Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-12-18
NO. so.
An INHUMAN FATHER,
Brutal Treatment IF Young Lady,.
A Case OF Cruelty With Hardly a Par
ailel.
From Atchison County CMo Jonrnal

allel.
From Atchison County (Mo Jonrnal.
One of the most atrocious and revolt
ing deeds that it has ever been our duty
to chronicle-one that the very thought
| of makes the blood run cold-was en-
acted last Saturday, in Nodaway county,
ust across the Atchison county line.
The principal actors in the horrible
drama were an old farmer by the name
of Ambrose Colvin, bis daughter, aged
22 years, and his hired man. 1t seems
that young man of the neighborhood
had been paying his attentions to the
young lady; that the father was dis
pleased, and ordered the young man to
stay away: and that the young lady de-
termined to leave home. At any rate she
left home on last Saturday afternoon,
and as soon as she was missed, her en-
ragged father, In company with his
hired man, started in pursuit in a
wagon. They overlook the young lady
a mile or more distant from the house.
What took place at the meeting of the
father and daughter we know not, as
we have no particulars on this point;
but what subsequently occurred we
have from George Edwards, of London,
this county, who was passing along the
road at the time, and was an eye-wit-
ness to the damnable deed. Edwards
says that when he first saw the parties
the young lady was tied brute-like be-
hind the wagon, the rope being secured
around her waist and the other end
fastened to the wagon. A boy was
his hired man were walking in the rear
of the girl.
When the team approached Edwards
the girl extended her arms toward him,
and IN the most agonizing tones be-
seeched him TO save her, that her father
was killing her. Edwards excuses him.
self for not interfering on the ground
that he thought she was crazy. After
passing Edwards, the same appeal was
made to Edwards hired man, who was
driving one of Edwards teams, but,
strange as 1t may seem, he also turned
a deaf ear to her entreaties. Her pitt
tu, heart rending cries for help, and the
exhibition of her lacerated and bleed
ing face and arms failed to bring relief,
and the brutal cortege moved on. Ed
wards says that after passing him he
saw the father knock the girl down no
less than three times, and that for the
greater portion of mile her body
was dragged along the highway by
the rope. Edwards went to the
nearest farmhouse and gave the alarm,
and shortly afterward the constable ar
rested Colvin and took him to Burling-
ton Junction. VOID reaches us that
the girl has since died, and that mob
took her father out and hung him, but
we cannot Vouch for this part of the
story. 1t would be strange, indeed, if
the people of that section did not take
the law into their own hands and mete
out the punishment the monster so
richly deserves. There are few in
stances where lynch law is justifable,
but we believe this to be one of them.
1t Is said by those who know the
young lady, that she was most exem-
plary person, and was guilty of no Of
fense other than desire to leave the
parental roof and join her fortunes with
the man Of her choice.
The brutality of the parent is doubt
less without parallel III history. The
most brutal savage would shrink from
such a revolving deed, and were it not
that we have ascertalned the foregoing
particulars from an eyewitness, we
would hardly believe it. Nor have we
exaggerated Mr.. Edwards statement to
us. He gave us such facts as he says
he is willing to make affidavit to, and
we give them as nearly as possible as
we received them.