The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-04-29
A Shocking Tragedy near Au-
burn, Iowa.
And a Number Of Other At
tempted Crimes.
How Texas Charley Showed
Good Sense.
Losses by Wind and Fire.
Cable Clicks.
Criminal Calendar.

Dss Moines, Iowa, 27.-Informa
ton is received here of tho brutal
murder Of Hiram Jefferson, near
Auburn, this State. Jefferson, a
harmless old farmer of So yesrs, and
his wife lived On farm. On Sa-
turday night four men fntered their
bedroom, dragged them from bed,
pulled he old mans hair and Whls-
kers out by the roots, wrapped hls
shirt about his head, dragged MN
naked to q tree in the yard ana
hanged him to a limb, and then
rode away. Mrs. j. came to the
door and tried to alarm the neigh
bors. the nearest about 400 yards
away, but the murderers stopped
her with threats Of hanging her also
No clues to the perpetrators, as it
was too dark to recognize them.
LATER. Jefferson was an old mar
and quite lame. He was inoffensive
and there are strong suspicious that
some of his family are mixed up In
the murder. His daughters hUs-
band, a man by the name Of Smythe,
q hard chara cter, is freely charged
with the crime. It is also supposed
that the old mans own son, Cicero,
was one of the party WHO did the
hanging. The family is Dot bright
one, aud the son is said 10 be almost
foolinh, and just such nan who
could be persuaded to do such a
deed. The whole country is aroused
and if the men are caught there
will probably be another hanging
without trial. Auburn is forty
or fifty miles west Of this point, and
no news has been re- eiged today
regarding the outrage.
Chicago, 27.-Daily News Des
Moines gives the felloT ing particu-
lars of the Jefferson murder: The
old man had two sOns~in>law,
Smythe and Wilson, and an unnar>
ried daughter. A short time ago
Smythe accused the old man OF I'M
natural intimacy with the Unmarried
daughter, and soon after both this
daughter and his son Cicero went
to live with Smythe. When the
murderers reached the bedside of
the couple, the old man said "Wbat
ara you doing here, CicerO?' and
Mrs.J ellers0n said No, it's. Smythe."
AS soon as she dared the old woman
went to the neighboTs and gays the
alarm. The neighbors seemed
afraid, however, and nobody reached
the spot till daylight, when the
body OF the old man was found
swinging naked from a tree with
the toes touching the ground. The
coroner returned a verdict of muir
der, committed by Cicero Jeller-
son and Smythe. The sheriff has
arrested young Jefferson, Smythe
and Wilson, the other sOn.in-laW.
There is much excitement and in
dignatior, and thrests of lYnching.
Galveston, 27-News' San Mar
eos special: At Long Branch school
house, GIadsl0up coEEty, eight
miles from SanekaTc0s, at the close
of the Sabbath school difficulty &C.
Cured, resulting in the killing of
Houston Geary by Gus Scrutchins.
Wiley Watson, IL endeavoring to
prevent the party from fighting, was
shot through the shoulder. Cause,
an old feud.
Galveston, 81 News special
from Dallas: Edward D. Easton,
one Of the alleged cotton swindlers
in jail at Dallas, has agreed to turn
States evidence, for this Easson
gets only two years in the peniten-
tiary in the event that Baumond
and Johenstou are convicted On the
same charge. If they are acquitted
the charges against EastOn ara to
be dismissed. EastOn is to testify
to sli he knows about the sWindle.
The prosecution entertain no doubt
of the conviction Of Baumond and
Johenston, who are to be tried
Tomorrow.
Syracuse, 27.-Dick Putnam shot
and killed his wife while in a
buggy near Jordan, and then shot
and killed himself. Jealousy.
Chicago, 27.-Daily News, Scran-
ton, Pa: a man giving the name
OF Texas Charley and woman who
says she is the widow of Jesse
James,the western bsndit,haY been
giving exhibitions Of msrksmanship
here. Last night the Texan became
enrsged at the failure of the woman
70 accomplish some feat, and gave
her an ugly slash acrcss the face
with knife, when she picked up a |
rife and the Texan saved his life by
speedy fight. The woman threatens
to shoot him on sight.
Hunters Point, Long Island, IS.
The negro Rugg, convicted Of the
OF Annie Maybe, wss sen.