, 1864-12-01
ATROCIOUs MURDER.
An U1fnoiN Citizen Killed in Iowa on
ms Way Home from Idah0-Fu1 De-
tails OF the Characterization Of the
NTurdprpr

lttoAu lub Nalena tll4.1 GazeLt5s -oLu.J
p1sh III. sherTaTd 81 D: Townsend, Of the town q
county, and brother Of Il. 8. and Geo. N.
townsend, Of the same town, was murdered
On the 9Th Of last October, while on his way
home from ldaho. The following ore the cir
ny; Townsend left his BONE early lsst april
1or lalaot Which place he reached about the
LIST Of August. Not finding the country as
promising as be expected, hs soon made pre-.
parations to return home. An old man about
sixty years Of age, named Joseph Mcmillan,
from Montgomery county, near Pana, ILL.,, vas
at this time it Idaho, and on Earning that
begged the privilege of riding with him,
representing at tlle same time, that he had
no money and no way to get home. Mr-.ff.,
lad good team cf mules, and being kind
hearted man he was' touched by the oldman's
story, and told him he would take him'a1ong
they started out on their long journey across
the country, intending to cross the BGssissip-
pt At Dubuque. Mr.. Townsend treated the
o!a man vefy Il; kindly 2 en,tas m home, always
On the 9Th Of 0ctobc1 they reached storz
coRaty, Iowa, and, as nfzht caInc on, they
called alta house Just beyond the village Of
Nevada, where MI. T. purchased ca6bage
and = squash, telling the oldman that these
vegetables, together with somc cofned beef
: Which they had In the wagon, would make
. them fine breakfast. They then drove along,
and the people Of the house noticed TINT, be-
fore reaching the village, thew drove out
short distance from the road, To- the bank Of
Icreek, where they campcd for the night.
The next ncrnins they saw the oldmna hitch
up the team and drive of albne, which
awakened suspicion that al1 wass not right.
The old man pursued Lis journey alone, offer
Ing NIL a1ong, to sell the team Of two mules
and one good horse, together With. the re-
mainder Of the outfit, f5r $500. AS the prop
erty vas worth about $500, those to whom be
offered 1t refused to purchase on the supposi-
ton that be had stolen 1t.
About ten days subsequent to the time that
the parties campea at Nevada, q gentleman
being near the spot hunting, saw, just at the
edge of the creek. o man's whi5kers and. the
toes of Lis boots sticking out Of the g1ouud
and found the head almost split in two from
blow which mashed In the left side Of the
skull and cracked it nearly around. A rope
was abuut the neck Of the corpse, which had
been used in dragging the body from the
scene OF tho murder to the spot where he wns'
buried.
Further search WIS made, and within flTe:
rods Of where the body was discovered they
found where the two men had camped. 4;
shovel was also found here, nnd the axe with,
which the daInnlng deed was committed:
AS soon us these iacts were brought to light,
the people Of Nevada sent two men In search
Of the murderer aud the team. They also
had Two hundteo PnotoRraphs o. inc mnre
dered man taken anu sent to all parts OF
Iowa, WIN Inc nope lnat they might meet
the eye Of some one Tho knew him NJ.
william =. Ankeny. OF Clmton, acc1oentally
recognized it as that Of g. B. Townsend. with
"hom NC NAG peen well acqaa1nted.: Ae 1m-
mediately telegEnphed. to Mr.: H. 3. Town
send, who, on the receipt Of the news, start
ed with his @ brother, G: n. Townsend, Tor Ne-
vada. Al clinton thcY; weSc joined by ar.
Identifying the body.
The people o1 Nevada gave them . dcScrlp-