The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-06-12
Two BROTHERS LYNCHED.
A Mob Forcing its Way into a
Prison in Iowa.
Shooting to Death Two Men who had
Planned to Kill Six Citizens.

A tragic story of murder followed by
double lynching-all resulting from family
quarrels-is told in the following dispatch
from Marshalltown, Iowa. Soon after mid
night last night about 100 of the best citi
zens of Harden county surrounded the
Jail at Eldorado. Some were on foot,
but most were mounted. A guard
of ten or twelve, called bv
number made prisoner of the city marshal
and the work of forcing the doors began At
this point the iailor was awakened and called
for help. Two men, by the aid of ladder,
reached bis room and quickly silenced him,
but not until he had aroused Sheriff Boyan
With the aid of a log the doors were soon
battered down and the Rainsburgers' cells
were reached. Hero much time was lost
while some one hunted up a sledge with
which to batter down the door When the
mob first appeared the men backed up against
the door and were disposed to he defiant INIT
some one in the rear fired n shot which struck
Mans Rainsburgcr and he began to realize his
danger. At The top of their voices they
cried Help and Murder and begged for
mercy. Finally they ceased their outcries
and told man in another cell to
tell their families that they died like dogs
When the door fell they made desperate
dash for liberty through the mob AMI sue
ceeded in reaching the edge of the crowd
The lynching party fred upon them literally
Kidding the two men with bullets. Seven
teen shots took effect on the body of Mans
Fin lay on the sidewalk with fifteen balls in
him. The crowd at once dispersed leaving
the bodies on the ground. The lvnchiag is
the outcome of a family quarrel that occurred
nearly twenty years ago.
Quarrel, ami fights were of frequent occur
renee Occasionally stool; was poisoned and
crops burn ii. Last October two or three
masked men called at the house of Henry
johnson, who's daughter had married one of
the hainsburgers, and, calling him to the
door, shot him dead.
Johnson's daughter swore that her husl md
Nathan and his brother, Frank, did the
deed, and they were arrested johnson, be-
fore and after his daughters marriage, had
sided against the Rainshurgers. hence the
cause for the murder johnson was n lead
i'm farmer and had influential friends who
pushed the case against the Rainsburgers.
one Of the IN st Jealous of thu Sc friends
was y. ID. Underwood. who a few
days ago at the trial viii IN is now in prog
ress swore that his life had been threatened
by the RainsburSers' friends watch was
placed over a man whose actions were suspi-
cous, when it was found that he was in
secret communication with the gang An in
vestigation disclosed that plan was almost
completed for the murder of six of the
leading citizens of the county. They
were to be attacked the same
night and the work done quickly On
the heels of this discovery and before the
officials could make the arrests an attempt
was male to kill Drs. Ridenour and Under
wood as they were riding in the country
Tuesday evening just at dark The former
received n slight flesh wound. The excite
nent attendant upon this was great, and the
Rainsburgers were arrested