The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-05
DETERMINED MEN.
The Jefferson MHrderers All
Lynched
INFURIArED CITIZENS.
The Jail at Audubon, Ia, Broken Into
and the Prisoners Killed
other News.
Determined Lynching.


Dies MONIES, Iowa, February 4.-This
morning, about O'Clock, John A.
Smyth, Joel ]. Wilson and Cicero B.
Jefferson, the murderers of Hiram Jel-
lerson, in April, 1884, were killed in OF.
near the jail at Audubon, this State.
About 2 o'clock, Sheriff Herbert and
family, Deputy Sheriff Workman and j.
H. Jenkins were sleeping up stairs
in the jail when they were awakened
by raps at the front door. The jail is
two-story brick, on the northeast corner
of the square; that is, the residence por-
ton, but the jail proper is back, and
only one story in height. Insiders 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 in
quired what was wanted of him. The
reply came: ''We want the Jefferson
murderers." The sheriff looked
out and saw what he estimated
at 500 to 750men gathered about the
Jail. He-stold them the prisoners were
in his charge, and as an officer he
would not give up the keys, but would
defend and protect the prisoners. The
answer was that they did not propose
to allow the prisoners to leave town IN
the night, as it was rumored the sheriff
contemplated removing them. The
sheriff said that if they would go
away he would take the prisoners away
in the daytime and would tell when it
would be done, but would neither give
up the keys nor the prisoners.
| 4 voice cried: Herbert, every man
here is your friend and we know your
dutr as well as you do, but We are here
] on business and we want no fooling
aboutit. We are no mob. but body
/ of determined citizens. We came.
/ for the Jefferson nlurderers, 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 to resist.
The sheriff stepped back, grabbed a
4 navy revolver and commenced firing
over the heads of the crowd to frighten
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 small room leading
to the jan are stairs leading to the up
! per story and bedrooms. Its guarded
BY iron doors, and another 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 and imprisoned the
Sheriff and deputies. The officers at
tempted, 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 sledge hammers. Soon a
large hole was made. Men
rushed Inside and fastened the other
door, and the officers were powerless.
There was high board fence running
through the court yard, and after the
prisoners were captured, Smyth and
Wilson we're hung to the stringers of
the fence, boards being knocked off tor
the. purpose. Cicero, the son, was
hanged TO the band stand about the
centre, OF the square. Smyth was
killed by bullet shot in his left eye.
head, smother in the face and several in
the body.
The prisoners in the Jail with the vic
tins say that about O'Clock they we're
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 prisoner, and Cicero Jel-
, lerson and three others occupied the
west cell. Smyth and Wilson tried to
barricade with the bed clothes. With
sledge hammers and cold chisels the
t doorswere broken down, and once in
: the corridor of the cage the padlocks
/, were soon broken After the cells
were open, the crowd called Tor the
2 Jefferson murderers to come out.
e Smyth seized a broom handle and
p struck one man, who fired at once, the
ball striking Smyth square in the
left eye, and he3 fell stone
: dead. Wilson backedin the corner OF
7 the cell and said if he died he would die
7 game, and grabbing a chair woRld
: strike at anyone within reach Being
driven from the corner by q
crow-bar, he made dish for
the opening with chain, but
: was halted by bullet and kept up
Z, the fight until third shot was fired
} when he fell Both bodies were then
E dragged from the cage through hole
+. in the jail wall, and while they We're
all gone, probably hanging the bodies
t to the fence stringer, Cicero breathed
/, easier, and thought they would moi
} take him. The prisoners with him tol6
: him that ii he had anything to say he
}, better say it. He then told them tina
: the three committed the murder and hi;
confession, as made when first arrested
t was true. Soon the crowd came bacl
: and told Cicero to come out. He did SO
!, They threw rope over his head anC
!, thatwas the last they saw of him.