The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-25
CACKLEY FREED
UNDER PAROLE
SERVES LESS THAN SEVEN
MONTHS FOR A MURDER.
Crime Was Committed in 1867 and
Would Not Have Been Fastened
Upon Him but for an Attempted Pen
sion Fraud-More Proof that "Mur-
der Will OUT
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Keokuk, Iowa, Oct. 25.-Has Charles Cack-
ley, who was liberated from the Iowa state
pententiary at Fort Madison today, been pun
ished for the crime he committed? Cackley muir
dered n man at Pennington in 1867. escaped from
the KeOsauqua Jail the next spring while await
ing trial, and for thirtysix years cheated JUS
tice. He was apprehended this year, brought
back to Keosauqua and pleaded guilty to the
charge. He was sentenced to ten years, and
after serving six months and twenty days
has been released under parole by the governor.
The Cackley case has but few parallels in
criminal history. At the age of SIS he
finally caught to answer for a crime commit
ted in his youth
Cackley was born in Ohio in 1s49 and moved
to southern Iowa when boy. On March Z, 1868,
he enlisted with Company G of the Seventh Iowa
cavalry, and served three years, returning to his
boyhood home in Van Buren, county. He was
arrested on Sept by the city marshal of Farm
ington on a charge of stealing pony while
intoxicated. Cackley shot the marshal dead with
a revolver and escaped.
Two days later Cackley was caught and
brought to Keosauqua and bound over to await
the action Of the grand jury. Three times he
escaped from the old Keosauqua jail and three
times he was returned. But the fourth attempt
was successful, and when he left Keosauqua in
the spring Of 1868 he not seen again by those
who knew him until thirty-six years later.
He worked on farm near Fairfield for two
days and then made his way to Burlington.
About a mile below town he found skiff and
started down the Mississippi. AS he approached
Keokuk he saw hundreds OF men at work on the
government canal on the Iowa side. He pulled
out into the center of the river and lay down
in the bottom Of the boat to escape being SEEM
Two men swan out to the skiff, but he raised
up and rowed for dear life. At Hannibal he
overlook raft and secured employment.
Arriving at ST. Louis aboard the raft he
walked into the country, finally locating in
Washington county, where he lived ever since.
He married, reared large family and led a
peaceful, respected life, his new .acquaintances
little dreaming OF the skeleton in his closet. He
was John Beck" having taken the name of a
comrade in the war. This the cause of his
capture for he applied for pension under that
name, supposing that his friend was dead
The government was already paying John Beck
pension and Cackley was made to divulge his
real name. The officials of Van Buren, county
were notified and Sheriff Ramsey went down
and arrested him. r.
His victims widow dead and the officers
who took part at his preliminary trial were dead
The case was like voice out Of the grave. for
but few living who remembered the Incl
dent which had caused such excitement thirty
six years before. 'Who is Cackley?' asked
the people, when he returned to Keosauqua
Friends in Missouri, relatives, citizens of the
southern part of Iowa and others beseged Gov.
ernor Cummins to parole the man, and today he
was set free.