Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-02-12
Three Murderers Lynched in
Iowa.
A Hole Mauled Through the
Jail.
The Murder Of Jefferson Terri
bly, Avenged.


3. Jefferson, the murderers of Hiram
Jefferson, were killed in or near the
| Jail at Audubon, this state. About :
O'Clock Sheriff Herbert and family,
Deputy Sheriff Workman and /. j.
jenkins were sleeping up stairs in
the jail, when they were awakened by
raps at the front door. The residence
portion of the building is two-story
brick, on the northeast corner of the
square. Further back and only ons
story in height is the jail proper. In.
side of the latter is an iron cage con.
tanning two cells. The sheriff raised
the window and asked what was
wanted.
The answer was, 1--WE want to see
you"
The sheriff inquired what was want
ed Of him. and the reply came, "We
want the Jefferson murderers."
The sheriff peered out into the dark
ness, and saw what he estimated as
from 500 to $50 men gathered about
the Jail. He told them the prisoners
were in his charge as an officer, and
he would not give up the keys, but
would defend and protect the prison
ers.
The answer was that they did not
not propose to allow the prisoners to
leave the town in the night Git was
rumored that the sheriff contemplated
removing them.) The sheriff told the
crowd that if they would go away he
would remove the Erlsones IN the day
time. and would tell them when it
was to be done, but would neither
give up the keys nor the prisoners.
A voice cried, Herbert. Every
man here is your friend, and we know
your duty as well you do, but we are
here on business, and want no fooling
about it. We are no mob, but body
of determined citizens. We come for
the Jefferson murdercrs and we are
going to have them at whatever cost,
We will not interfere with you unless
compelled to do so, but we warn you
not 10 resist. The sheriff stepped
back, grabbed navy revolver, and
commenced firing over the heads of
the crowd to brighten them and alarm
the town. The inhabitants, however,
were on hand. A bullet through win.
dow glass near which the sheriff was
standing showed they were in earnest.
The small room leading TO the jail
contains stairs to the upper story
The room has two iron doors, one for
the residence and the other for the
jail. These were intended to afford
protection from without but this time
they protected the crowd and lmpris-
toned the sheriff and deputies The
officers attempted to open one of them
but the Gro Nd drove rods in the key
holes and the ofiibers were powerless.
The walls of the Jail itself were
immediately attacked with sledges
and soon large holes were made.
whereupon the men rushed inside.
In the east cell were sleeping
Smythe, Wilson. and another pris
oner, and Cicero Jefferson and three
others occupied the west cell. All
had been awakened by the breaking
of the wall. Smythe and Wilson tried
to barricade the cell with their bed
ding. Meanwhile the sledge ham
mers and coldchisels had forced an
entrance for the main body Of the
crowd through the doors. Once in
the corridor, the padlocks of the cage
were soon broken. After the cells
were open the crowd called for the
Jefferson murderers to come
out. Smythe seized broom han.
die and struck a man, who fired
at once. The bali struck Smythe
square in the left eye and hefell stone
dead. Wilson backed into corner of
the cell and shouting that "if he died
he would die game, grabbed chair
and proceeded to strike out at every
man that came within reach. Finally
being driven from the corner by a
crowbar, he made dash for the
opening with the char, bat was
halted by bullet and kept up the
fight until third shot was fred, when
he fell to the floor a bleeding corpse
Both bodies were then dragged
from the cage through the
hole in the Jail wall. There
was high board fence running
Through the court yard. and the car
casses of. Smythe and Wilson were
hung to the stringers of the fence, the
boards being knocked off for the pur~
pose. For brief interval the interior
of the jail was deserted by all save the
terrified prisoners. Cicero breathed
easier, and thought they would not
take him. The inmates with him told
him if he had anything to say he had
better say it. He told them that the
three committed the murder, and his
confession as made when first arrested
was true. Soon the crowd came back
and told Cicero to come out. tie did
so, and instantly the rope was thrown
over lis head.
That was the last seen of him IN the
Jail. The crowd that filled the CORR
dor was not mob at all in the usual
sense of the term. but well organ
ized body of deliberate men who
weat quietly to work in a separate
way and accomplished their purposes
without any unnecessary noise. They
were all masked. The parties that
did the most shooting were apparent
| ly young men but acted under orders
of leader. The prisoner state that
Smythe and Wilson have talked badly
regarding some of the citizens and
frequently made threats of personal