Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-08-03
A Terrible Crime and Its Reward

Last Thursday morning, about half-past
nine O'Clock, we were startled by cry for
''help." from Mr.. Delano, of the Blue Store,
coupled with something about Mrs. Peek,
toward whose residence Mr.. D. started on
run. C. w. Tetwiler, John Phoebe Color
ed, and one or two others followed immedi-
ately. When they reached theiresidence of
| the lady in question, they were Mortified to
| see her struggling and screaming in the dis
gushing embraces Of black brute named
Henry Caldwell, who had assaulted her in
the yard attached to her house. Tetwiler
| jumped the picket fence and in the twink
| ling of an eye, had released the lady from
the grasp Of the brute. Mrs. p, a-lady over
| sixty years of age, was assisted into her
| house, while Caldwell was taken Into Gus
| tody, though not without some trouble. He
| showed fight, and being very muscular would
have made trouble for any one single handed.
But there were too many for him to success
| fully resist, and he was captured and taken
at once to Judge Dinger's office, who COM
United him to Jail to await i preliminary ex-
animation, which was held the next day.
After hearing, the evidence given being
conclusive and damning to the prisoner, the
Justice bound him over to the Circuit Court
in the sum of $4,000.
The prisoners statement" before the Jus
! tice was tissue of the most horrible false
hoods, and those present could scarcely
restrain themselves from Draining him as he
gave it. But everything was done lawfully
and in order, and he was taken to Jail to
| await Judgment at a higher tribunal.
~ oil nin Nv
stirred, and covert desire for q first-class
| lynching was general if not expressed. The
delays of the law, the many loop-holes of
| escape, and the probable inadequacy of legal
| punishment were fully and freely discussed;
| for nothing less than death would suffice to
punish the crime and serve as deterrent to
others whose "craZiness" might have bent
| in a similar direction.
! However, Thursday and Friday nights
passed without demonstration, and the idea
became prevalent that the crime would be
| left to the arbitrament of law. Public feel
| ing had not abated, and everybody conceded
that justice well as indemnity from this
sort of crime demanded severe and summary
punishment; but after the sun had twice
gone down in safety to the prisoner, the
chances seemed to favor his security for the
present at least. But the avengers OF the
hideous lust of the black brute were merely
| biding their time.
| Saturday evening, the streets were unusu-
ally quiet, being almost deserted up to eleven
| O'Clock. Then an occasional passer-by was
hss ID on the sidewalks of Main street. At
twelve O'Clock squads of two or three per-
| nbsnrIaI oil tow no
centre of town, and short time after, a
| body of thirty or forty men had quietly as
sembled on the street opposite Mrs. Moser's
millinery establishment. All were masked
or had their faces blackened, and were 9TH
erwise disguised. There they were ''sworn
in," the oath administered requiring them
to proceed orderly and quietly, and to for
ever preserve silence as to the identify Of all
who participated. Then they silently pur-
| sued their way to the Jail.
Guards were stationed at every corner of
the square on which the Jail is located, aud
all outsiders were kept at distance. Sew
eral parties who endeayered to get close
observation of the proceedings were warned
to keep aloof, and they were discreet enough
to obey the order.
The Jail proper il one-story stone build
ing, with the jailor's residence Ga twoAstory
br1ck) in front and attached thereto. The
entrance into the Jail is made through It front
door in the jailor's residence, which opens
into a hall leading TO the iron doors guarding
the prisoners apartments. There are two
OF these doors, with a narrow lobby between,
and in this lobby usually sleeps Louis, a col
cred servant. He is somewhat of a might