The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-08-15
YEARS Ago
Items Taken from the Files of The
Reporter Published a Quarter
of a Century AGO.

of a Century Ago.
Morris G. Cain, an old time resi-
dent of Decatur county, died at his
home in Leon, and was taken to his
ment.
There was a big baseball game
played at Woodland between Leon
and Big Springs, the score at the
end of the seventh inning being SO
ing called on account of darkness
at the end of the seventh inning.
There was big crowd in attendance
and several big fights were narrowly
averted.
On account of The Reporter going
to press day earlier than usual in
order to give it's readers full ac-
count of the lynching bee at Leon
on Sunday night, there was prac-
tically no other local news for that
week.
After being up to high pitch for
ladies in different parts of the county
being assaulted, the matter finally
eliminated on Sunday night when a
|
| ty-five men rode into Leon few
minutes after one o'clock on Sun
day evening, battered down the
doors to the jail and took the man
who had been identified by Mrs.
him to the small bridge west of town,
cemetery. The lynching party were
|
peared at the residence of sherih
Honnold in the front part of the
jail and demanded the keys to the
Jail he told them that if single
, attempt was made to enter the hall
! way that he would fill the hall with
dead men, for he was we'll armed.
This deferred the lynchers from
entering the residence part Of the
Jail, but they secured sledge ham,
mers and attacked the outside door
of the Jail. 1t was soon battered
in and they entered only to be con-
/ fronted with a heavy iron door and
it took some time to break it down,
but it was finally accomplished.
Then they found that the prisoner
! was in one of the steel cells, and it
took about an hour and half for
them to reach the prisoner, who was
found fully dressed budding in one
corner Of the cell. He was picked
up and taken outside, the pickets
keeping the big crowd of citizens
who had gathered from approaching
within a block of the Jail. They
then marched quietly with their
prisoner to the little bridge Just
west of the railroad tracks, at the
~ +hn tn
terry, the crowd of citizens following
but no one except the members of
cross the track. A rope was pro-
er's neck and he was given an op-
! a word, and then he was showed
he hung until the next morning
Gardner arrived on the scene and
quest was held, the coroner's jury
ed came to his death by hanging by
, the jury unknown. The 1ynchers
lied, and while all were masked and
one shot fired by them, that being
pistol shot fired just as they start
ed with their prisoner from the Jail,
and was evidently a signal to pick
cts stationed on the Outposts to let
them know that they had secured
the prisoner.
Among the effects of the man who
was lynched were found three let
ters, all addressed to his attorney,N.
p. Bullock. In the first one which
is. quite lengthy he relates how and
where he spent his time on the day
In the second letter he philo-
sophizes, while in the third he gives
a detailed account of who and what
he is. In the last letter he stated
that his name was James Robertson,
As years of age, a native of Scot
land. He was raised on a farm and
came to America in 1863. Landed
at New York, where he worked for
some time, then came to Illinois
where he was employed on the farm
of Thomas Mckay, near Algonquin,
McHenry county, until March or
April, 1870. Went to Omaha and
| was employed in the Union Pacific
shops until he was sent to Rawlins,
Wyoming Territory. Worked some
time in Rawlins. Went on the road
as fireman and then as an engineer
until 1878 or 1874. Returned to
employ of same company eighteen
months or two years later. Was
employed as an engineer at Laramie
until about 1880. Then left COM
pany's employ, and went to Canada.
Been in Canada and United States
ever since. Still British sub
ject.
Barn and Horses Burn.