Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-09

DeS MOineS, July 9-TWO men were
arrested in different southern Iowa
towns late yesterday afternoon, and
two others are sought by police Off
scials. on charges of having participated
in double murder done in southern
Taylor county, forty-seven years ago
Those now under arrest are:
Bates Hunrsman. of Siam, Taylor
county.
Sam Scribner, Of New Market.
Those for whom warrants are out
but who have not been captured, are:
Hank Bainwood, of College Springs.
Bainwood, of Shenandoah.
Sam Scribner arrived in Bedford last
night, in the custody of officers. He
was released on $4,000 bail.
Back in the days Immediately foi-
lowing the civil war, territory about
the southern and eastern borders OF
Iowa was riot of lawlessness. The
James boys gang was spreading ter
ror turnout the middle west then, and
many lesser gangs were emuiatlng
them. Murder was not uncommon,
and robbery was still less unusual.
Near Siam, a small town In SOUTH
ern Taylor county, the story goes, one
OF these gangs of outlaws operated.
Its members We're young men, whose
initiative spirit was fired by the acts
Of the James boys, and the gang -four
ished in power. Law abiding people
of the vicinity were kept in terror.
Trunk Of Money.
One day in 1858 a wealthy cattle
buyer from some point farther east
came to Siam to buy livestock. Some
70
say he was lured to Siam by the out
law gang; others that he came on his
own initiative. 1t was before the days
OF easy exchange and he brought with
him a trunk full of currency. The
trunk is claimed to have contained
between $4,000 and 100000. A boy
travelled with him, but the story is SO
old. and comes to Des Moines thru
SO many hands, that the names either
OF the cattle buyer or of the boy can
not be recalled.
Father and Son Shot.
The outlaw gang met this cattle
buyer just outside Siam. as he trav-
eled across country behind an OK team,
the boy In the wagon alongside Him
and the trunk full of, money very close
behind him in the wagon bed They
shot him without ceremony and threw
the body in a we'll on the outskirts Of
Siam.
The boy, it is said. tried to escape
during the confusion attending the
murder of his older companion. but
he had not run far before member
Of the gang overlook him and shot
him dead. The boys body was buried
in a locust grove, not far from the well
into which the riddled body Of the man
nad been dumped without ceremony.
The gang then buried the trunk full OF
money in the same locust grove. care
fully making plat Of the farm and
marking the location Of the trunk. :
Fire Destroys Plat.
It was the intention Of the outlaws
to dig the swag out OF the ground and
to dispose Of it, when the efforts they
knew would be ineffective to bring the
murderers to justice. had been aban-
doned, The plat was carefully hidden
In the home of member of the gang.
But before the time arrived when
the gang would consider it safe to di-
vide the money fire destroyed the home
in which the plat was hidden. Like
Captain Kidd's treasure. all trace OF
It's location was lost The gang tried
often to find it, but without effect.
There had been one witness to the
murder, girl, whom the outlaws had
easily cowed. Her name is being care
fully guarded by officials now connect
ed with the case The gangsters said:
..If you breathe word Of what you
have seen we will wash our hands In
your blood!" To subdue her complete
~, the outlaws made her wash their
clothing, that had become blood stained
In the committing of the double crime.
Told James Of Chest.
This woman now is living. The
vicinity OF Siam became too warm for
her after the double murder. and with
4 sister she moved down into Missouri.
presumably near Hickman. The James
gang raided near her new home ire
quently, and it is said she told FRANK
James Of the buried treasure cnest.