The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-02-16

verulcttnat Ene rdeceaSed was ueo. law
renee, aud thAy NJ .eame, TO his death b,
means of a wound inflicted on TIE head wit
a murderous instrument by some person o
persons unknown.
The place where the remains were, found
isspcfHaps Is wen 7 adapted ste fhe parpdss
of concealing dead body as could be found
In the vicinity It was 81 near the head o.
theravihe; add ths-hanls IN each side NWri
so steep and precipitous, that everybody
would find it easier to go round the head o
the ravine than to attempt to cross t..
Soft Is, that the 'miysaery Of Grim, ia I'm.
ravelled, link by link, until the oh ain reach
es to the criminal, and brings him, sooner
or later tojustice There was no doubt tina,
McComb was the real murderer Of both tn,
victims. But where was her No clue hat
vet been found Of him. Was it possible tina
he would escape the punishment that wa.
due him' II is an old saying that ,''inur.
der will out" and 80 it has proved to bin
Four years had elapsed, and yet he was free
in the world, carrying his double crime with
him, until at last his career was run. -
-, 4. His Arrest. tH
On the ID of March, 1864, three officers
Of Davenport arrested. ata small saloon. q
man supposed to. be McComb. He was
brought here on the 4th, of the same month
His'arrest as near as we can learn was abou
as follows: a young soldier stationed Al
Camp Mcclellan, and who knew this mar
McComb, previous to his, committing tbs
murder, happened 10 meet him and rccog-
nized him. McComb had been in, the, EN-.
ploy Of this young soldiers father for three
years, near Rockford, H., and was reoogniz
ed by him, instantly. The soldier, being cog
infant Of the murder and the fact that Nc.
Comb and the, girl left Rockford together,
immediately informed the proper, officer Of
the fact, who started at once to find the in
div.dual. He was found at the saloon, just
as he had concluded trade. with, a man for
a horse, fo- which be paid $3.50, When ar.
rested, he quietly asked ".what forg"'. but
made no resistance. The man who had sold
him the horse agreed to give him back $17O,
and retake the, horse, which, was agreed up
on. He seemed flush with money, and
evinced not the least uneasinesi : He said
nothing about the affair, and only remarked
that all he wanted was fair trial. His
business at that time appeared to be boun-
ty jumping. f,s ~. - r., Il. ),
When brought to this place he appeared
cheerful, and ,conversed freely with visitors.
He admitted that he was the McComb, they
were after-that he, once lived near Rock
ford, but said his name was Lansing B. Nc
Comb instead of Benz. A. McCp,nb. He
said that he had been. here before, and that
he knew Geo. Lawrence, but knew nothing
of the murder or ofthe Harvey. family,
Soon after being lodged in Jail, he employed
Attorneys to defend him, but, we never
learned whether he. made any, effort to got
proof Of mis- innocence or not, At least at his
trial ne had none. #sf !, raya .yauSFs-t ~
-,st.sa-- Il HIs, TRIAL. "a; sg5-f4;rr,. -.
On Tuesday, juno 18th, 1864, the trial Of
B, A McCombr commenced before the Dis
trict Court, then in session. When the case
was called he appeared by his council. and
filed his plea of "'not guilty. Two applic,-
lions were made for continuance, one, Of
which was overruled, and the other gran ted
but the continuance was avoided on the
part Of the State by, admitting that he, cou ID
prove the allegations Sc. out in his affidavit
About one, hundred persons were summoned
before a jury could be formed. There was
some excitement attending the trial, but it
vas not of such a character as to prevent
his haEing q fair, impartial hearing. The
rial was ably conducted on both sides So
The testimony Of the witnesses correspond.
ID. The charge of the Judge. to the jury
vas able and comprehensive During the
rial the prisoner seemed perfectly calm and
,asy, apparently taking great sinterest in
The testimony: g.isg.g "a. s..H.taa - roi.a.ae 8,
After the charge f,the Judge, the Jury
retired and > remained out SEINE three-quar.
ers ofan hour, when they returned with
he following verdict: .;jarf -.carq fzaag
"We, the jury, find the defendant GUILTY
If murder in the first degree.'r,q,s nsIr, ,
On Wednesday, June 14th, the time hav-
ng arrived for the /, sentence, the prisoner
vas brought into count, and the sentence Of
leath passedupon him. When the Judge
Isked him if he could show; any,cause why
sentence should not be pronounced against
him, or if he, had anything !. to say. he re-
'lied 81 don't know as I have" The court
hen sentenced him to be hung. on the 9th
# July, at II o'clock N. The prisoner re-,
'eived the sentence without any apparent
'motioa, preserving the same indifference
hat he did throughout the trial, go
Thecas was taken % the Supreme Court,
nd consequently he was not hung on the
lay appointed, ). -,,,. ga ss,.,Esg stes,
! MOB THE JAIE ENTERED AND a'coNB Taken
70 esn esafa OFT TO BIZ HUNG. asi 'op Atsf,-
Onthe day fixed by the District Court
or McComb to be'hung, a great many poo.
lie from the country, who had mot perhaps
Ieard'of the postponement Of the execution,
r. 's1 who dill not believe, It came in
o witness,the prisoner receive his punish
nent BY noon OF that day the street, were
people, old and young but up
o this time nothing transpired to indicate
my unlawful purpose on the part of the null.