, 1885-02-05
AN IOWA PICNIC.
Three Murderers Taken From
the Jail at Audubon.
Two are Shot While Resisting
a Monster Mob.
An Exciting Night in a Quiet
Eastern Village.
Wholesale 1ynching.

ABOUT 4 o CLOCK John "A. bmythei joel y.
Wilson and Cicero B. Jefferson. murder
ers Of Hiram Jefferson, in April, 1884.
were killed in or near Jail at Audubon,
this state. About 2 o'clock Sheriff Her
bert and family. Deputy Sheriff Work
man and-I. H. jenkins were sleeping up
stairs in the jail when they were awakened
by raps at the front door. The jail is a
two story brick. on the northeast corner
Of the square. That is the residence por-
ton, but the Jail proper is at the back
and only one story in height. Inside is
an iron cage containing two cells. The
sheriff went to the window and asked
what was wanted. The answer was, 1--WE
want to see you" The sheriff inquired
what was wanted of him and the reply
came, "We want the Jefferson murder
en.' The sheriff looked out and saw
what he estimated at from 500 to 700
men gathered about the jail. He told
them the prisoners were in his charge,
that he would not give up the keys. but
would defend and protect the prisoners.
The answer was that they didn't propose
to allow the prisoners to leave town IN the
night as 1t was rumored that the sheriff
contemplated removing them. The sheriff
told the crowd that il they would go way
he would take the prisoners away in the
daytime and would tell when it wouldbe
done, but would neither give up the keys
or the prisoners
A voice then cried Herbert, every
man here Ia your friend and We know
your duty as well as you do, but we are
here on business, and for business, and
we want no foolishneas about it. We are
no mob. put a body of determined citi-
zens. We came for the Jefferson muir
derers and we are going to have them at
whatever cost. We will not interfere
with you unless compelled to do so, and
we warn you not to resist
The sheriff then stepped back, grabbed
a navy revolver aud commenced firing
over the heads of the crowd to brighten
them and alarm the town, but the town
was already on hand A bullet through
the window glass where he was standing,
showed that the crowd meant business.
In a small room leading to the jail are
stains leading to the upper story and tins
room u guarded by iron doors. and anoth-
er one opens into the Jail from the room.
These were for the purpose of protecting
the jail from without. but this time they
protected the crowd.
The officers attempted to open them,
but the crowd drove rods into the key
holes and the doors were then secure
The walls OF the jail proper were then
attacked with sledges and soon a large
holew was made. The men rushed inside
and fastened the other door, and the
officers were poweriess. There was a high
board fence running through the court
yard, and after the prisoners were cap
tured, Smyth and Wilson were hanged to
the stringers OF the fence, boards being
knocked of for the purpose. Cicero, the
son, was hanged to a band stand about
the center Of the square. Smyth was
killed by a bullet shotfn his left eye and
Wilson had a bullet hole in his forehead,
another in his face and several in his
body.
The prisoners in the jail with the VIC
Tins say that about 2 O'Clock they were
awakened by the breaking in Of the walls
Of the jail and nine masked men stepped
in. In the east cell in the iron cage were
sleeping Smyth, Wilson and another prs
oner, and Cicero Jefferson and three
others occupied the west cell. Smyth
and Wilson tried to barricade the cell with
their bed clothes, but with sledge ham
mers and cold chisels, the doors were
broken down, and once in the corridor OF
the cage the padlocks were soon broken.
After the cells were open the crowd called
for the Jefferson murderers to come out.
Smyth then seized a broom handle and
struck n man who fired at once, the
ball striking omytn square IN the lett eye
and he ieii stone dead. wilson backed
IN the corner oil the cell and said II ne
died he would DIE game ana grabbing a
CHAIR ouid strike at any one WITHIN
reach' Delng ur'en nom the corner py
a crow bar he made a dash Tor n open
ing with a cnair put was matted by a u
let ana kept up tue ngnt unui a tniro
snot was hred when ne ieh. bo'h bodies