Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-16
LYNCH'S JUSTICE.
A Case in Which 1t Was Posi-
bly, Misdirected.
THE NOTED RAINsBARGER GRIMES.

Two Recent Arrests Which May Throw
some More Infamy Upon the Too-Fre-
quent Mob Proeeedings-A Series of
killings for Which Two Men Were
Iynched and Two Others sent Up for
Life-Deyelopments Looked For.
ELDoRA, Ia, April i5.-Dstectivs j. C.
Burke arrived in this city Monday evening
with Charles Marx and James Rice. whom
he had arrested in Visalia, Cal, on the
charge of numbering Henry Johns, the
wealthy landowner Of this county, in 1855.
Henry Johns was a brojhsr-in-Iaw of the
Rainsbarger brothers, and was millionaire
While returning home from Eldora one
night in May, lSs5. be was wzylaid and muir
dsrel Suspicion at once rested on the
RainsbargeTs but as no evidence developed
detectives were employed, ami rewards
were offered 10y the state and by the widow
Recalls a Series of Crimes
After bard chase AMI SIX years Of shad-
owing Detective Burke has captured his
men. The nature of the evidence against
them has not as vet been made public, but
great excitement and interest have been
awakened. THESE arrests recall a series of
crimes that were committed in this vicin-
ity, for which two men are serving life SEN
tenczs. All two Others fell victims Of Wig
ilantes. The two men who sre now in jail
at this pllce were formerly residents OF this
county, ami one Of them was well TODD
farmer
Two CowardIy Murders.
The first Of long series of murders was
committed in the fall Of 1854 when Euoch
johnson, an Old couuterfeiter, was killei in
ravins a short distance from Eldora- Ii
was at first supposed hat be had killed
himself, but after soma investi CATION Nate
and Frank kainsbarger were arrested for the
murder and afterward sentenced 10 the pen
| itsntiaTy for life. Shortly afIerwari Henry
Johns. a wealthy farmer was murdered
whii- returning home at midnight He was
within forty rods of his own house when the
deed was done, Suspicion at once pointed
10 the remaining Neutrality-suspicious.
Finn, ami WilHam-who still lived at Steam
boat Re. K
Attempted Assa.sination.
No arrests were made at the time, but
Mrs. Henry Jones, a SISTER OF the Rains
| bargeTs, used al her influence and money in
| their behalf. besides offering large reward
| for the capture Of the murderers OF her hus-
| band. The state OF Iowa also offered a re-
| ward OF 500 In June OF the same year,
| while DR. NJ Underwood and q H Riteuour
| were Passing lonely spot in the woods,
| they were firei upon and barely escaped
| with their lives Next day TIE officers ar
| rested Nance, William and Finn Rains
| barger as the parties who did the shooting.
The Mob Gets in 1t. Work
| William gave a satisfactory bond and re-
| mainei at home the other t.so boys being
| confined IN the E'dora jail That evening
| they were both killed by vigilance com
| mittee, the leader or the members OF
which have never been known. At the fu-
neral Of the dead Rainsbargers, Lincoln
| Johns, son Of Henry, declared In open speech
| that the murderer Of his father was at that
| funeral and he would have revenge. The
| excitement gradually died down, but de
/ tectives have been at work and have final
| y arrested the two men brought here Mon
| day.
| Important Exposures Expected.
The trial OF these men. il i expected, viii
| develop some very interesting evidence re-
garding the killing Of Johns and will alsC
| expose the gang of counterfeiters and the
mob Of Ism hers who broke into the Jail al
| Eliora in 49, The two brothers who muir.
dered Euoch johnson are now serving a lif,
| sentence at the Fort Madison penitentiary,
and the only remaining brother lives al
| Steamboat Rock, here he makes a com
Portable living by farming Tue sons oil
! Henry Johns are living in Nebraska