Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-05-18

THE WORK OF FIENpS.
Residences OF John MahIn and 9th
ers Blown Up with Dynamite.

Three terrific explosions that oc-
Cured at Muscatine at 1890 o'clock on
the morning OF the 18th announced
that the warfare between the prohibi.
tionists and their opponents, which
had caused considerable bitter feeling
in the last few days, has advanced be.
yond the stage OF words and legal
measures. The explosions were caused
by dynamite placed in the houses of
John Mahin, L. NJ. Kessinger and N.
Rosenberger, and fred with murder
Gus intent. All three houses were
totally wrecked in their lower stories.
furniture beng demolished, walls dis
placed, windows shattered anu floors
blown out. That no lives were lost
was miracle. Mr.. Rosenberger and
his family dropped from the second
story of his house into the cellar when
the floor gave way under their feet aud
he suffered a badly sprained ankle.
All received bruises. AT the Mahin
and Kessinger homes the families were
asleep in the upper stairs, which We're
but little damaged. The Mahin resi-
derce will require rebuilding, and the
loss on all three will be at least Si5,-
600. Mr.. Rosenberger lives mile
from town, and the other two wrecked
buildings were widely separated, but
the explosions occurred almost stimuli
taneously, disclosing plot as effective
as it was atroclous. The day previous
proceedings had been begun in the DIS
trict court against number of saloon
keepers and several injunctions had
been issued.
On the night following the destruc-
ton of the homes of John Matin and
others at Muscatine by dynamite n
citizens mass meeting was held at the
opera house and the building was
scarcely large enough to hold the high
ly excited crowd. The sentiment pre-
vailed unanimously that the criminals
must be caught and given the severest
penalty known To the law, A feeling
prevails that il the parties are caught
they may be severely dealt with. Sub
scriptions for n reward were taken and
81 500 raised, and committees were APP
pointed to solicit further subscriptions,
and it is thought the above amount
will be increased to $1,000 or $4,000.
In addition to this the board of super
visors have offered reward of 5000
for the apprehension and conviction OF
the guilty parties. The meeting
unanimously adopted the following:
Whereas, A most heinous crime has been
committed resulting in tho destruction of
the homes and jeopardizing the lives of
some OF the best families Of our city, and
Whereas, We feel greatly alarmed that
such concition of society exists M to thus
place in peril both life and property, ana
Whereas, We sadly lament that the his"
tory of our city should DO blackened by
such n deed SO characteristic OF cowardly
yillainy; therefore
Resolved, That as citizens Of Muscatine
now assembled in mass convention, we
deeply sympathize with those of our citi-
Zens who have been made victims OF such
internal malice
Resolved, further, That we hereby pledge
ourselves to use every possible lawful effort
that the perpetrators of this dastardly
deed of crime shall be npprehended and
punished, and further, be it
Resolved That we hereby declare our
uncompromising opposition and our eternal
hostility to such a diabolical outlawism as
would thus rob good men and innocent wo'
men and children of that safety and pro-
lection which society is pledged to extend
to them.
Resolved further, That as law loving and
law abiding citizens, we hereby pledge our.
selves to encourage the enforcement OF all
laws that tend to the betterment OF society,
and that we will seek by all honorable
means to redeem the name and build up
the reputation of our city, in whose pros
perity we feel an earnest interest.
IL also adopted the following without
a dissent.ng vote:
We, citizens OF Muscatine, Ia, in mass
meeting assembled, hereby request and
urge the mayor and council to Immediately
close all the saloons and dlsorderly houses
ext ting in our city and we pledge our
hearty support in the execution of the re-
quest.