Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-12-03
Lynch Law i'm Fremont
County.
The Supposed Murderer Hung,
and the Supposed Murdered
Man Still Living.
From the uamhusg Times, Nov. 10.

From the HsmhArs Times, Nov. 10.
Another case of lynching, and per-
haps the most disgraceful one of the
last two years, took place at Eastport,
ten miles west of Hamburg, last
Sunday. A man named Murdoch
was hanged to tree by mob. He
was hanged for murder committed
the night before, and ii now seems
that the murdered man" is not dead
and has no idea of dying just yet.
The circumstances, as near as we
can learn, were these: A desperate
character, named Murdoch, came on
board the ferry boat Nebraska City,
and after some hard words and quar-
relling, drew pistol. This was ia
ken away from him by the officers of
the boat. Soon after the boat reach
ed the Iowa shore, Murdoch produced
another revolver and commenced
firing at the boat. One shot was
aimed at DR.. Blanchard, of Civil
Bend, who was a passenger on the
boat two shots were fired at the
pilot house, one into the cabin, and
one at the fireman of the boat. The
last was the only shot taking effect,
striking the man, Mr.. Johnson, i'm
the face, and producing an ugly
wound. Murdoch then snapped his
pistol again, but il missed fire. He
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
the guard, they rushed i'm and threw
u rope around Murdock's neck and
dragged him out. The rope was cut
several times by parties opposed to
the proceeding, but at length the
mob carried the man of and hung
him to tree about half way from
the river to the depot. He was cut
down Sunday evening and his
friends have since taken his remains
to his home in Saline county, Mis-
souri,. The wounded man, johnson,
is now considered out of danger, aud
will recover.
We have no idea of exculpating
the man who fired the pistol. TWEEN
ty years imprisonment in a peniten-
tiary would be good enough for him
but we do object to the punishment
dealt out to him, and the manner of
that punishment. During three
years five men have been lynched or
rather murdered by mobs i'm this
county, and it is about time the prop
er authorities became cognizant of
the fact and made some attempt to
remedy it. 1t is no justification to
say that our Jail is insecure, that our
officers are remiss i'm their duty, or
that no criminal is punished in this
county. The way to remedy this is
not by mobs, by hanging and shoot
ing, but rather to 60 to the root Of
the evil and compel the officers Of
the law to erect proper jails and to
do their duty towards criminals in
their custody.
1t is disgrace to every man in
Fremont county, disgrace to every
man in Iowa to have it said thst
Lynch Law and Vigilance Commit
tees are necessity in any portion of
this State. Glorious iowa! Not half
so glorious now. Deserving of dis
grace for winking at such acts as that
of last Sunday-acts which when
performed with impunity, as they
always have been in this county, are
n curse and a disgrace to American
law and liberty.
Where mob law triumphs there
personal liberty, safety of life and
property terminates. The whole
country is at the mercy of a mob,
and the safe and sure way to ruin
this county, TO cause every decent
man to desert it and give it up to |
jayhawkers, guerillas and highway !
men is to pass over such transactions |
as that of last Sunday without motto
ing them.