The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-12-02
LYNCH LAW In FREMONT
COUNTY.
The Supp sed IL urderer
Hung, and the Supposed
Murdered Man Still Living.

From the Hamburg Times. Nov. 49,
Another case oi lyhchiny, and per
haps the most dl>gracctul one of The
last two years, took place 1T East
port, ten miles west oi Hamburg,
last Sunday. \ man named Muir
dock was hanged toa tree by y mob.
Tie WAS hanged for murder com
mittcd the night before, and it now
seems that tho murdered man" Is
not dead, and la. no idea ot dying
Just yet.
The circumstances. ..s near Us We
could ic trn were these. \ despcr-
ate character named Mnrdock came
on board the ferry boat .Nebrdshn
city, and after some hard words and
quarrclIing drew pistol. This was
taken away from him by the officers
Of the boat Soon after the boat
reached the Iowa shore, Murdock
produced another revolver and com
menccd firing ut the boat. One shot
was aimed at DIR Blanchard, of Civil
Bend, who was II passenger on the
boat; two shots were fired at the pl,
lot house, one into the cabin, and
one ut the fireman ot the boat. The
last was the ouIy shot taking effect,
striking the man, Mr.. Johnson in the
face, and producing an ugly wound.
Murd"cli then snapped his pistol
again, but it missed fire. lie then
ran, but was soon captured, and
placed for safe keeping in pork.
house near the river
During the night large crowd
gathered about the house demanding
the prisoner. AT last overcoming
tho guard, they rushed in and threw
rope around Murdock's neck and
dragged him out. The rope was Gu,
severa! times by parties opposed to
the proceedings, but al length the
mob carried the man Oft and hung
hun to a tree about half way from
the river to the depot. lie was cut
down Sunday evening and his friends
have since AIKEN his remains to his
home in Saline county, Missouri. The
wounded man Johnson, is now con
>idered ont "t' danger, aud will re
coyer.
We have no idea ut cxcuIpa,ing
the man who fired the pistol. Twen.
ty years Imprisonment iu u pcniteli-
tiary would be good enough TOR him;
but we do object to the punishment
dealt out to him and to the manner If
that punishment. During three
years five men have been
lynched or rather murdered by mobs
in this county, and 1t is about timc
the proper authorities become eogni-
zant OF the tact and made some at
tempt to remedy it. 1t is no iusti-
iication To say that our Jail is inse-
cure. that our officers are remiss in
their duty. or that no criminal can
be punished in this county. The
way to remedy this is not by mobs,
by hanging and shooting, but rather
to 30 10 the root of the evil and com.
pei the officers of the law to erect
proper iails and TO do their duty to-
wards criminals in theircustody.
1t is disgrace to every man in
iiSuohe eounoy, e'SSiVe W oo'Siy
man in Iowa to have it said that
lynch Law and Vigilance Commit
tees arc necessity in any portion of
this State. Glorious Iowa. Not
half so glorious now. Deserving of
disgrace for winking ut such acts as
that of last Sunday--acts which
when performed with impunity, as
they always have been in this county,
are curse and disgrace to American
law and liberty.
Where mob law triumph, there
personal liberty. safety OF life and
property terminates. The whole
country is at the mercy Of mob, and
the safe and sure way to ruin this
county, to cause every man to desert
it and give it up to jsyhawacrs,
guerillas and highwaymen is to pass
over such transactions AS that of last
Sunday without noticing them.