Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-11-02
KIDNAPPING CASE.
A Negro Murdered near Iowa City !

The Galena papers have contained several
notices, recently, of the kidnapping of party
Of negroes near Dubuque, one of whom,
named Jerry Boyd, was murdered near Iowa
City, in September. We have seen no men,
ton of the affair in any of our Iowa exchanges,
but the information comes so direct to Galena
that we are inclined to believe the circum
stances are true. We copy the following
from The Galena Courier Of October Oath pm
"rhe gentlemen who left here, a few days
ago, in pursuit Of the two negroes who had
been kidnapped from this place, short time
since, returned, this morning, bringing with
them the two negroes they were in pursuit OF,
and also another which had been Kidnapped
by the same persons, some SIX weeks before,
from Dubuque, Iowa. They were decoyed
away by man calling himself George Wilder,
who was properly named John Goodwin, and
who was accom- panied by his father-in.law,
named Peter l.. Boulton, both residents of
Caldwell county, Missouri. These two men
murdered Jerry Boyd, one of the kidnapped
negroes, on the 30th of September last, near
Iowa City, Iowa. These men are respectfully
connected in Buchanan county, Missouri,
about fourteen miles south of the city of St.
Joseph. They were both arrested near st.
Joseph. One of them, Boulton, the first
was committed to Jail in st. Joseph,
on the charge of kidnapping, in default of
81, 900 bail. The other, Goodwin, was taken
charge of by the gentlemen from this city,
who brought him within forty miles of Han
nibal, Missouri, on their way to this place,
where he slipped his irons and jumped from
the car window, while the train was running
1T the rate of IL miles an hour. and escaped.
"About two months ago, they succeeded in
lecoying away a woman from Dubuque,
named Mary Baker, and lately took from this
place Mary Boyd, wife Of Jerry Boyd, who
vas murdered, and a mulatto girl about IA
ears old, the daughter Of colored woman
n this vicinity. When the gentlemen from
Ialena arrived where these negroes were, the
bargain was made, and the negro-buyer was
It st. Joseph getting the money to pay for
hem. The price for them was 81 200. In
he meantime, the fact of the murder of Jerry
Boyd came out through Mary Boyd, his wife,
nd information was sent here of the where
bouts of the negroes and the men,"
How Jerry Boyd was murdered is thus
tated:
"We understand Mrs. Boyd states that,
Vhen the party had travelled three days out
rom Galena, they encamped over night about
ixteen miles from Iowa City. Here some
movements made by Goodwin and Boulton
xcited the suspicious of Jerry that all was
ot right, and be loaded his gun and revolver
A the presence of the kidnappers. The next
lorning, Goodwin and Boulton held con-
u!tation, Goodwin urging the necessity of
citing rid of Jerry by killing him. While
erry was sitting down near the wagon,
GOODWIN stepped up to him, saying, Jerry, t;
am afraid Of you,' and fired, first shooting
i'm in tie breast, and then in the head.
he murder was committed in the presence
( Mrs. Boyd and the mulatto girl" :
2. s. The st. Joseph (Mo.) Gasette,- Of 8
let. Goth, in noticing this affair, says:
A few days ago, the Muscatine Qowa) 6
apers contained the account of neglo hay s
1g been murdered near that place, and the
tizens offered a reward of $1,000 for the
rrest of the murderers. 1t is not improba- :
lie that the murdered man was Jerry Boyd /
This is altogether a mistake. No account 4
negro being murdered near this place
as been published in the papers of this city, t