a few moment before,
rode into town, and warned the Jallor OF the
approach of the mob.
| The mob was headed by Jacob Landis,i
Iof Iron Hill, ard on arriving in town, pro-
Iceeded at once to the Jail, and assailed the
door with 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 pris-I
orers in the Jail; who, with the assistance
of Grifford, baricaded the door. The pris-
oner on finding himself in the power Of
the mob, showed much alarm, and assert
ed, on being told it was their intention to
| hang him, that IF you hang ME; you hang
an innocent man" From the Jail the mob
took Gritford to tree just south Of the
school house, between that building and
the ce:iietery; when rope was put found
his neck, aud thrown over a limb project
ing over the pathway.
CONFESSION OF THE MURDERER AND.IMpLI-
CATION OF TWO OTHER PERSONS.
! When Gritford found that the citizens
were Determined on hanging him, and there
was no probababilitv of escape, he made a
clean breast of it, confcssing that he shot
Ingalls, on Friday, the 9th, in the woods,
where his body was found. Tie weapon
used was the rifle, and he approached his
victim from behind to within fifteen feet,
and shot him in the head, the ball passing
through and lodging against the skull over
THE LEFT eye. The skull ia front was frac-
tured, and the ball found to have split in
Two parts, or the gun must have contained
Imore than one ball. At the time, Ingalls,,
the murdered man, was walking with an
ak upon his left shoulder, and onreceiying
the fata. ball, fell upon his right side. A
small dog that was with him, returned TO
1.-THE house the second day. after having in
1.-THE interval evidently nestled ciose,f to his
masters person.
i Grifftord says that he WIS instigated to
1.-THE murder, and paid for doing it by his
JUNGLE, man named jarrett, and another
named David Mcdonald, neighbors of In
gals. An old grudge existed between
them, which had been fostered from time
to time by hostile acts from both parties
ingalls, had threatened to burn Jaret's
house, and for this Ingalls, had been arres-
ted. ingalls, was d large and powerful
man, and IN personal encounters was too
much for any of his opponents. For this
he was doomed to death, aud the confed-
Jerates, jarrett, Mcdonald and Grifford, de-
,ermined that the decd should be done by
the latter,--the two former agreeing to
pay him certain sum, and help hira leave
the State. Grifford is a native of Missouri,
where his mother resides now.
When told the fatal moment was ap-
preaching, he acknowledged the justice Of
| his punishment, but said his "uncle ought
to SITTER also" fe
SCENE UPON THE GROUND OF THE HANGING.
When the last moment arrived, the lea
DIR Of the party tied "a handkerchief over
the eyes Of Grlfford, who remained stand
ing, and every man Of the "a took hold Of
the rope. AT a signal they pulled upon
the rope together, suspending him in the
air about eight feet from the earth. His
irons had not been taken of, and his arms
being pinioned, there was but little strug-
fgling as his guilty soul took its flight. His
body was allowed to remain upon the glib
bet for something over an hour, when it
was taken down and placed in a rude box
and entered in field belonging to- DR..
Cowden. During the whole of this time,
and until the body was buried, the crowd
remained upon the ground silently witness
! ing the various occurrences.
GisiFFoRD's AccoMPLIcEs.
| As soon as the execution was over, two
men were dispatched in pursuit Of jarrett,
THE uncle, and Mcdonald, his accomplish,
and it is said to be the determination OF
the neighbors to hang theft both if taken.
| Mcdonald has not been seen since the
murder, but is supposed to be secreted in
III, Ioyotf loft town bpfors,