The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-02-05
SHOT AND LYNCHED.
ruE rnAeEpY or An iowa TowN.
Three Men stiner the Penalty of their Crime.
The Jail stormed by Mob and the
Prisoners Shot aud Hung-History
of the Deed They Committed.

Tie Jail stormed by Mob and tho
i Prisoners Shot aud Hung-History
+. OF the Deed They Committed.
DEsAIoHEs, Iowa, Feb. A repor
reaches here that Smyth, Wilson and Jel
lerson, murdercrs Of Hiram Jefferson
were lynched at Audubon this morning
Smith and Wilson were shot in their cell
after making desperate fight, and Cicer'
Jefferson was hanged from tho band stant
in tho park. The latter confessed to thu
crime ofhaving murdered his father.
hchistory Of the murder is as follows
About o'clock on the morning OF Apri
20th, 1884, occurred one Of themost bruta
outrages known in the history OF Western
Iowa, at q point three miles southeast o.
Audubon. Hiram Jefferson, an old man
was the victim. Hc had resided there
eighteen years, the family removing from
Pittslield, Ills. He had raised family ol
one boy and five girls. About three years
prior to tho crime John Smyth, from Green
county, married one Of the girls. Hc wasa
rough, drinking character and soon made
trouble and arrayed the mother and
children against the father.
He accused the old man with incest
with one Of the>girls, and threats were
then made by smyth and others against
Jefferson. SnIyth moved to Carroll
county and induced Cicero, the son, and
the gtri Lucy, TO go with him. Jefferson
| was cripple, not strong mentally, but
strictly honest in all his dealings, q kind
husband and father. Cicero and Smyth
so harrassed him that ut times he was par
tally insane.
TiIE MURDER OF JEFFERSON.
On the morning OF the murder three
horsemen rode up to the house where Jel-
lsrson and his wife were living alone and
boisterously entered the bed room where
the victim was sleeping. His wife at the
inquest said it was too dark 10 recognize
WHO they were. She asked what they
wanted. A rough voice told her to keep
still. The old man said: "What are you
here for?" She answered, at is not Cic-
ero but it is John Smyth. Jefferson was
then seized and violently dragged from
bed to the floor, she also falling out
Jefferson cried for help, but the murderers
put rope around llis"Iieck, pulled his
shirt over his head, then dragged him by
the rope $40 feet 10 q maple tree, threw
the rope over limb about Sfeet from the
ground and drew him up, pinioning his
arms, and left him, and then mounted and
rode oway.
The old lady started for the neighbors
to give the alarm when one OF the men
rode back and told her to keep quiet or he
would string her up. At the inquest n
verdict was returned that Cicero Jeller-
son, John Smyth and another party COM
mitted the decd. Lucy, who was accused
OF incest with her father, was also impli-
Gated. She had married man named
Joe Wilson. In the room where the deed
was committed was found cap covered
Asith dry clay from well digging, and
handkerchief with holes cut in for eyes,
also coat button. The Sheriff started
at once to arrest the suspected parties.
Smyth, Wilson and Cicero were soon
brought in, and when arraiSned the first
two asked for counsel, and when they
were sent to jail Cicero asked to make a
confession under oath, which he did.
F,i.. THE SONS CONFESSION. &.
He detailed all the incidents OF the crime
from the time they left Wilson'S house on
horseback. How they stopped and COM
pleted their plans before entering the
house, what was said in the house, how
the rope was put on his fathers neck, he
taking hold Of one end and Wilson and
Smyth behind him, dragged the body.
alone naked over the frozen ground.
While being hauled by the neck his father
spoke and Wilson stepped back and tight
ened the rope more. Smyth put the rope
over limb while Wilson rested the body
up. Smyth aud | pulled the body
clear OF the ground and then wound
the rope around the body and left It. ]
think father was dead when we left him,
ashe kicked only once or twice after being
hauled up. Wilson tore the old mans
shirt of and wrapped 1t around his head.
He said Wilson planned the whole MUIR
der. Cicero had not seen his. mother
since the deed was committed, but his
story was exactly as his mothers
SO he probably told. the truth.
It appears by Cicero's statement
that Lucy had married Wilson
through the influence Of Smyth, the we'd
ding taking place about two months before
the murder. It seems that Wiison BUS
pected Lucy had not always been virtuous
and he accused her, when she admitted
that she had been compelledby her father
to submit 10 him repeatedly. This in.
censed Wilson and he said he would leave
her or kill tho old man. She wanted him
to do neither.
sNYTH TIIE ISsTIGAToR.
1t was the prevailing opinion Of the
neighbors and others that smyth was the
leader in the commission of the crime and
that he got The girls into trouble and
caused them to charge It to the old man,
They were all three bound over for
trial, and it was to have taken place, but
the judge granted change Of venue, and
this 80 incensed the people OF Audubon
that they determined that Justice should
b. meted out to the criminals, and the end
OF the tragedy has been brought about.
THE I.YNCHISG.
A Determined Crowd of Citlzcns-How the
Killing Was Done.