The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-12-24
special corrsspoad.noe Of the ADVERTISER
Fnon DEs MONIES.

To UurAee - Howard ~ .
AuD-Qnner .DekOs. B0erOFs Re.l
poSeo1 "a c1n10OoDa oke1cn OF
- Tr19o16 froo tho keeo1ng
OfJo1T6oo o tie gueno llangs
.alng ofI y 0nppOq90 Uor4oecFs
w6o - PFoseseing his 1uno.
Dies MONIES, Dec. 10, 1874.
DEAR ADVERTISERS: - Ny COM
munications have heretofore been OF
Z pacific character. but the present
.oae will contain considerable Of
ablood and thunder" We are just
recovering from one Of the most fiend-
ing outsages that has ever disgrace
our State-I can scarcely say ire
covering, "but the excitement is dy-
inR out and we are far enough remov-
ed 10 enable rs to look back more
calmly over the events Of the psst
week, which has been one the most
exciting in the annals Of our city.
One Sunday morning in June last,
the word went from mouth 10 ear,
throughout the city, that John john
son had been murdered in our streets,
and appearances indicated in the
most brutal manner. A letter found
near the body Of the victim stated:
aThis Is the twenty seventh man We
have killed, and we viii not be taken
alive" There was suspicious circum-
stances that pointed to the HERB
block, corner Second and Walnut, as
the place where the deed was COM
mitted, but the most rigid examine
ton failed to convict any one connec-
ted with that brothel. The deed was
shrouded in mystery the most pro-
found. Detectives were 1t work,
however, stimulated in part by de-
sire to bring the guilty parties to
punishment, and largely, perhaps, by
the liberal reward offered by the
State for the conviction Of the muir
derer. Soon the keeper Of no
torious bawdy house and gushing
saloon keeper, Annie Groves and
Charlie Howard, were married and
left the city. One and another sus-
picious circumstance pointed to them
Is the guilty parties. They were ar.
rested and brought to trial. During
the trial, Belle Barton, one of the in
mates of Aunie's house, testified that
she saw Howard killing Johnson
that he was lying across Armies bed
| in state of drunkenness, and How
ard, (who had, Is was sworn to, de
clared in the early part of the eve
ming, that Johnson was . victim fo
that nightO came in and finding
johnson there struck him Owe
the head with a wine bottle /,
{ couple Of times, and that Howard
Charlie RECORD and Jamison, carried
him out. Jamison, who turned state
evidence, said he helped to carr,
, johnson out and put him where h
was found, and that he (Jamison)ha'
written the letter found, at the die
{ tation of Howard, and under tn
threat that if he ever bowed on hin
he would kill him. He was aske,
{ before the Grand Jury TO reproduc
! the letter, which he did verbatim
except using murdered" instead G
skilled" and in hand writing tina
vas 4 perfect fac smile Of the letter
|, Other facts were given before tn
jury corroborating these positiv
statements.
. Sam Fairall, Bently & William.
! defended the criminal, and Gisen,th
. prosecuting attorney, and w. II. Nc
+ Henry, we're on the part ofthe State
: Judge Maxwell, of Indianola. vas o
l the bench. The jury was out som
: two or three days, standing eleve
!. for conviction of murder in the frs
! degree, and one for acquital. TIL
i people became very inpatient at til
delay Of the verdict, which all declar
ed should be conviction. 1t was sal,
). that the one who held out had de
, clarcd before hand that il he coul
!. do nothing more he would "hang tn
I jury" and that money was at tn
J. bottom Of his holding out, and finall
I it seemed as if . verdict must b
reached, and Is the one wouldn't Civ
in they compromised and returned
to the surprise of all, verdict Q
i murder in the sec md degree. Tn
: verdict was rendered last Saturday
.. Dec. 18th, and on Monday the Judg
1 proceeded to sentence him. Til
: court was packed fuller than l eve
saw any building before, all eager t
hear the sentence and see the erin
! inal. When the Judge, after som
: preliminary remarks, pronounced III
r sentence, imprisonment for life
: the psnitsntisry," the feeling of ii
people was expressed in heart
!. cheer, and everybody seemed sati
e 6ed. Extra vigilance, it is said, VI
observed to protect the man who ha
I At the bands Of the court receive
0 the severest penalty the law can j
! flict on murderer. But storm
/ wrath, the prelude to . brutal on
rage was brewing, and at two ocio<
Tuesday morning, the jailor W
$ aroused By some one knocking for a
!. mittance. The Jail is the baseme
: of the Court House. md Is ia the We
4 heart Of the city. He thought d
= police were bringing in some offe
q der, aud when he appeared ct Il
l. door he was seized and thrown dov
II and keys taken, and they proceed,
- to Howard's cell. He was in b
!. with his wife for the last time befo
N being taken to his living tomb.
=. was with the greatest difficulty tn
"a he was torn from Annie, who thre
=. herself across his neck and breast
,e shield him, and only when he told h
to let him 60 to died if he must, 81
released her frienzied grasp. A roI
,e was placed around his neck and
e, was jerked out on the aocr. He sa
0. ''let me kiss Annie, goodby-I die
10 innocent man." Amid the most te
ne rife screams of his wife he was hu
1t ried out Of the cell the rope arour
rs his neck and several having hold
A. it. He kept his feet till they got ,
,e stairs on the Court House floor, VIII,
A. eighteen or twenty seized the rope
-