Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-05-25
An Arkansas Mystery.

cone beautiful sunny morning in the
month of June, in the year 1852" said
Mr.. Maguiiin, John Jupkless, an amia-
bic young man, who lived in Eagleyille,
Ark, sat on a stone in the suburbs of the
town tamping charge OF blasting powder
into a hole in the rock beneath his feet.
He had worked four years as lineman
for a telegraph company, saved $40,
married, and settled down, and now he
was blasting for the cellar of house
which he proposed to build. As he
pounded away with the tamping iron he
Cheerily sang that most beautiful Of native
ballads, The Suwanec River somewhat
obscuring many of the words and sylla-
bles, but still keeping rhythmic time with
the blows:
" Jan. down up5jam the Jam nee Ja"'~ycr
lam, far a5GH1
lam where my jam Is jaua-ihg jaa,-cr
lam wheIe the id!
1.-TWO weeks later, Col. Horace Feather
stock, the veteran editor of the Eaglcyillc
Irt-Beekly I0mahGUk and Mirror, sat in his
sanctum calmly smoking a regalia cab
bagO-disinfectOrO madurO, and in the in
tcrvals when the cloud Of smoke lifted be
scanned the columns of his exchanges.
He was surprised, more than that panied,
to note the startling story of murder that
disfgured every paper. Their columns
seemed TO reek with gore, and when he
closed his eyes he found j. easy TO imagine
that they were printed with blood. No
man more than the Colonel had commended
the promptness of his fellow citizens in
resenting aiiront, himself had contributed
no mean share TO the mortuary statistics Of
the State; but brutal murder for base
plumber or any other ignoble purpose
shocked him. In every instance the vic
tim seemed 10 have been cut 10 pieces
and i'm all his wide experiencethe Colonel
had never known any Of his friends, how.
ever skilled in the use Of the bowie, 10 ~
completely carve up an opponent. In
fact, many OF the murders would never
have been discovered but for the apparent
carelessness Of the murdcrers, who had
left here and there in the woods, The
roads, and the swamps, hand, or a loot,
piece OF a leg, or an arm, which they
seemed TO nave been too reckless 10 Sc
crete with the rest Of the body.
+" Another two weeks later, the citizens
of all the counties for many miles around
were in an uproar over their Coroners
bills. All over the country the Coronef'
were suddenly growing rich. and the Wig
lance Committees that were hunting the
mysterious assassins were, as the charges
for the inquests rolled up, almost, moved
20 turn their wrath from the murderers 10
the Coroners. At last the cutlery grew toe
strong TO be Quoted, and investigation was
resolved upon. BY common consent
EagleviIle was the place appointed, anc
| one day in the month Of July great
throng of the inhabitants and all the Cor
oners assembled there. Each Coroner
brought with him, AZ proof OF the legiti
macy of his action, the remains upor
which his inquests had been held, ant
there were some remarkable exhibits. On'
enterprising man had held an inquest OF
a foot, and another, whose crimson clarIof
proclaimed his bibulous propensities, hat
put in big bill for sitting on an car.
Not many of the coroners had con
] tributed to the collection when the sur