The Rock Island Argus., 1877-10-26
"REMINISCENCES OF EARLY DAYS
IN THIS COUNTY.
Something Which Many of Our Old
Settlers viii Probably Remember.

Probably no county in this state or Iowa
has SO many interesting historical facts
connected with its organization as Rock
Island. But still, there are many inter
esting little accidents and scrapes which |
occurred in the early settlement of the
county which will probably never be pub |
lished, but which, if they were, would give
the people of to-day an idea of the ''hiRh
old times they used to have when DR..
Gregg. S. W. McMaster. Deacon Hawes,
James Taylor, A. K. Philleo, John A.
Boyer, Isaac Negus, Uncle" Joe John-
ston, and host of others, we're "boys"
together. The meetings of the Old
Settlers society generally brings forward
many OF these little sketches of frontier
life, but as no effort is made by the man
ayers to have them placed upon the records
of the society they are soon forgotten,
The following, which we take from the
Chicago Interior. is from the pen Of
Dr.. Gregg, and will probably bring a smile
to the faces of many Old Settlers who re
member the circumstances:
The tale of tumor and whisky in a re-
cent issue of the Interior reminds me OF
this true story: ''On the 4th of July,
l845, Colonel Davenport was murdered on
Rock Island. The object was money, Of
which the assassins got but little. 10 q
short time six of the murderers were
arrested, two Longs, Burch, Fox, Baxter
and Young Fox made his escape from
indianapolis, where he was under arrest.
Burch escaped from the Knoxville Jail,
where he had been on a change Of venue.
Baxter was sentenced to the peuitentiary
for life, aud the two Longs and Young
we're executed here on the same scaffold
They were tried before Judge Brown,
since deceased, in California. He was an
upright man, but very eccentric, and Ches
ter6eldian in urbanity and politeness. La
J passing sentence he said. Gentlemen, you
have had fair trial, and eminent counsel
have been assigned to you. And closing
he said, Gentlemen. your bodies viii be
given to the doctors for dissection" The
bodies were assigned to ue. | was the
family physician, and was with the colone
when he died four or FIVE hours after re-
, ceiving the fatal shot. 1t was warm
, weather, and | could not manage all the
bodies. We buried Aaron Long dis
! sected John Long, and have his skeleton
now at the Rock Island post hospital
l had letter from medical friend il
ST. Louis. asking me to give him one o.
: the bodies. | assented and he sent ms
barrel of rum in which to put the body
had the cask unheaded and the bcdJ
placed therein and rolled on the deck of /;
: steamer. On its arrival 10 st. Louis, thu
: cask was sent to ;he doctors office. IL
the course of the day the doctor cam,
0 dswn to the bat, and addressing the cap
tain, said: Captain. Dr. Gregg sent IN,
y barrel of rum from Rock Island, but i
is nearly all gone.
We'll, Doctor" replied the captain
those - roustabouts will smell liquor
mile off and 60 for it, bat just say wha
the damage is and | will pay it.
oh, never mind, Captain" said tn
doctor, the body came all right"
: Body !" exclaimed the captain" wha
: body?"
:, OH said the doctor, "the body of on
:. of Colonel Dageuport's murderers was i
that cask >
"URh-augh-ugh." and the captai
rushed for the bulwarks. and the docto
It dropped that subject aud went for th
10 other
4 We hope the Dir. will not let this matte
a drop uow-but that he will continue t
r. prepare, for our home papers, simiIa
sketches of his early life in Rock Islam
county.