Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-01-01

A MAN ICUSD GUILTY or MURDER AND SEN
TENCED FOR LIFE Is TAKEN by MOE.
HANGED, AND SHOT.
DEs MONIES. Iowa, Dec. I5-On the Iith
Of June last the dead body OF one John
johnson wa found in one %; the streets Of
this city. with several ga>hes in the head
indicating that he had been brutally mur-
| dered. An investigation, lasting several
l weeks, ial!ci 70 elicit any Information a TO
! the murderer, or even the place OF the muir
der, further than that johnson was not
killed where found. At length a number
/ OF circumstances were found to point TO a
house If lll-iame, just across from where
the body lay, a. the place where the
crime was committed, and to one Charles
/ Howard. his wife, anu Charles Ricord,
a the criminals. They were all arrested
! Howard = trial closed last Wednesday.
and On saturday, the jury brought in
/ verdict of murder IN the second degree.
after eleven OF them had held ont for
/ two day, for murder in the first degree.
There was much feeling manifested BY
the populace throughout the trial, and the
result was received with marked indigna-
ton, the evidence. If proving anything at
al, clearly establishing Towards guilt rs
a deliberate murderer. Ga Monday, Judge
Maxwell sentenced Howard to the penitep
tlary ter life. Throughout the trial and
the subsequent proceedings, the prisoner
was very brazen and even insulting in his
dcmeanor; and last evening, in the Jail, he
INDUCED IN the most impudent bravado.
This conduct intensified the public indigna-
ton. but 1t was supposed that the SEN
tence, which had been received with great
applause IN the COURTROOM, would be ac-
cepted as a satisfaction OF Justice, and 50 it
70 hav l..
cents OF the city For few nights previ- |
ou>ly the sheriff had been fearful of mob |
law, and had taken such precautions as he |
thought proper, but there were no indica-
tons OF a resort to violence. Last night he |
thoroughly explored the city, to find if |
possible any gathering of menacing char
acter, but finding none, left his Office.
An hour or so later, about 100, a mob |
poured into the court house, in the base
ment, of which is the jail, secured the
guards, captured and tied the taller. took
the keys, and went into Towards cell
where he was in bed with his wife The
woman threw herself upon her husband,
successfully resisting all attempts OF the
mob TO get him away, until Howard sur
rendered himself. rope was placed about
his neck, and he was led and afterward
dragged out Of the Ouse, and to one cor
ner OF the square, where he was hanged to
lamp-pOst. When found by the authorities
the body had several bullet holes in the legs
and feet, indicating that some of the mob
had made target of the hanging body.
There Is great excitement in the city; and
the feeling of condemnation Is all but uni
versal. The impression is that the lynchers
came into the city from one or two of the
country townships where the Indignation at
this and two other murders in the county
the present year, together at the delay in
bringing the criminals to justice, owing to
the crowded state of the court calenders,
has been even greater than in town Ii is a
matter OF some surprise that none of the other
criminals in the Jail. one of them accused of
murder, and another. a notorious horse
thief, were nolested by the mob, who in
other respects behaved in a reckless man
ner, firing shots in all directions, some of
them entering the windows of the court
house