Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-05-19
Terrible Affair iu New Madrid
County.

Correspondence TO Charleston Enterprise.
SIKESToN, Mo-, May I2-This com.
munity and the whole of New Madrid
county has been intensely excited for
the present week over the 0utrages
perpetrat.d near New Madrid by four
of the most rem0rseless banditti that
ever infested this county. For blood-
thirsty feraity, the jungles of Africa
do not furnish a parallel.
The four in question have been liv-
ing in New Madrid county for about
four years. OneO them named Rhodes
married = widow by the name of Knox,
who had previously been married to
two brothers named KnoX-her maiden
name being Edmonson, sister to John
and Ruck Edmonson who live near
Sikeston. She possessed some proper
ty, all of which her husband. Rhodes,
squandered, except a small farm
Rhodes made several efforts to get that
in his possession, but was prevented
by his wife's brother-in-law, a Mr..
Knox. Thereuron Rhodes and three
others-one named James Hamilton,
one Myers, and Brown-organized,
with determination to kill Knox and
his whole family.
They had provided themselves with
breastplates, helmets, ETC., 80 rer ort
says, and had secured three pistols
and shotgun each-making twenty
rounds to each man, or eighty in all.
On Monday night they visited KNOCKS
house to kill him, and after commence
ing the firing, Knox escaped from the
house, but they had wounded one of
his labOrers, also one woman and Mr..
Knox's little child. They then went
to the house, dressed the wounds of
the child, expressed regrets at having
wounded the laborer, and then left.
Knox hurried to New Madrid and
got Sheriff Walters and posse to go
in pursuit. The Sheriff started with a
dozen men, and came upon the gang
half mile Of Bayne's store, between
New Madrid and SikestOn, 10 miles
from New Manrid.
The desperadoes ran on the approach
of the Sheriff's party, to a thicket near
by. The officer and men followed
them. After having summoned fifteen
MEN from around the neighborhood,
they unexpectedly came upon them in
the edge of the thicket. The four men,
when the officers party was within
fifteen feet of them, rose up from be-
hind logs and commenced firing.
Robert LaForge, a young man Of
New Madrid, was killed instantly, be-
ing riddled through and through with
bullets and buck-shot. Upon the death
OF LaForge, and the wOunding of AL
bert Hunter and two others, the Shera
it's posse retreated to Bayne's store.
Sheriff Waters then got the wives Of
two OF the desperadoes to go and get
the body of LaForge-thls was five or
six hours after he was killed-and the
ladies and doctor packed the body and
dragged 1t from where it lay nearly to
Bayne's store. The desperadoes had,
before the women arrived for the body,
come up to the dying man, shot him
again, robbed him of about eighteen
dollars, collar-button, a gold watch,
shirt studs, lingering and his pis-
tolls. After they left HIM, the hogs
had come and had mutilated the body
some by eating off the ear, nose and
part of the lip. While this wss going
on, dozen men went out from Skies
ton to assist in the pursuit, and others
were congregating from every direc-
ton. While all had scattered them
selves around the thicket again to
watch them, Rhodes went to a
wOman's house near by, and gave
himself up. He was wounded severely
aud suffering much. He was sent for
and taken to Bayne's store and guard
ed till to- day (Thursday), at IL O'Clock,
when he was found in the stable near
by, suspended between heaven and
earth--his spirit having passed up be-
fore that tribunal from which there is
no appeal.
There are, at this writing, one hun
dred and fifty men in pursuit and
watching for the other three around
Bayne's store. One of the three APP
peared to-day at farmhouse near the
store, and begged something to eat.
He was wounded in several places and
bleeding profusely.
All that could be learned from the
ruffian Rhodes was that they had or
ganized to murder Knox and family,
and then go West.