Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-07-20
KEPT THE SKELETON.
QUEER REVENGE OF A MAN WHOSE
FRIEND WAS MURDERED.
He Took the Bones of the Murderer
From the Grave and Hung Them on
the Wall of His Outhouse-A TraE-
edy of the Civil War.

Morning, colonel.
Morning sir, replied the man who
was leaning over the fence
He was short, thickset man, with
clear and piercing eye, his face shaved
smooth, with not the suggestion of a
wrinkle; yet his hair was as white as
snow. He had slight southern accent,
and his hearty manner of inviting the
visitors in and his cordial hospitality
We're wholly southern One of the visit
ors knew him and had told the other
that there was a man with a bona fide
skeleton in his closet and that the skele-
ton had story. 1t did not require any
persuasion to obtain glimpse of the
skeleton. The owner presently led the
way to an clubhouse, and, opening the
door, displayed the skeleton of man,
badly fastened together and hanging
to tie wall by he neck. The Missourian
did not object to telling the story.
''That fellc ", he said, motioning
with his thumb to the skeleton, "was
once an acquaintance of mine, and l
liked him SO well '-this with laugh
"that have kept him by me ever since,
SO that I can come out and stir him up
whenever feel disposed" and he gave
the skeleton dig in the ribs.
at was this way" he continued,
closing the door on his acquaintance
During the war lived in one of the
southern states, where l was about the
only northern man. They took nearly
everything that l had as time went on,
killed my stock, killed some of my peo-
pie and finally announced that they
were going to kill me. Nearly all the
country was terrorized at that time by
a good for nothing chap whom we will
call Jim Conner; that was not his name
but it will do-one name is as good as
another now.
''When the war broke out, he started
in as sort of independent guerrilla and
began a system Of looting and killing
knew him well, and he sent me word
that he was coming my way and was
going to burn my house and hang me
to tree in the yard. sent word
back that was ready for him. We
heard of him all around-men shot,
niggers killed, houses burned-so that
the name of Jim Conner became thing
to scare children, not to speak of men,
was always trying to help northern
men, and one time had two or three
with me. passing them on as occasion
offered.
81 had not heard from Conner or his
raids for some weeks, when one day he
rode into the yard and, swore that he
was going to burn the house. We had
no means of protecting ourselves ex-
cept by using rifle, and with that
tried to pick him off from the top story
but he had picked up one Of my friends
who had been in the field, and they put
him on horse and stood behind him anG
shot at the windows Of the house, al
the same time gathering brush with
which, they said, to burn the house.
"But no one dared to approach the
house, as was sure shot. supposed
that they would wait until night ant
then creep up and burn me out l KEEP
out of sight and conld not believe thai
they would murder man in cold blood
But, hearing shout, glanced through
a, bullet hole in the shutter and saw
them driving my friends horse up to ;
tree-a fine old tree that l had planted
as boy. One of the limbs crossed tn
drive, and to this they fastened tn
rope and drove the horse away, leavin!
> my friend dangling there. and l watch
; ing the operati ton totally helpless, Will
, they were looking on.
"Some United States troops finall
came along and drove them off and Gu
the body down, and we joined in tn
chase. l hunted the gang for weeks
then gave it up, as it was evident tina
they had given us the slip. After tn
war I moved to California and cam
mere. soon heard of curious char
acter who lived up in one of the can
! CONS the life Of hermit | never cor
neIted his name with Conner, it bein
. more or less common. But when b
l died one day the story was that he ha
: had bad record back in Missouri; tina
1 he had been murderer, ETC.. and
g occurred to me that it might be my oil
1 enemy, the man had been after for :
. many years.
4 81 can't say that l have particr
t larly revengeful disposition, said tt
a skeleton owner, "but he had murdere
my friend, and l had never given u
the hope of finding him and was alway
on the lookout. The old fellow WI
: alone and homeless, it seems, with 1
friends, and they had buried him by tt
a. side of his hut. heard Of it a few da.
e later and employed some men to al
% me in the investigation.
j. Conner had a bad saber wour
q across the face, by which no one cou
u ever fail to recognize him, and whe
d we opened the grave there was Il
:, man. while papers which he left shove
y that he was Conner. l had found hi
q too late to turn him over to the Law
IS So l proposed to hang him where
s could keep an eye on him for the re
t. of my life, and in my will propose
g leave instructions that he shall be lie
e hanging, dangling in the wind, ju
- as he had hanged my friend. had b
- skeleton prepared, as no one elaine
% him. and hung him up as warning
V any Of his seed that might follow in b