Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-27
moR LAW IN W

MOB LAW IN IOWA.
Tho Jail at Audubon Broken Int" ans s"s
Murderers of Old Man Jefferson LShc"eu
"A Son of the Murdered Man Makes .
Confession in Which He ckno"le"H
Their Guilt.
Dra MONIES. Ia, Feb. 5.-Cicero Jeiler-
son, .Iohn A. Smythe and Joel Wilson, IN
iail at Audubon for the murder OF Jellei-
sons father in April last, through their az
torney recently applied to Judge Lool-
borrow for a change OF venue,
on the ground that they could nov
have a fair trial. Last Saturday jugs
loofborrow announced that J"oso
Henderson, of Marshalltown, Wouid coh-
clude the term. On Monday Judge Hender,
son arrived, opened court ana ahno"iieeu
Judge Loofborrow's ruling, granting the
prisoners the change of venue prayed lol.
The fact that the prisoners's attorneys were
not nresent led the community to believe that
the granting of the change had been pre-
concerted, and much indignation was eX-
messed. Tuesday night the feeling culml-
mated in a semi-private meeting OF about
one hundred citizens of Audubon, a
rumor being afioat that a special tram
would arrive to convey the prisoners
TO Atlantic. About two o'clock tins
morning, all preliminaries having been az
ranged. the crowd marched to the jail in
body. The keys were demanded OF Sheriff
Herbert, who refused to give them up, and
fired two shots to alarm the town, but as
about all the male inhabitants were in the
mob there was no one to help him..
The men then attacked the walls OF the
iail with sledge-hammers, and in this way
speedily gained an entrance. AS soon as
the lynchers were inside they secured the
officers in a room, and then proceeded 10
take out the prisoners. Cicero Jefferson
was the first to suffer. He was taken Out
to the public square and hanged to the
band-stand. When the avengers went
to take Smythe out he fought des'
p~erately for a few minutes, but one
Of the mob shot him through the head,
| the ball entering his left eye. Wilson was
| also killed while resisting the mob. The
| two dead bodies were then taken out and
hung to the stringers of the high fence
which surrounded the Jail. Wilson had a
bullet-hole in his forehead, another in his
face and several in his body.
The dead bodies were left swinging until
Sheriff Herbert cut them down. IN work
of the mob occupied from $3.50 to four a. III.
Public opinion approves the lynching.
Some time since Cicero Jefferson made a
confession, detailing all the incidents of the
crime, which. he said, was instigated by
Wilson, the matter being that the old man
had been guilty OF incest with his CWil-
son's) wife. He said Wilson and Smythe
had been talking to him about COM
uniting the murder for a week OF
ten days, but that he refused until they
told him one night they were going to XIII
his father, and that unless he accompanied
them they would make away with him Oh
their return. They said there was no dam
ger of arrest, as they could get back and &C
to work in the morning as If nothing had
happened. The confession proceeds:
We tied our horses to the trees a few rod:
from the house. We stopped there and laid
our plans how we should proceed. Wiser
took a rope which he had brought, aud Smythe
jns1,, Mi1 1hsn 6 Ment tn tine the do1 ped 9p and pu MS al fa MGe'
out. Father said: Cicero. is that your No
body answered. Mother answered
pNS 3 that him is to 3 the fre sntsfh Room a Nc
choked and smothered him, and one tool
the rope out OF my hands and put it on faith
er's neck. Father begged of us not to hurt
doors with him, and went dragging him along
by the neck. ] had hold Of the end OF the rope
and Smythe and Wilson were behind. AS we
John; don't hurt me So" Wilson stopped and
Iightened the rope, and John and pulled
him along. When we got to q tree Smythe
threw the end Of the rope over a limi
and. 1 helped pull father up, Wilson takin!
bold and lifting the body until We got it clea
from the ground. When we got him up WI
tied his hands behind him and wound the rope
around his body, but | don't know just how
/ think he was about dead then, as he kicked
once or twice after we got him up. Wilson tore
fathers shirt open and tied it over his head.
The shirt was the only clothing he had on. We
stood around a few moments and Smythe anG
Wilson put on their overcoats, and we untiet
our horses and mounted them and rode OFT. W.
arrived at Wilson's at 4:10 Saturday morning
about midnight. We took handkerchiefs ant
put holes in them for eyes, and wore then
over our faces for masks. l throw mine into
Wilson bought the rope ut Eaton Rapids
week ago Saturday that was used to hang
father With.