Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-04-29


state, and Skinner and Berkeley for
the defendant. After the evidence
had been carefully considered,
George P. Smith was held for the
murder of Charles Gatchell. The
crime was committed at Hooks
Point on Saturday evening, Novem-
Der IA, 1857. Smith was confined
at the residence Of Sheriff Leonard
until the next spring, when he sue
ceeded in escaping and was never
heard of again, although the prairie
was secured by the citizens for
miles After the excitement had
somewhat died down, some one
started the report that the murderer
had been hiding in barn in town
while the hunt was going on, and
that he had been seen leaving. This
started another "foX hunt but with
no success.
Thus far we have passed over the
history of the county without men
tioning the troubles arising over
what is known as the River Land
Grant. Away back in the forties,
Congress granted the odd numbered
alternate sections for six miles on
each side of the Des Moines river as
far north as the Raccoon fork, to
aid in making the river navigable.
The Raccoon fork was at Des
Moines,, but the Des Moines Navi-
cation and Railroad company to
whom the lands were granted, made
claim to the lands to the north line
of the state. This claim was, part
of the time sustained by the Gener-
al Land office and part of the time
denied. During the times the land
office held against the company, set
tiers were permitted to pre-empt
these disputed lands and patents
were issued for them. Then when
the ruling of the land office would
change, the Navigation company
would attempt to put the settlers off
the lands and thus a conflict arose
| that lasted for over 35 years. The
settlers formed themselves into a
society to support each other and
prevent eviction. Contests in the
courts usually terminated against
the settlers but when the officers
came out to evict, they were met
by force and driven off, or if they
succeeded in getting the settler out
before the other settlers knew of it,
force would gather and put him
back in again. Several of the Navi-
cation company's agents were lynch
ed, others driven out, never caring
to return, and others barely escaped
like fate.
In the history of all peoples, it
is not only interesting but neces-
sary to have some knowledge of the
financial conditions under which
they lived in order to thoroughly
understand their actions. We pause
here, then, in the narration OF
events, to find the information indi-
Gated above. This is peculiarly a
fitting place, too in our history, for
about this time there sprang into
existence a new industry of very
great importance to the settlers, and
tel, hat, ~
would have been lamentable, in
deed.
Most of the settlers were poor
men who brought little, if any more
money with them than enough to
pay the entry fee for their lands.
They had no market for their pro-
duct except to newcomers, and there
were no fixed prices for anything,
unless the product was very scarce.
The price was very low, and money
was so scarce that when one had
anything to sell he usually had to
trade for something he needed
worse than what he had to dispose
Of. What made their condition in
finitely worse, was the great finan !
cial panic of 1857 which broke early
all the banks and filled the country |
with worthless bank bills. The law
under which this money was issu-
ed provided that it should have a |
specie basis and the affidavit of the
banker issuing the bills was taken
as proof of the fact that the specie
was on hand when the bills were
issued. Strangely enough, the law
did not provide that the specie
should be kept on hand, or if it did,
the provision was not obeyed, so
the specie basis that did duty in
starting one bank and eased the
conscience of the banker over the
affidavit he made, was carted off to
the next town and became the specie
basis for another bank and so it