The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-04-18
COpperhcad Ruflianism in Han
cock County.

From statements in the Warren, Han.
cock County, (nl.,) Bulletin, it seems tina,
the Copperheads in that section are carry.
ing it with high hand. At place called
Toga, in that county, there is notorious
Missouri rebel refugee, named DR.. Grass,
who is surrounded by lot OF mlnlons OF
his own class. The Bulletin says:
Grass says he was shot at on Sunday
night by John s. Goodwin. Goodwin was
oyertaken the same night, and Grass, in
return, shot at him. After chase Goodwin
was captured and held in custody. Good
wins friends say that Grass might OF
might not have been shot at; but Goodwin
of the alleged shooting. That Good
win was pursued on the streets when going
from his fathers house to the house of q
friend, shot at, overtaken and captured by
Grass gang, and held in custody for near
~ twenty -four hours, without warrant.
While Goodwin was in custody, Grass
and his followers armed themselves and
visited the houses of several Unionists,
took away their arms, and by threats and
abuse compelled them to leave the settle
ment.
Goodwin's examination was set to take
place on Wednesday, before Esq. Guyman;
but before the hour set for hearing, finding
that all his witnesses by whom he expect
ed to prove an alibi had been driven off by
Grass gang, Goodwin waived an examina-
ton and requested the magistrate to fix the
amount of bail. Bail was required for
81 600, which to this time Goodwin has not
been able to give, and in default he lies in
jail.
When the hour for examination arrived,
Grass and his gang appeared at Esq. Guy
mans all armed. They were much enra-
ged when they learned that the affair was
all over.
is described as missouri refugee-a
scoundrel who does not dare to show his
face on the other side of the river"-who
comes to Illinois with band of men of like
kidney-heads gang of desperadoes-for
months keeps the country around in tu-
multi, and finally makes an excuse for as
saulting and driving of all the Union men
in the neighborhod.
In another article the Bulletin says that
these secession refugees 60 armed to the
teeth, and have in several instances, search
ed the houses of Union men for arms which,
when found, they appropriate to their own
use. They spend their time about the gro
ceries, or about the house of Grass, drink
ing and belching forth curses and threats
ion men in the neighborhood, making both
day and night hideous with their yells for
jeff. Davis. "Hurrah for JEFF. Davis, and
d-n any man who won't hurrah for him."
is said to be their most common express
sion. And these are the men who denounce
the Government for arbitrary arrests, and
violating the Constitution. They are the
constituents of such men as Schofield Nor
rill, &C., whom these distinguished pinks
of Copperheadism so faithfully represented
in the last Legislature. This state of af-
fairs should be looked into by the authori-
ties, and if the local authorities are incom-
petent to the preservation of order and the
protection of citizens against the outrages
of secession outlaws and banditti, let them
have whatever assistance may be necessa-
ry to do so.