Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-15
The Doctors LaForce Enjoying
Western Journey.
SHOWN THRU SALT RIVER VALLEY
The Elder LaForce Told Phoenix
Reporter of the Lynching That Took
Place in Ottumwa in 1Se4-Dragged
Away for Safety.

Drs. ID. A. La Force and w. B. La
Force report that they are thoroly
enjoying their trip thru the great
west. They made visit to the IA
nous Salt River Valley in Arizona on
one o. the closing days of the nine
teenth century, and they spent sever
al days in Phoenix, an important
western city enroute to California
where they intended looking over
some promising oil fields in which
they and other Ottumwa persons,
among them j. B. Mowery, are inter-
ested.
Caught by Reporter.
When in Phoenix the Doctors La
Force were caught by reporter for
the Arizona Republican, one of the
leading newspapers in the state, and
on December 81, the paper contained
the following in it's reference to the
Eastern Iowa visitors:
They were attracted to Phoenix
by the presence of j. NJ Duffield and
his son, DR.. VIM Duffe!d The elder
DIR. LaForce and Mr. Duffield were
schoolboys together half century
ago and served together thru the civil
war. The younger DR.. LaForce and
DR.. Duffield We're classmates for sew
en- years, four in collegiate course
and three in medical college.
The visitors were shown about the
town and the adjacent country as far
out as the orange groves northeast of
the city. They were very much IL
terested in the irrigation system CT
the valley. DR.. LaForce said that his
ride furnished him panorama of
surprises. He had not known before
that there was valley here. He had
heard of the Salt River valley and
Phoenix, but had supposed that it
was only health resort, set down in
a narrow cleft between two mountain
ranges.
ottumwa's Lynching.
"The elder DR.. LaForce has been a
conspicuous figure in Iowa politics
and was for long period member
of the state legislature. He was also
mayor Of Ottumwa for several years
There is one incident of his official
career which will always linger with
him. A man charged with an out
rageous assault upon a little girl had
| been captured and lynching was al.
most certain. The passions of a
quickly formed mob were abnormaliy
excited by the circumstances that
shortly before man morally proven
guilty in court of a particularly bru-
tai murder had been acquitted by the
jury.
"There was no special evidence
against the suspect, but the mol
gathered about the city building
where he was under detention. The
mayor mounted a spring wagon In
the middle of the bowling mob and
began an address calculated to re
store order. He had not proceeded
far until members of his audience
dragged the wagon off into L side
street, the mayor with it. They tol''
him they meant him no harm; 4 the
contrary they had only taken him cul
| of the crowd that he might not get
hurt.
''The doctor made his way back tc
the city hall and reached it in time
to prevent a part of the crowd from
making a rush upstairs where the
suspect was guarded Ivy handful oi
officers. Enough members Of tbs
mob, however, had already got by tc
overpower the guard. They put :
/ rope srond the wretch's neck arc
| threw him over a balustrade.