The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-03-09

upon the head, by person or persons
to them unknown. As soon az possible
| officers and men were sent ont in every
direction to secure tie perpetrators Of
this brndal murder. Up to this time,
we believe, no names could be fonnd Of
the girl or the murderer, although she
was identified as the same person who
had been ot- lhA Jefferson house few
days before.
a week passed by and large rewards
were offered for their arrest. and vet no
flt'ngs Of the murderers, only that they
had been traced to Iowa City, where a
man had sold the horses and harness,
Thlch were identified as the same
party OF three brought to this city.
After that all efforts were in vain.
Meanwhile letters were written to Rock
ford, H.. and in answer 10 the whole
matter, the names and character of the
men were given. Il appeared ,ha: all
were from Rockford, and their names
were George Lawrence, Benjamin A
McComb, and Laura j. Harvey. Miss
Harvey had been receiving the atten,
tons OF Lawrence for some time,
against the wishes Of her parents, and
i seems that some ten days before IL cy
eft f'r Iowa they had gone 10 Beloit,
Wis, and there clandestinely married,
as she showed her mother the marriage
certificate aftcrward In a few DAYS
after she aud Lawrence started off in
the cars for the Mississippi river. 1t
appears that McComb, with two of
Lawrcnce's horses and one of his own.
started after them. l. seems to have
been concerted movement between
Lawrence and McComb. Lawrence
had some seven hundred dollars which
it is said, he stole before he left.
Nothing more was heard Of them unit!
the body Of the g;,l was found dead.
The general impression was, at the
time, TIA. hewr-"ce and McComb were
both equally guilty of the murder, bu:
as II afterwards proved. Lawrence met
the same fate as the girl.
rHE BODY OF GEoEGELAwREscEF FOUND
On The 2s'h Of July, 1860. just Eon,
months af.er the murder of Laura ]
Harvey, the body Of man. vas found
IN rayine healing Corperas Creek,
about four miles from this city, eas.
ward. The coroner i.npanelel iarv,
and soon the mystery was solved. The
flesh was nearly gone, bnt the skeleton,
with the exception Of one lee, there.
The clothes including coat, vest pants.
gaiter boot on one leg and silk crava,
around the neck, were in pretty good
preservation, so that they were readily
recognized by the witnesses as those
worn by Lawrence willie here. WI,
nesses testified to peculiar seams in his
pants, to the buttons on his coat. and
other articles, so that there could nos
sih!y be doubt Of the identity oflh-
man Ate, hearing al, the testimony
the jury returned verdict that the de
ceased was George lawrence, aud that
he came to his dca'h hy means
Of a wound inflicted On the head with A
mn'derons instrument by some person
or persons unknown
The place where the remains we're
found is perhaps rs well adopted to the
purpose Of concei!ing dead body as
coald he found in The vicinity l, was
so near the head If the rayine, and the
banks on each side were SO steep and
PERCEPTIONS, that everybody would find
It easier to 20 renud the head Of the
ravine than 70 attompt to cross it.
So it is, that the mystery &C crime is
unrareled, Ink by link. until tie chain
reaches to The criminal and brings him
sooner or later 70 justice. There was
no doubt that McComh was the re Al
murderer Of both the victims. But
where was he? No clue had .et been
found Of him. Was it possible ,ha, he
would escape the punishment that was
due him? II is an old saying that ..mnr
der will out" and so it has proved 10
him. Four years had elapsed, and yet
he was ttee in the world, carrying his
double crime with him untu ct last his
career vac run.
Ills ARREST.
On the I'd Of March, 1854, three Off.
GERS eft Davenport arrested at small
saloon, = man supposed 10 be McComb
lie was brought here on the 4,h Of the
same month. His arrest, "a near ~ We
can learn, was aboa, as follows: A
youn solbier stationed at Camp Me.
Clelan, and who knew this man Nc
rn,~Ah 4.