Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-08-26

luttle, IN the hardS uf his successor H. l.
RI Il, also see proceedings for habeas cor
pus filed IN the Linn county Circuit court
and wines Jos. Stnder, M MeDcrrnot HUI
- Street, Mrs. Vim Canott, and others
csn refrr yon 10.
T ~ bile CLARK had the mittimus, anl
Wilkinson was at large, Tatile and my At
tornies inplorng the officers 10 take 4
bond or execute the writ. or TO prevail al
w. L. Clark TO sue out bis writ inlnedi II
Wsiklnson and two others Oh the night o
March 2oih, laJo, and six DAYS after he wa.
required 10 keep the peace, waylaid me
nsAr The Residence Of r. +. Sanders, shot II
me twice, missed me, and PURSUED ne
t0the yard ience oi Sanders. aud there as
was gettihg ot er the fence, beat Inc with a
club until was left for dead
A. soon as revived | went to Sanders
nouse. and ronsng him was properly cared
iOr, and he or his wife may he seen for the
mAnner IN which ] was beaten. This was
onfsaturday night, March 9th 1858, and
while w. L. Clarke retained the mttimus
to4 'eonfining Wilkinson saying to Orr the
jjailers"i will DE responsible, let him go at
large Had this officer done his duty.
Wilkinson would have been under the re-
strant OF the law, and doubtless suffering
its penalties at this day
| arrested Wilkinson as soon as practica-
bic for beating me, and brought him be-
fore Mr.. futile, who bound him over on the
2ath CT March, | think, to appear at the
District Court, for an assault upon me with
intent 10 commit great bodily injury, F. II.
Lee, iel'eve, gong his security on the last
charge, sec papers in CouIt,) and Wilkn-
fz IN lat IN -
dations.
Wilkinson had not yet given security in
the first case OF threats, and frequently rode
by my house, at one time shooting INT o nv
yard, and in my absence telling my tenants
TO tell me TO leave or he would have under
ground, and that he had boud for what
he did and was to ret forty acres Of land
and would show Clark and his friends what
would become oi the property soon.
Ny friends becoming excited III regard to
the matter. public meeting was called on
the eth day Of April, at which the follow.
ing preamble and resolutions were adopted
and subsequently, published in the Keportc,-
WHEREAS, An attempt has been made to
deprive Philip Clark OF his property, by u
course that cannot Withstand a legal lnves-
ngation; and, whereas. the most uniustii-
able means have beeu resorted to TO ,iispos-
ses- him OF his property, the fruit of the
hard toll and prvatuns Of his early life, by
procuring hired desperadocs 70 effect their
nefarious o ject-who have not only threat
ened his life but already attempted in the
mcst cowardiy manner to a-sassinate him
Iherefote, While we are determined to
maintgin due respect for the laws Of the
land and 70 support by all legal measures.
the good and peace OF society; yet, as it is
evident that the rights of said Clark have
been tranrled on, and the officer charged
with the custody of these desperadoes has
permitted their leader to run at large, after
nttimus was placed in his hands to con-
fine him, issued BY legal authority. There
fore,
Eeso'rcd, While we respect the laws Of
the land and will rely on them as long a.
they are efficient in protecting the citizens
but where officers fail to execute those law.
and the lnalienable rights Of the citizens are
no longer protected, that we deem ii our
duty TO assist in mantang those + ghts, at
least until the officers Of the law do their
duty.
Resoiced That we will not quietly stand
by and see fellow citizen driven from his
Il
score OF years and robbed OF the same by
secret combination, assisted by hired min
ions and outlaws.
Heso<ped, That We proceed to appoint
committee of ane hundred good and faith
full men whose duty it shall be TO carry in.
TO effect the spirit Of the above resolutions
lst-Dy legal and practicable measures
If they can.
2t--l3y force il they must. which latter
shall be the last resort
HeSotnsd, That committee Of one hun
dred citizens Of Johnson county be appoint
ed by the Chair to carry out the spirit and
intention of the ioreg olng resolutions.
On motion the preamble and resolutions
We're unanimously adopted.
heS,ircd That the proceedings OF this
meeting be published in the Iowa State Re
porter and Iowa Republican, or if refused
by the publishers, in handbils and posted
in conspicuous places in this county.
Things went on thus until the night Of
May llth, 1855, or about that time when
my barn was buried down with two hor-
ses and other property. This aroused my
friends who We're led to believe, from all
the circumstances, that Wilkinson was the
incendiary They assembled to the mum
Der of about thirty, went to Wilkinson resi-
dence, found him hid in the cellar, and
while engaged in removing him, according
to their declared intention, he effected his
escape, leaped into the Iowa River and was
drowned.
They electcd him thus from the shantee
which he was occupying on one corner Of
my premises, rs tenant at will OF Pierson,
with no intent to iniure him "a they aver,
and as | am perfectly well satisfied.
1t may not be improper topublish in this
connection, to illustrate more clearly the
situation in which my life was placed, and
the vindictive feelings that were engen-
dered against me, the following affidavits
They are from respectable, unimpeachable
citizens of this county, and many others of
the sane tenor may be obtained for the
simple asking:
STATE or Iowa,
johnson Co.
|, VIM. ii. Woods, being sworn, on my
oath, depose and say, that | had a CONVEX
cation with Boyd Wilkinson before his
death about the difficulties between Philip
Clark and himself, concerning the posses
sion Of what his called Philip Clark's farm,
and Wilkinson teld me he had 50 900 bonds
to indemnify him in all he was doing. and
that W. Penn Clark told him to shoot. Phil
Clark If he Clark disturbed anything on
the farm,
WIN. H. WOODS.
STATE Or Iowa,
johnson Co.
On the cath day of August, 1858, VIM.
II. Woods subscribed and swore the above
before me.
MALCOLM MURRAY,
Justice of the Place.
CTArr ar yn,p.