Evening times-Republican., 1903-11-23
Application For Pardon Recalls
the Details of the Crime
and Trial
MOST NOTED IN HARDIN COUNTY
of the Rain.barsers Was
Secured Largely on circumstantiaI
Evidence and Came After the Whole
County Had Been Terrorized by
criminaIs-Present Situation.
Special to Times-Republican,

Special to Times Republican
Eldora, New. 23.-The fling of no.
tice for an application for the pardon
of Nate and Frank Rainsbarger brings
to the memory of many OF the older
citizens of Hardin county the trouble
some and terrifying times of 18S45. AT
an early hour on Nov 10, 1854, the au-
thorities received word in this city that
Enoch Johnson had been murdered the
night previous and his body had been
found In the road about half mile
north of Clifford. The body was found
face down with the right leg in the
road and the left one little cut, with
the lines of harness around II. There
were blood and gashes on his head, a
part of harness was lying near, and
a bay horse was cropping grass about
thirty rods south OF the body. The
buggy was some $50 rods north OF the
body with one front wheel broken
down and one shaft broken. The body
appeared to have been dragged about
twenty rods In a ravine near the top
Of the hill and on the west side of the
road was found two or three pools of
blood, also place where a horse had
been hitched. The above facts furnish
ed the basis for one OF the most motor
ious murder trials ever held in Iowa.
The murdered man was well up in
years and In failing health. His char
acter was questionable and mis- occu-
patton uncertain, but that he had been
foully murdered all were agreed who
the matter and 1t soon be-
came noised about that the Ralnsbarg-
ers had done the killing. Stories OF
horse and cattle thieving. Of burglary.
and robbery extending back for many
years were revived, and the finger Of
suspicion was made to point to the
Rainsbargers as the perpetrators OF all
or most of these crimes. There were
five of the Rainsbarger brothers living
in and near Steamboat Rock at time OF
murder of Johnson. Frank. the young
est Of the boys. married Netue john
son. daughter of the murdered man,
Dec. q, 1ss3. In August. 1881. Enoch
johnson was arrested at Goldfield for
Showing the queer and quantity of
counterfeit money was found on his
person.
In the spring of 1884 he was released
on bail. Frank and Nate Rainsbarger
and others going his bail After his
daughter married Frank Rainsbarger.
he made his home for the most part
with her, and took out a large insur-
ance policy in favor Of his wife and
daughter and her husband. Part OF the
time Johnson stayed with his second
wife at clifford. Reports were rife that
Frank and Nate Rainsbarger We're inn
plicated with johnson in passing coun-
terfeit money and the motive for kill
ing him was to prevent the possibility
of his "peaching' on them, also to
secure the life insurance money. On
Jan. 16. 1885, Frank and Nate were
arrested. charged with the nlurder of
Enoch johnson. They were arraigned
before Mayor Hadley and by him
bound over to the grand jury, which
met in April and returned indictments
against both OF the boys. At the pre-
liminary hearing, the wife OIL Frank.
who had lived with him up to the time
OF his arrest, testified that she had seen
nothing unusual in his appearance or
actions when he got home the night
of the murder, or the next day. Mates
case came or. for trial Dec. 2s, 1885, on
q change of venue. from Hardin TO
Marshall county, before Judge Hender-
son. C. E. Albrook, 8. NJ Weaver and
p. NJ. Sutton appeared for the delend-
ant, and Fl. L. Huff assisted District
Attorney ]. L. Stevens In the prosecu-
ton. The evidence was all circumstan-
tial and for the most part remote. and
but for the testimony of Nettie RAINS
barger, the wife Of Frank. 1t is gener-
ally believed that Nate would have been
acquitted. Nettie testified that she saw
by her husbands appearance and ac-
tions upon his return home the night
OF the murder that something unusual
had happened. That she found blood on
his overcoat and mittehs. and found
Mates overalls hanging in the barn
with spots OF blood on them. and told
about his confession when she charged
the murder OF her father to Nate and
Frank. Her testimony taken in con-
necti0n with the chain OF circumstan-
tial evidence and the general reputa-
ton of the boys doubtless caused the
fury to return a verdict of guilty. A
motion for new trial was denied when
the case was appealed to the supreme
court and reversed on error In admis-
sion OF evidence In March 1887.
The case was tried again in the fall
of 1887 and the chain of circurnstantial
evidence was strengthened by the ad-
ditional testimony of two witnesses,
who swore to having seen Nate and
Frank pass thru Eldora the night of
the murder. The result was verdict
of guilty and a life sentence.
Frank was tried at the January 1887
term and found guilty and given a life
sentence. His case was appealed to
the supreme court and affirmed in
1883.
There is much diversity Of opinion
as to the guilt or innocence of the
boys, The motive seems reasonable
but the evidence is conflicting.
1t was shown during the trial that
Nate and Frank were at Cleves the
night of the murder and left there
about o'clock going west to Johns
place near Abbott. where they stopped
about a half hour and left there go
ing toward home. The murder was
between 8 and 9 o'clock.
The distance from Cleves to the scene
Of the murder is some IS rniles. 1t
seems incredible that the boys could
have gone that distance, committed the
murder, and then got back home be-
for IL o'clock as was shown by tha
witnesses on both sides. 1t Is believed
by many that the gang of counter
feiters with whom Johnson was oper-