Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-07-06
Crows heart, and left him weltering in

his blood. He expired In few mo-
ments thereafter while the assasslns
mounted horses that were held in
waiting by their cowardly associates
without and escaped down the Hol-
low. Grow was buried in Whit
takers field, on the hill, to the left OF
the road leading from Potosi to
Galena. For many years the spot
where sleeps this bold and fearless
miner was pointed out by the carly
settlers, but the plow has passed
'ovcr his lowly bed," and now neither
sab, or stone, or grassy mound marks
the grave where our hero is laid.
The events succeeding the cowardly
assassination stop not here and
were fraught with more than mere
local interest. The number and in
huence of the gang, some of them
beng men of means and holding re-
spectacle connections, defied the law.
The local authorities were mere min
ions of their authority, and if not
willing tools, were but too anxious to
avoid giving offense. The three
principal murderers after skulking a
few days in the neighborhood were
arrested, and after farce examina-
ton were set at liberty. 1t was then
| the people became aroused. Ex-Gov-
ernor Nelson Dewey was serving his
first term of Justice of the peace in
the town of Lancaster. From him a
new warrant was procured and the
villains re-arrested and brought into
court. In this examination the young
Justice showed the material of which
he was made and which made him the
first Governor of the State. Though
approached by both parties, he soon
gave them to understand that the
court was not of the back woods kind
and that fat juSticia raat c@lum. The
prisoners were held to bail and COM
mitted to the guard house at Prairie
du CHEN, there being no jail yet in
the county The manly, independent
course pursued by the Governor
in this case, made him hosts of
friends among the law abiding
icitizens of the county, and
shortly after be was promoted to a
seat in the Territorial Legislature OF
which he became Speaker. Not TO
be bafli I'd, tho trionds OF Evaas and
his associates, applied for a writ OF
hdbeaS corpus to the Hon. Charles
Dunn, who occupied the bench as one
of the judges of the Territory, and
for reasons that were far from salts
factory to the people at largo, the
Judge granted 1t. These lawless
desperadoes were again set at liberty
and defantly returned to their old
haunts in Potosi. Forbearance had
ceased to be q virtue in this case,
and meetings were hold to take into
consideration tho best mode of get
ting rid of them. 1t was finally do
termined to drive them out of the
country and i;--;e Ga % ~ .
number of days they might remain
to adjust their business. At the end
of the time an armed body of men
numbering two hundred and over,
marched into the town; but the des-
peradoes had made good their res
treat and put the waters of the Mis-
sissippi between them and all danger.
Tho principals never returned. AS
an episode showing tho anlmus OF the
times and of the kind of characters
that won't to make up a mining town,
the following incident will show; DR..
Hill was u friend of some of the par.
ties implicated in the murder whom
the mob comp, lied to leave. One OF
them went to him for advice. The
Doctor said 81 will not advise you
one way or another, but there is not
mon enough in Wisconsin to drive
me out" This remark identified him
with the gang and meeting was
called to dispose of his case. DR..
Hill hearing of it armed himself to
the teeth and walked into the meet
ing. Taking off his hat, and stand
ing, straight as lamp post and bring
ing his rifle to a ground arms, he ad-
dressed the meeting as follows: Mr..
President, understand this meeting
has been organized for the purpose
of driving me out of Potosi. Sir, is
that the object of this meeting? Cd
d-m your souls you can't drive me
out! and you shall not discuss o
matter of that kind" And every
one present knew that speech por-
| tended death to the first man who
should open his mouth. rhe meet
ing was cowed into silence and one
by one thcy dropped out, glad to get
beyond the range of the belicose doc
tors rife. He was not driven out.
| Nearly forty years have elapsed
since these events occurred and but
few remain who were coguizant of
the facts. Linsey Evans was nevor
tried, and few if any learned the 81
quel of his life-that it was q miser~
able one, mono can doubt. There is
no nook or corner in tho whole uni
verse of God, whore the murderer
can retire and find happiness and Sc