Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-01-17
LYNCHING IN IOWA.
MOB FIRST PRAYS OVER VICTIM
IN CHARLES CITY.
Women and Children Are in Mob
Which Witnesses Hanging of
James Cullen, Who Had Murdered
His Wife and Stepson.

James Cullen, a white man, aged
about so years, was taken from jail in
Charles City, Iowa, Wednesday night
and hanged from the bridge that
crosses the Cedar River there. in the
presence of crowd of more than LOCO
persons, including some women and
children and four ministers. A prayer
service preceded the lynching.
Cullen was in Jail charged with the
murder of his wife and stepson, boy
10 years old. The murders were COM
mitted in the Cullen home, just outside
the city, some time during Monday
night. Tuesday Cullen came to town
with revolver-shot wound in his head,
and was looking for a doctor to dress
it when officers, who had been inform
ed by neighbors of the murder of his
wife and child, arrested him.
The man admitted that he had killed
his wife and stepson, and accounted
for the wound in his head by saying
that he had attempted to commit sui
eide but had failed, and then changed
his mind. When he came to town to
think that the murders had been dis
covered. When arrested he said that
he had killed his wife and stepSon in
self-defense, but would say nothing
more.
First Attempt to Lynch Fails.
News of the murders and Cullen's ar
rest stirred his neighbors and residents
of Charles City to a frenzy. This
was Increased when relatives of the
murdered woman made it known that
Cullen had on several occasions at
tempted to kill her and had always
treated her brutality. Cullen, who
made a living as carpenter, had a
bad reputation among those who knew
him.
Soon after his arrest threats were
made to lynch him and a mob was
formed to attack the Jail. An attempt
was made late Tuesday night to force
an entrance into the Jail, but this
failed
Wednesday it was learned that Cul-
len was not seriously injured and rel
atiyeS of the woman he murdered went
about town melting their friends to
make another attack on the Jail. Sud
denly at II o'clock Wednesday night a
mob began to form near the Jail. In
a few minutes the news spread over
the town that another attempt was
going to be made to lynch Cullen and
hundreds Of men rushed to the Jail.
Smash Down Jail Walls.
Some of these brought up heavy rail-
road irons and in an instant these had
been brought to play on the outer doors
of the Jail. These were easily demol-
ished. Then the mob with hammers
and picks broke a hole through the
brick wall of the Jail into the cell oc-
cupied by Cullen.
The sheriff was overpowered and
made prisoner while men in 1ne mob
dragged Cullen outside. With his head
bandaged and so weak with terror that
he could hardly walk Cullen was drag
ged to the county bridge over the Ce-
dar River.
Here men in the mob held back the
crowd, which now included many wom-
en- and children, while others solemnly
conducted a prayer meeting with Gull
len in the center of the group.
After those who were about to kill
him had prayed for a few minutes a
rope was tied to the bridge rail, a
moose thrown around Cullen's neck,
and he was showed from the bridge