Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-02-03

Issued Tor the arrest Of some otth
more prominent leaders of the mob
Peter Parsons was arrested. and II
ken TO Oskaioosa, and the repos
went abroad that he was in jail there
and, that the Sheriff of Mahask'
lCounty was in pursuit Of about fiji,
iothers, against whom indictment
had been filed, among whom wer'
George Giiiaspy and John b. Ham
i.ion. As88
All this WAS calculated to arous,
the Indignation Of the people to
degree that rendered it unsafe fol
Majors to remain at home, and h;
found it prudent to keep out Of thu
way of the settlers as much az posi-
bic. Hereupon the settlers called
another meeting, to rendezvous a
Durham's Ford, and from thence Il
go 10 Oskaloosa, release the prisoner.
and punish Majors. 1t WIS late OF
Saturday when the summons came
Next morning n large number col
Iected at ROCKVILLE, armed ant
equipped, and resolved to stand BY
the settlers rights, at all hazards
A flag was prepared, showing tht
"Stars and Stripes" and inscribed IL
large letters, settlers Rights"
This company reached the neigh.
borho0d of Durham's Ford that day,
and remained there till the next,
some camping out, and some putting
up at the houses in the neighbor-
hood. Here large accessions were
expected, which came in that even
ing, and the next morning, from
both Counties, some on horseback,
and some in wagons, swelling the
number to about five hundred. When
all were together, and organized
in a kind Of military order, with
arms, flag, fife and drum, they pre-
scented "a somewhat formidable APP
pearapce. To render it still more SO,
and TO make an impression that
would be the more likely to secure
the object of the expedition without
serious difficulty, the horsemen were
drilled as cavalry, by a Mr.. ,Malkey,
who had seen some service in the
Mexican war.
Thus the army marched into o.
kaloosa, reaching that place at about
the time the prisoner was to be tried.
The arms were deposited in the
under guard, and Infantry
and Cavalry formed in the Public
Square. When this formidable dem
onstration was observed, and its
object became known, the trial of
Parsons was Indefinitely postponed,
and he was released without bail,
though he had not been confined in
Jail, as was at first reported.
l. c. Curtis, more recentlya citizen
Of Pella, as spokesman for the set
tiers, stated the Object of the vista
ton, and was answered by IA Mr..
Harbour, of Oskaloosa, in behalf Of
the authorities. Then followed 9TH
err speeches and replies, that con-
sumed the afternoon, and tended,
and probably were intended, to kill
time, and thus give excitement a
chance to cool, rather than to effect
any definite compromise.
During all this time Majors was
there, but invisible to those who
most desired to see him. But in the
evening he again promised to COM
ply with the demands Of the settlers,
and next morning redeemed his
promise, by furnishing deeds tothose
persons whose land he had entered.
Whereupon the army disbanded,
and returned home.
This, then, was regarded asa treaty
Of peace-.a final conclusion or the
war. 1t was all that had been con-
tended for. But Majors was not
satisfied with such conclusion. lie
was ina rage, considering himself d
prosecuted man, and the fire of re.
venge thus kindled in his breast
rendered him rash, and regardless OF
consequences. A mob had followed
him, destroyed his property, and
forced him to surrender. The law
was, therefore, evidently in his ia
vor, and to the law he would appeal
Though the offense Of Majors was
such as to demand redress, and his
persistent refusal to grant it volnn.
tarily rendered compulsion the only
means that could be employed fol
that purpose; yet, as a means unau
thorized by civil law, the uprising
could hardly be dignifled by better
term than MOD; but we are not pre-
pared to say that in all cases stigma
should attach to the term; and rea
son will back us up in the conclusion
that, In the absence of any civil law
to right o fragrant wrong, mob law
is right.
Not long after this, Majors made
preparations to bring the matter
into Court; but such was the unpop
ularity of his course, that it wa
found almost impossible to secur,