Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-06-27
From the K eokuk Gate City.
Vigilance Committee In Iowa
Horse Thieves and Criminals
Arrested One OfThem Hung.

u. Ol6 VI ucAAA n0A6s
Eere is primitive mode of administer
ing Justice which has been adopted IN
Monroe county. We take the account
from the Abba Union. So repeated have
been horse stealings and robberies in that
county recently, that vigilance commit
tee was organized, and in a short time
Garrett Thompson, Thomas Smith, Har-
rison Gibson, John and Hiram Hull, and
two brothers named Hill were arrested
for horse stealing. Thompson was the
leader of the gang, evidently. The pris-
oners were taken to a spot in a narrow
valley, skirted by woods, on Avery Creek,
few miles from Abba. This was the
theater of the performance which the
Union thus narrates;
cat daylight next morning the people
of the county began to arrive, and also the
merchants, attorneys and citizens from
Abba, and continued coming until
o'clock P. N, at which time the crowd
numbered about FIVE hundred people
When the vast assembly had come togeth-
er, the person who had been selected by
the vigilance committee to direct the ar
rest came forward and called the atten-
ton OF the people, informing them that
the prisoners had been arrested and were
on the ground, that his duties had been
performed, and that he felt himself dis
charged from further responsibility, only
as a citizen.
CATER electing a chairman, the sense
of the meeting was taken, which Unani-
mously voted for selecting twelve men to
hear the testimony in regard to the pris-
oners-the twelve men were then chosen.
A marshal was also appointed, who was
instructed to preserve order and remove
any suspicious persons who might be pres
ent. 1t appeared, however, that there
was none. He was then directed to re-
move all boys from off the ground and to
allow no profane language or disorderly
conduct The jury was then called, and
the prisoner Garrett Thompson) was
brought forWard-the testimony was
heard, and the prisoners statement was
made.
Questions were put to the witnesses
and the prisontr by the foreman of the
jury. The jury then retired, and after
mature deliberation, brought in a verdict
of Gully of hOrss stealigg and other Oaaragss,
viz:-hOuss burning and murder The YER
dict being publicly read by the foreman
to the vast concourse of people, was quiet
ly received with as little outward demon
stration as a verdict of jury before any
civil court.
"The audience were then seated and
motion was made that the prisoner( Gar
rett Thompson BE hanged By the neck til
dead
''The motion was amended by simply
tar and feather which being briefly de-
bated, and the amendment withdrawn,
the original motion was carried in the af-
frmative, only one person voting in the
negative out of about three hundred Vo-
tiers. An executive committee of ten per-
sons was then appointed to notify the
prisoner of the sentence, and thirty MIN
utes allowed him to confess, or make
known his requests, &c. The committee
was appointed, and went in discharge of
that duty. Forty minutes was given him
and he made no confession, under the
impression, no doubt that the committee
would release him at last, as had been
done before.
"a scaffold was then erected under a
tree, and he was brought and placed up
on it. he then requested that his body
might be given to his family, and denied
any guilt of crime The entire audience
then uncovered their heads in a most
solemn and impressive manner, and
most ferVent and impressive prayer was
offered to Almighty God; and the rope
was adjusted around his neck. The other
prisoners were then brought to tine place
to witness the execution, and when the
fatal moment had come, the prisoner
said he did Kill one man A moment-and
the soul of Garrett Thompson was launch
ed into eternity.
During all this time, the most perfect
order and decorum were observed-no
railing indignity was offered to sny of the
prison ers, and none would have been for
a moment permitted. Thus in mid air
in silence, hung the leader of danger
Gus compact of criminals, as a solemn
warning to his associates in crime. The
remaining criminals were remanded back
to the custody Of their guards. Commit
tees were appointed to wait upon each
prisoner and take any statements and
confessions that they might choose to
make, and after an examination they
were All discharged except Thomas Smith,
but not without strong suspicious resting
on some of them, yet not sufficient eVi-
denee could be obtained to hold them.