The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-07-13
Horrible Tragedy in Jefferson county,
Iowa.

Iowa.
FAIRFIELD, July 2.--Lqtc on 5 vt.
urday evening last, our citizens were
startled with the report that Il arrange
family had been murdered near Ba
tavia, in this county that the bodies
Of a mother, son, AMI laughter, had
been found in Cedar Creek in the
afternoon by Fishermen, half u mile
/ North oi Batavia. Our Sheriff Robb
and Others started Immediately for
that region, where he learned that q
man and boy, with two yoke of oxen
with closely covered wagon, had
/ passed along the road near where
the bodies were found late Friday
evening Ills singular, strange. eX.
cited manner attracted the notice oi
those who happened to sec him, and
suspicion Mt once marked him IA the
murderer. Sheriff ltybb, David l.
/ IluIlstutter ana others promptly fol
lowed after him. and found that he
had crossed the D,s VI ines above
Portland. thence to Lebanon thence
tour miles from Upton, Scotland
county, Missouri, where they over
took him in the prairi" on Sunday
evening, and returned To this place
with the prisoner about -four o'clock
to-day.
, John kcphart is the name Of the
hoary headed villain. lie formerly
lived near Trenton, III Henry county.
and ia well known in Washington
county, where he has lived since lie
left Trenton, ten or twelve years ago.
| gather an imperfect history OF
the acts of this oil villain from the
little boy who il found in his com
pany:--William Willis, (Cnrpcn,cr,)
the boys father, formerly lived in
Muscatino, Iowa. The boy rcmem
bcrs that John KGphart camo to
Muscatne to move the family South.
On the journey they stopped two
months in Cass county, Missouri, al
Il widow Sny1er's, whore Kephart
helped to husk corn. Oac morning,
spon after breakfast, his father, who
had eaten break fast well, took sud.
denly sick and died in lees than an
hour. The boys mother, the mur
dered woman, Jane Willis, told him
that kephart gave his father strych.
rsjne in his food. After the deatl'
OF Willis it seems they went to the
"Chcrukee country" where Kephnrt
kept grocery and sold whisky t.
the Indians This Sumner they
moved near Fort Des Moints. After
!, living there some weeks or months
they started for Kansas City. o.
I, last Thursday they stopped near tho
, bridge at Eldyville, and canpec
out. Mrs. Willis cooked supper
after which, complained oi beinl
: sick. laid down in the wagon an,
went to sleep. In the night som'
time the boy iwokc and saw that -h,
had n deep cash in her head. The
three children all got ont OF the
wagon, and Enphart chased JOSEPH
+, ngcd twelve. aul Maria JAM"
aged seven. about ha'' an hour. r,niel
and around the wagon with the ~
in hand, until they too were killed
He then placed them by the side o
the mother and pounded thcir head.
with the wagon hammer.
lie left EddyvilIe soon after iii,
murdcrOus deeds were finished, an,
travelled over thirty miles to the plac
where he no doubt hoped to hid,
tho unfortunate victims lrom huml,
eyes, A grey haired old man, owe
!. sixty years old, travelling day IN,
night with an oX team thirty miles
wit the dead boiies Of mother IN,
two chIlir1n in the wagon I find
= place Of conrraimen,.--lne Twin
boy, James II Willis, by his side
y and then when the place was lounc
= he stripped his victims, put their gal
' mentl into the wagon, took th
= mother first and then the children
-. and hid them under the waite,
placing a log upon them to kee
them down.
Tho boy James, says that he ha
II brother. Sylvester Willis, liyin
in Louisa county. Gu Friday, aitc
y leaving Eiiyville he looked a2ai
:, tor hls wagon hammer, and found
J sticking in the boys head. Tn
{ clothes Of the victims were all foun
u in his waron. Kephrrl aud I'll
woman had quarroled about som
y money. He charged her with stea
! ing his money. She claimed th'
l. the money in dispute was given
her by her son. The money W.
} found by the officers hid in II keS
soap. grease in the wagon.
. There il intense excitement
Jefferson county, bnt the law wi
'e b. left To take its course kcpha
IS is entirely safe until he is regular
! 4 convicted ard hung by law.