Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-12-19
ExEcUTIoN - HIRAM T. HOB.
ERTs.


ExECUTIoN - HIRAM T. HOB.
ERTs.
We learn from the Davenport Ga
zette and Upton Democrat the par
ticulars Of the execution Of Roberts, by
the :" Regulators, "in Jones county, on
the 4th inst, on charge Of horse steal
ing and counterfeiting. The Gazette
says the particulars were furnished to
that paper by a member of the organi-
cation Of /" Regulators - and may
therefore be relied upon as correct. It
says:
For the last fifteen years, this rascal
(Roberts) has the greater part Of the
time made this section Of the West the
scene Of his nefarious operations
travelling on the river, visiting towns
and cities, stealing horses in the coun-
try, and at times leaving perfect trail
of counterfeit money to mark his pas
sage.
Last week a young thief was arrest
ed in Cedar county, and the Regula-
tors became convinced that he was con-
nected with a band Of horse thieves,
and could give, if he would, some val
liable information. He was threatened
with immediate execution if he did not
make confession. He refused to con-
fess anything about his companions,
etc., and was swung up. He was let
down gasping, but refusing to make
any confession, was again drawn up.
On his feet again, the same demand
was made of him the third time, and as
he had every reasorto believe, the last
time. Again he was pulled up into the
air, and hung dangling to slender
cord, and again he was let down. Fl
nally recovering his breath, he told
them coolly they must be Did
fools'' to try to get him to tell any
thing by that kind of process. He was
then tied up and thoroughly switched.
After this operation had continued
for some time, the young fellow con-
Guided to confess. He told his perse-
cutors, among other things, that Hiram
Roberts was to meet another thief NAM
ed Quilbaugh, at a certain house, each
with stolen horse, to be taken from
different parts Of the country, and from
particular stables.
The committee at once took steps
for the capture Of Roberts, by conceal
ing several men in the stable, but sus-
pecting something he did not 60 in.
He was followed to the house Of " Big
John Hanlin," a friend Of these rogues,
where he was afterwards captured.
He refused to make any confess
sion, but acknowledged the justice
of the Regulators action. He was
then taken into u barn and tightly
bound. Two men with blackened IA
ces came into the room, and they were
left alone with the thief - every other
man Of the committee Withdrawing.
In few minutes the doors Of the
barn were opened, and the thief and
counterfeiter was discovered hanging
by the neck from the rafters. The OK
ecution occurred on the road between
Walnut and Red Oak groves, Friday
night, December 4h. The body was
allowed to hang two days.
The Upton Democrat gives the fol-
lowing version of the affair, which does
not materially differ from the Gazette's
account:
"He was led by the F osse to here here
underwent an examination, in which he
confessed having passed over three
hundred thousand dollars Of coun-
terfeit money, and having had at one
time over seventy thousand dollars oil
bogus money in his possession. He
plead hard for his life and stated tina,
he was reformed man that he had
been law abiding citizen for TIVE
years. He refused to .implicate others
and remained firm to the last. After
some elaboration, one of the Regula-
tors retired some distance from the
barn, took some elevated position and
addressed the crowd, which gathered
around him. During the monetary
absence Of the crowd, some four OF
five persons who had remained in the
barn with the prisoner as a body guard,
hung HIM until dead to beam, and
before thereturn of the absent persons,
threw his body-into a wagon, covered
it with straw, and driving at furious
rate into the woods, suspended the body
to tree, where it remained unit ia
ken down by the coroner of Jones
county.
"Said Roberts was some IS or 40
years Of age, had good address and
winning manners, and cunning in his
movements. He seldom staid long in
one place, but travelled over the west
ern States, portioning out his money
as he went to his agents who put it in
circulation. It is said he was worth at
the time of his death over 800, 900.
''We understand that man was ar
rested in Jones County, suspected of
participating in his dea thu
B9 Denver, Secretary Stanton's
successor in Kansas. was a member of