Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-05-19

DCtatle0 Accoung OF tho 1rut01 Mufs
dents 1t Ms Former Ltte-COro.
ner's inquest In Progrcss-Im-
s.. s'Sn vissn,syn.Accosns nnG c-.sssmsns IN
Reporter.
From the Daily State Register.
EARLY Tuesday morning Mr. VIM.
Zinsmastcr, residing In this city, and
son-in-law ot Mr.. George N Kirkman !;
living in Story county, half . mile
north of the Polk county line, received
dispatch from Nevada. % follows:
NEVADA, May 8.
G. N. Kirkman was killed last night,
funeral az 5 o'clock tomorrow. Come
up. DELLA KlRKsfAN.
Mr.. Zinsmaster Immediately start.
for the scene of the tragedy. During
the day there were all manner OF ru.
mora in circulation In Des Moins con-
cerning the matter, but nothing de.
tailed came to hand until the Marrow
Gauge train brought tho following
LETTER FROM THE REGISTER coRREs-
PoNDENT
NEVADA, Iowa, May 10, 1876.
Early Sunday morning our c0ro.
ner, Mr.. G. p. Robinson, was notified
that Mr.. George N. Ktrkman had been
hanged by mob. at his residence, In
Indian township, the night previous.
The Coroner empanneled . jury and
repaired to the scene Of the tragedy
and 40: proceeded to hold an inquest:
They found the body badly bruised
and mangled, and that he had como 10
his death by hanging at the hands Of
. mob, only four or Ave OF whom di.
rectly participated, but - to who the
guilty parties are nothing WAS devsl-
This ends the Kirkmsn trouble. %
far a. he IL concerned, short history
Of which may not be ont Of place.
George N. Kirkman, the deceased,
was one of the pioneer settlers OF
Story county, having settled ON the
farm upon which he resided st the
time he was murdered in 1852, before
the county was organized. He was
then poor man, but by hard knocks
and close attention to business he
amsssed property to the value Of 925,-
600. He was reputed TO be prompt
and strictly honest In all Of his deal.
ings. To his friends, who were many
he wss.kind. d.hearted and generous i; TO
his enemies, who were comparatively
few. he was outspoken and bitter.
(. He had OF late years turned his At
tention somewhat to flne stock, and
took great pride In his short horns,
which was the beginning Of his tronb.
les.
In the Spring Of 1871 he had . fine
blooded bull which he valued very
highly, and in the month Of June in
that year some parties entered his
stable one night and performed On op-
Grafton which rendered the animal
useless for the purposes for which he
was intended.
Mr.. Kirkman became highly snrag-
ed at this, and devoted the most Of his
time for the next two years In trying
to lind and convict the guilty parties.
John B. Merryhew was indicted for
the oifense and had trial one year
ago, the jury failing to agree upon
q verdict
About the time Of this tr,al or di.
rectly afterwards, his family troubles
began. He had . SON, . young man.
who did not like 10 work on the farm,
80 the father concluded to give him an
education, and gave him $500 and sent
him to the State University at Iowa
City. Tho son remained about q
month, spent oil OF the money and
then returned home, but his father
was not satisfied with the arrangement
and would not let his son remain at
homo, but sent him out TO ahift for
himself. The old lady aided with the
son, and finally matters became 20 hot
that tho two old folks concluded TO d.
vide the property and live separately,
which arrangement was carried ont.
A part OF the family took sides with
the old lady and part with the old gen.
tleman, and Q family war was inauRu.
rated which ragged fearfully for awhile.
Two Of the sous-in.lAw, Fisher and
Zinsmaster, became very bitter, and
matters grew worse fast, Till the night
OF December l4th, 1874, when tho barn
belonging 10 Zinsmaster was burned
with all its contents, and Kirkman was
accused Of settine It ON dre. The next
day while Kirkman was at work on
his farm, he was visited by about fifty
men, headed by Zinsmaster and Fisher,
Who exhibited 8 rope and invited the
old gent to take . walk to the timber
close by. 10 which invitation he re.
sponded with alacrsty, but on the way
thither . parlev ensued. and they CON.
cluded to.eiye the old man q chance"
aud instead Of hanging he was taken
before . Jus,ice of the Peace. where he
waived examination and eaye honds
for bis appearance at the next term Of
the Polk County District Court. and
the case was conside cred BY the xrend
iury at the present term Of that court
and dismissed.