The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-02-22
HIS TOOTH BIRTHDAY.
concluded from page ~

break for the mountains, but cap
ture was almost certain. The cap
tors were paid liberal rewards, and
the captured were severely punished.
On the large plantations there was
regular negro whipper. A Whipper
was also furnished by the county.
The culprit was tied hand and foot,
and the whip, which was OF cow hide,
was welded vigorously. The pun
ishment varied from ten to seventy
five lashes according to the severity
of the crime and the state OF the
masters temper. Sometimes ne
gro was whipped to death before his
owners rage was appeased. When
only twelve years old young Phipps
saw a slave whipped to death, and
the scene has never faded from his
memory. Sometimes the negro Grim
I inals were executed by hanging by
the county as a warning to others.
John Phipps was married in Deca-
tur county. Feb. 81, 1912, to Miss
%. S. Longs father. They had ten
children, but only four are now liv-
ing. One son Matthew, lives in Ok
lahoma and is very prosperous, A. S.
resides on the home farm near Far
ragut. Ono daughter, Mrs. Gardner,
lives in Decatur county, Mrs. Mary
sWinfrey, in Richardson, Neb. He
has eighteen grandchildren and for
ty-two grcat-grand children, and is
proud of them all.
In Missouri, uncle John Phipps
Il lived near the James boys, and
. the Younger brothers,, and knew
them we'll. The James boys, Frank
and Jesse lived only fifteen miles
: away Their raids and depredations
began after Phipps moved north to
Iowa.
Just before the war, Mr.. Phipps
says he owned 1900 acres of land
est of Kansas City, and was living
there when the war began. He
found it impossible to live there
without joining the army, on one
side lor the other, and not wishing to
ally himself with either side, he
packed up what goods he could haul
with two teams and drove up to Har-
rison county, this state, where he
staid until the war ended. A part of
his land he fooled away, he said,
and then traded 500 acres to Jim
Raster for 500 acres near Farragut,
where he has since resided.
Mr.. Phipps' fame was spread
broadcast through. the land some
years ago, when the Chicago and
other metropolitan dailies devoted
considerable space to the story of his
life and sought to prove that he was
the father of John D. Rockefeller.
In the history of the Standard Oil
company, Miss Ida M. Tarbell stated
that William Rockefeller, father of
John D., was living under an alias
near small town in the middle
west. Clues pointed to the Shenan-
dOah vicinity, and star reporters for
the metropolitan dailies hit the trail
\ to Shenandoah, believing Uncle John
Phipps to be the man. They sought
him at all hours of tho day and
night, routed him out of bed before
daylight to answer their questions.
They were unable to prove their de-
sired story. Uncle John, however,
is a great admirer of John D., and
emphatically states that were he
the father of the illustrious magnate,
he would have the best son in the
world. w.
Uncle John Phipps is an uncle by
marriage of o. S. Long, of this city,
and is an occasional visitor at the
Long home. Several years ago Mrs.
Long looked up from her work in
the store, and then rose and extended
her hand to the approaching visitor.
Hello, Uncle john said she, and
invited him down to tho house. He
accepted the invitation, made a call
sor two, and then left for sFarragut.
"a few days later Mr.. and Mrs. Long
were invited to the Phipps home for
dinner. When they entered the din
ing room two Uncle Johns" as
like as two peas in pod, greeted
her astonished gaze. Her visitor Of
! few days before had been Uncle
Johns twin brother, Eli, from Okla