Rock Island daily Argus., 1889-09-21
A ONCE TRAGIC PLACE.
Where an Old Time Execution Oc-
Cured.
An Interesting Circumstance In the
caIIed.-.Nlusty Records Perused.

gress it behooves the present generation
to look back at the past and see with
what the pioneers had to contend-what
they passed through. Mr.. James M. Bel
lows dropped word of historical mat
ter to one of the ARGUS representatives
which set b m to work on the musty,
records of the circuit clerks office. A
very small portion of our citizens are ac~
quainted with the past events which have
transpired 10 this city, or who can locate
historical spots.
The Geo -ge Davenport murder case
mentioned oy Mr.. Bellows revives the
case, when be spoke about the scaffeld
on which John and Aaron Long and
Granville Young were hung. The late
Amos F. Cutter after the law had been
satisfied, secured the frame work which
was made Of tsmarack raft oars and
used it for rsfters in his barn which is at
present standing on the rear of the lot cor
ner, of Fifteenth street and Fourth avenue,
now owned by Mr.. Charles J. Long
but no re alton to the Longs hung on the
scaffold. The news of the murder, arrest,
trial and hanging was the theme of the
day at that period. not only in the west,
but the east, and every information as to
the case was eagerly sought for by the
people in the primitive days when rail-
roads and telegraph lines were not distri-
buted through the land.
The old Jail in which the men we're
confined sill stands on Sixteenth street
between Third and Fourth avenues, and
the ground on which they were hung is
located in the block bounded by ,Tbir-
teenth and Fourteenth streets and Third
and Fourth avenues. The day of execus
ton was one which will be remembered
| more so by the men who stood guard
about the grounds, anticipating an at
tempt to rescue by the prisoners family,
who counJed many, and who preyed
on the life and property of the
people living in the territory bounded
| by the Des Moines and Rock river
The band was known and called by the
/ name of The bandits of the prairie
A truthful history so named was printed
and had wide circulation. but if read
in this day many would take the pages
as pure fiction; in fact. the pages of the
book contained pure facts. The papers
in the case on file in the circuit clerk.
office are curiosty-not in penmsnship
(which is good" but in the wording OF
the indictment and summons. The grand
jury indicted others aside from the three
hung. afterwards. Robert Birch and
VIM. Fox escaped from the officers after
arrest, either through the use of money
by their friends or intentional by the off,
GERS who had them in charge. They were
| never afterwards arrested. John Baxter
the sixth named in the indie tment, served
term in he penitentiary.
In bill OF exception in behalf of the
prisoner, the names of Ira o. Wilkinson
and A Cornwall are signed to the docu-
ment. Thomas j. Turner signs the in
dictment in behalf of the state. Joseph
Conway was clerk of the court and Lem
uel Andrews sheriff, while Judge Brown
occupied the bench. The verdict of
the jury and the signatures was:
We. the jury, find a verdict of guilty
against John Long, Aaron Long and
Grenville Young in the form and manner
set forth in the indictment.
A. B. HITCHCOCK. Foreman.
VIM. DICKSON.
RINNAH WELLS,
THOMAS DAVIS,
RUBEN HUBBARD,
F. s. KELLOGG.
JAMES FECGUs,
HARRISON BoGGEss,
RINNAH WELLS, JR.,
e. +. SwARTwoUT,
VIM. BoAGUE,
ID. NJ. DICKSON.
Dated Oct. term, 1915.
There are many important facts which
could be mentioned in regard to this
case-ampng which would be the sensa-
tion caused among the residents of the
city VII er they heard of the murder the
afternoon of July 4. 1S45. The tragedy
broke NJ the celebration aud picu ic
which was held in Warren's grove on the
block OF in the vicinity bound by Tenth
and Eleven streets, and First and Sec-
ond avenues.