Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1882-01-25
ELK POINT, UNION COUNTY, DAKo1A,7

the circumstances. He says, how
ever, that there are good many
Eagans living up about Hastings,
and if any Of them should come
down here he wants his jailor to be
sure to let them in to see him--an
indication that he has more Of an
interest in them than such as might
be bred by simple curiosity, in fact
such an interest as personal acquain-
lance might be expected to induce.
The well known brutal instincts 81
| the Thomas Egan whom we know,
are a guaranty that opportunity was
all that he ever lacked to make him
participate in such murder as TINT
which shocked Minnesota in 18,
tItffc details w Witch were as fcifl0Ws,
as related e us by MI. Walker: e
| On Election day in 1864, as few
soldiers stationed at Fort Smelling
passed in The vicinity Of tavern
called Willoughby's, about ten miles
from st. Paul, u number of men
who were drinking there commenced
harraughing for jeff Dayis and the
southern confederacy. One OF the
soldiers, George Arnold by name, a
a member Of Company X of the
Second Minnesota cavalry, objected
to the traitomus sentiments OK
pressed, and the hob finally in their
drunken fury determined to punish
him. He undertook to get away
from them by flight, but sixteen of
the gang followed. Some of these
kept dropping out of the pursuit.
until only three remained-Thom-
as Egan. Hugh MacIIugh and an
other. For three miles the race
continued until in front of house
which SO happened was Egans, the
soldier was overtaken. Egan jerked
a piece of board from the fence, and
with it struck Arnold ON the head,
knocking him senselcss, and after
that, pounding him SO that his skull
was SO completely shivered that
small pieces of the jagged bone were
driven out through the scalp and
from the sockets of his eyes. Not
content with this manifestation of
dcvilish frenzy, Egan took butcher
knife Which MacHugh had brought
with him from the house, and ran
| it into his victims mouth and down
his throat, and then twisted and
turned and thrust the weapon this
way and that until the heart and
lungs and other internal portions Of
the nangled corpsc's chest were
| gashed and hacked into shreds and
| bits.
Egan and MacHugh were arrested
! but the the third murderer escaped
and his whereabouts were never
| learned so far as Mr.. Walker knows
The prisoners were taken to Hast
ings for trial. There being no jail
they were placed under guard, and
Mr.. Walker was in charge of the
guard over Egan. One night tht
friends of the prisoners attempted
to secure their release by setting fire
to q building close to that in which
the prisoners We're kept, but the
scheme was detected in time to b.
foiled. Finally court came on ant
the trial commenced. In the mean
time, the soldiers began suspicionii,;
that the trial would not be fair, ant
they determined to oyerpower TIN
guard, take the prisoners and sum
marily hang or shoot them; but tn
command was removed to anothc
field before the plan was carried out
and the trial went on in regular or
der. The defense was surrounde,
by very friendly circumstances @
which it took advantage; after fiv
days Of maneuvering it succeeded
in getting a satisfactory jury. Tn
, trial was had, a verdict Of acquitts
, was secured. and Egan was set a
liberty.
If it be the case that Egan, tn
, brutal wife murderer is identic;
: with Egan the devilish SLAYER Of tn
| soldier who rebuked his treason, til
, blood Of his last victim is upon til
| skirts of those who manipulated tn
: judicial parody in Minnesota seven
i teen years ago.
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