Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-02-24


SD ! FEB; !: IA I l8 S|
u4intezesting. even to those person
ally ac1uainted with the facts. 1t
swas known that there was negro,
or rather negress, in the County. else
such an order would have been re-
garded as an idle formality. i
Some time in .lst4 ori45, 2 man
named Thomas McGregor moved
from Illinois to what is now the
northeast corner OF Indiana Town
ship, ard called upon Mr.. George
Henry, a settler in that neighbor-
hood, and asked his assistance In
selecting q claim. Mr.. II. readily
gave him the required assistance,
after which Mr.. NcGregor asked the
privilege Of moving into the house
with him, tan he could get a cabin
tins9 sP @ A1ls slllf a.x
who were to become his neighbors,
and inasmuch as the family Of Mr..
AIcGregor was small, consisting of
only the man and his wife, he readi-
ly assented. to that arrangement also.
But when the guests arrived, the
astonishment of Mr.. Henry may
possibly be imagined, when he be-
held in Mrs. McGregor fisi-biooded
African. about rs dark as the darkest
of her race, possessing all the charms
that could be summed up in figure
OF ample proportions, and features OF
combined brilliancy and pronin-
ence. E
I Asa matter of course, after this
discovery, he lost no time in recon-
sidering his promise. He was not
disposed to encourage further "do-
nestle relations" with this interest
ing pair, and honestly signitied to
Mac that his mind had undergone a
change on the subject. So the latter,
with his lovely spouse, was COM
pelIed to seek some other shelter.
Not finding q house, they camped
out, as they had previously done.
until their cabin was built.
But the nature Of their relation
ship was such that they were not
long permitted to enjoy 1t in peace.
It was taken for granted that they
were living in violation Of statute
OF the Territory forbiddiDg matri-
monial connection between blacks
and whites. For this Qfepse thsY
= ~ III s6t bSl6Fs
Justice Levi Bainbridge, on Lake
Prairie, and tried.
Not being very well pleased with
he rulings Of this Court, they took a
d,ange Of renue, and their case was
turned over to Justice Mike Morris,
Who happened to be present. After
siying it a hearing, Mike referred
he matter to the Mahaska County
Grand Jury-this being previous to
the organization Of Marion-where
| Iiiended, the jury not finding q true
I'LL against the offenders.
But the end was not yet. This
vas only brief truce in the tribula-
TINS OF this unfortunate couple. As
Vie have seen, the lady was deemed
"A SLENDER against another statute,
and that statute made it the duty Of
the County Commissioners to take
action in the premises. Hence the
order noticed ON another page.
but for some reason Mrs. McGreg-
or did not heed the threatening
mandate. She was either not aware
Of its existence, or determined to risk
the consequences OF disregarding it.
But another soon followed, Of a
more specific character, to the effect
that Rose Ann AfcGregor should APP
pear, and give the required bonds,
on or before the 18th Of January, or
s'be sold to the highest bidder" But
even this failed to bring thestubborn
Rose Ann to terms. The fearful
penalty of noncompliance Herewith,
though It may have caused the cul-
prit to treinble in anticipation,
moved her not otherwise. It was,
therefore, found necessary to bring
into action the practical force OF law,
and the sheriff was armed with au-
thority to bring Rose Ann bodily to
the seat Of Justice. se
Armed with this authority, and
attended by. his deputy, DR.. L. 6.
Conrey, the sheriff proceeded to the
residence Of the McGregors. Aprnr'
crflv this visitation had been ex.