The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-12-22
MOB LAW IN IOWA.
ousSSAcEFUL CENEs IN DIS
To A LAMP POST

SCENES IN DIS MoINES-EuNG
TO A LAMP POST.
A special to the Chicago Tribune Erom
Des Moines, Iowa, the 18th inst. gives the
particulars of a tragedy already briefly re-
ferred to by telegraph: Charles Howard,
VIII was yesterday convicted of the murder
of John Johnson 10 June last. and SEN
fenced TO the p~enitentiary for
life, was taken from the all
here this morning by amob OF masked and
otherwise disguised men, and hanged to p
lamp post until no was dead. The trial Of
Howard, which has been before thecourt
since the 2lst of November, came to q ter
minus on Saturday. He was indicted for
murder in the first degree. II was in evil
dence that he killed his victim by striking
him with a wine bottle on the head,
in a hous Of prostitution. The witnesses
we're nearly all denizens of such places.
Two witnesses swore positively to the kill
ing. The case was given to the jury OF We'd
nesday noon, but they did not return until
Saturday afternoon, when they rendered
a verdict of murder in the second
degree. While they were out public
excitement ran high. There was but
one opinion as to the guilt Of the
criminal; and, when il was learned thai the
jury stood IL to ], charges of bribery were
current, and the vigilance committees
throughout The country began to move.
Two of them cameinto the city on Saturday,
and, when Howard was brought from his
cell to hear the verdict of tho jury, one OF
them passed quickly into the court
room in the crowd, the captain and ten
others taking seats Immediately around
the prisoner. Howard, as he saw them,
turned pale as a sheet, and, reckoning an
othcer to him, sent notice TO the judge thst
he needed protection, and a policeman was
sent TO his side. The verdict, however, pre-
vented for the time the action of the vigi-
lants, who were evidently prepared to re-
sort to extreme measures had the jury been
discharged without giving q verdict.
HowARD's CAREER.
The criminal has led a checkered Lie,
having spent most of his years in the min
strel business, where he was known as
"Curly'' and "Banjo Howard" He was
born in New York, in August, 1896: was
about five feet seven inches high, with blue
eyes, curly hair and Roman nose. His
father was wealthy and rendered his son a
college education, but he declined
It, and entered the show business
with Ike Burt's varieties. Thence he
Joined Hooley & Campbell's company, in
Brooklyn. Thence he went to the oil-re-
gions in Pennsylvania, where he opened a
saloon at Pithole. Here, according 10 his re-
port, there was a deplorable condition Of so
ciety; "a half dozen men for breakfast" was
q cOmmon occurrence. Thence he
travelled with Bill Blake, of New York. He
soon after started for himself in the show
business, and travelled through the
Western states, but failed. In 1870 he went
to Lake Superior as teacher of the banjo. &c
soon after Joined Sam Ford, the cannon ball
performer, and went to California, where be
remained until 1873, when he returned 20
| Omaha, and made an engagement at
the theater. Soon after he came to Des
Moines. where he became a bartender. he
was we'll educated, shrewd, cunning, fear
| less, and possessed all the traits of a bold,
bad man; and the scrap OF paper found with
Johnson's body, on which was written, by
Jamison, at Towards dictation, This is
the twenty-seventh man. may have tod
the truth. Had he been discharged here, q
warrant was In the hands OF the sheriff for
his arrest, on a charge of murder in Benton
county six years ago, in a saloon light.
He had been indicted, but succeeded IL
breaking Jail before the day of trial. AT
half past 2 o'clock this morning a body OF
, $50 disguised men, evidently v~igilants, en-
tered the court house and jail in squads,
overpowered the %jailer, took the keys q
, the cells from his pocket, entered the
cell OF Howard, placed a rope around his
neck dragged him from his bed in q
! state of s~emi-nudity, and hung him as before
described. Every guard about the Jail was
covered with drawn revolvers. TIL work
was done in fifteen minutes, and showed g
~preconcerted plan. A public meeting
adopted resolutions denouncing the most
infamous transaction. and calling on the au-
thorities to find out the perpetrators.