Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-12-27
An Interesting Bit of Grant
County History.
BY H. 5. KEENE.

Grant County Herald came ont with
the bold headlines of Fire! Fire.
the caption Of an account of the burn
ing of the Grant county Jail at Lancas-
ter. True it had been the prison OF
one of the only two prisoners who
have ever been legally executed in
Grant county, and had suffered to es-
cape the somewhat notorious Platte
vile burglar, who was incarcerated
for burglarizing Gridley's store at that
place. But the burning had nothing
to do with either of these, though
Thereby hangs a tale: -
Years before there had come to the
then territory soldier in the regular
army named John -. de
was first stationed at Fort Winnebago,
where he married a widow of dead
comrade by the name of Beard. She
was a native of Scotland, and being a
widow with family of helpless chill
drer in the far western wilds, was
wooed and won by -------------, who
was a man of striking appearance,
large and powerful. straight as an In
dian, of splendid physique and pos
sessed of no small amount of personal
magnetism.
Subsequently the regiment was re-
moved to Fort Crawford, at Prairie du
Chen. then under command of Zach
arv TAYLOR, afterward President of the
United States, who had under his COM
mand Captain jeff. DAVIS, afterwards
President OF the &C. S. A" At the
expiration of his term of service in
1886, - settled on farm on
Blake's Prairie, mile north of the
village of Patch Grove, one of the best
selections in the country. There
seemed nothing in the way OF his be-
coming a wealthy and useful citizen,
as he was then possessed of more OF
this worlds goods than any of his
neighbors But unfortunately some
men are Sc constituted that they can
not wait the seemingly slow coming of
wealth by honest industry, but seek
to hasten its coming by every means,
whether fair or foul. The Army Pay
master at Prairie du Chen was robbed
of three kegs of silver, tunnel having
been run in the loose sand under the
guard house where it was stored, Civ
inc evidence that it was done so by
some one familiar with the surround
irgs. The crime was finally traced to
- and man by the name of
Shields, and one other whose name
l have forgotten Shields, being
''pinched, agreed to ''squeap or
turns states evidence, though before
the case was brought to trial he skip
ped the country; but, as he escaped
with -'s team. there was
doubtless collision in the matter.
This CoUP d ETAT saved ---
from prison for the NoNCE, but 1t is
said "misfortunes never come singly ="
A step-daughter died at Prairie du
Chen in childbirth and on her death
bed charged her step-father,
, with being the author of her ruin.
This of course caused a rupture and
separation Of his family. In anticipa-
ton of the outcome of the paymaster
robbery, he had decided his property
in trust to neighbor named Wilson;
but as he now thought he would be
safe with ii in his own possession,
asked to have it recognized But
matters have changed in the mean
time, and Wilson, who took sides
against in his family troubles,
refused to deed the property back
to him. This resulted in a personal
encounter, which was no ordinary
struggle, as both were men of uncom-
mon strength. But at last .
got Wilson down, and with firm grip
on his throat dictated his terms, which
was a choice between the return of the
property and instant death. But he
was dealing with man who was firm
in his conviction of right. Wilson
told him he would convey the property
to his family as he had contemplated,
but he would die then and there before
he would deed il back to him; and on
these lines a compromise was effected.
In these various troubles the neigh
bors were drawn into taking sides,
mostly, Of course. against -.
Among those who had incurred his
special enmity was Moses Hicklin, and
one night his grain-staeks were set on
fire and his entire crop destroyed. All
looked upon -- as the insti-
gator of the act, though by means Of n
pocket book lost by the ineendiary the
crime was traced TO his henchman, or
Man Friday -an freshman belonging
to the Smith family from his
squat build aud straddling gait, went
by the cognomen of 'Bullfrog Smith. ="
Smith was convicted and sent to the
Lancaster Jail His conviction. how
ever, did not stop incendiarisr FIR
soon after a crib on the
place in which lived family who had
incurred his displeasure was burned,
and for this tire was con
victed and sent TO the Lancaster jail
after the Bultrogn had been released
But such narrow quarters were evil
IDENTIFY distasteful To him.
One night T. NJ Barber aud Nelson
Dewey. afterwards thestate's first gov
ernor. were sleeping together in the
old Forbes Hotel, when their slumbers
were disturbed by n lurid glare that