Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-05-25
Danger by Land and Sea-Bandits
Abroad.

The following letter received by
Sheriff elise, from a gentleman at
jamestown, shows that the country,
river and coast as well as land, is
supporting too many criminals out
side the penitentiary. 1t also shows
that men rather soft but Of good
heart and clever intentions should
not leave home, even in broad day.
W. II. CLIsR-Dear Sir:
Last Friday morning Mr.. Henry
Burns started into a skiff from the
residence Of Mr.. Withrown on the
Little Platte river, intending to go
to Sinipee. When he reached the
old ferry at the mouth of Platte, he
was hailed by two men who were set.
ting on the north bank of the river !;
they asked him how far it was to the
ferry above and he told them it was
about a mile and halt. They then
asked him if he would cross them
there, saying they were very tired
he told them he would row them
across. When he reach the shore
they stated TO him they were in
search of work that they had come
through Potosi and were on their
way to Dunleith or Dubuque. They
asked him how far down the river
he was going and he answered that
he was going to Fenley's Sawmill.-
They asked if he thought they could
obtain work there, and if they might
ride there with him, saying they
woald pay him for his trouble. He
told them that he did mt know wheth-
er MIR. Fenley wanted any hands or
not, but if they wished to 90 there
they were welcome to go with him,
and that he wanted no pay for his
trouble. He told them to get in, but
to sit still or they might upset his
boat. When they were on Grant
river, one of the men pulled bottle
from his pocket and asked Burns to
take drink he refused at first but
they urged him to drink saying it
was good wine which they had pur-
chased in Potosi he tasted the wine
and handed itnpack to them. One of
the stranger told the other that he d
better not take any more or he might
get drunk and upset the boat. Mr..
Burns says that in a few minutes
after tasting the wine, he began to
s-"~ dizzy and blind. and soon be,
came unconscious. This occurred
about nine O'Clock on Friday morn
ing. When he returned to conscious.
ness Con Saturday. he was lying with
his head and shoulders on q pile of
drift wood on an island in the Mis-
sissippi above Fenley's mill the rest
OF his body was in the water. He
had been robbed of about sixty dol
lars in money, his coat, vest, hat and
boots; and the skiff had been taken.
At first he could scarcely move, but
after rubbing his limbs for q con.
siderable time, he found that he could
use them; he then began to think of
getting to the mainland. He is a
good swimmer, but was too weak to
swim to the shore. So he took a
piece of plank which was lying on
the drift, and started for shore. The
current was so strong that when he
reached the shore he was half q mile
below the mill and he then made
his way across the bottom to house
about a mile from the river.
One OF the men was low, heavy
set man, with sandy mustache and
dark hair; he wore red flannel
shirt, and an old narrow trimmed
white hat and appeared to be about |
twenty-five years old. The other
man was about five feet ten inches |
high, spare built, had dark hair and |
no whiskers, and was about twenty |
years old. *
jamestown, Wis, May 18th, 1862
Bills are out Offering a reward of
slOO for the apprehension and delivery
IN Lancaster Jail of these river BAN |
Tits.