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Audubon County |
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CHAPTER IX.
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This terrible tragedy may be recorded as an Audubon-Shelby County affair, belonging as much to one county, perhaps, as another, beginning as it did in Audubon and culminating in the county-seat of Shelby County. The following is about as plain and brief a statement of the noted case as can here be given, owing to the fact that the courts of justice never had the chance to hear the evidence, the culprits both meeting their fate at the hands of "Judge Lynch," whose court never records its speedy decision, which in some instances may have been acts of prudence and a safeguard to the welfare of communities where real courts have failed to bring the guilty to justice. Early in the month of April, 1882, Mayor Stubbs, of Polk City, Iowa, was aroused from his slumbers by two men who flashed a dark lantern in his eyes; as he sprange from his bed a bullet pierced his heart and he fell dead. Search was at once made, no pains or expense being spared to find the guilty, midnight assassins, but for months the hunt seemed in vain. About the 15th of July, the same year, Polk City was the scene of another cold-blooded murder. The postmaster there, named Clinigan, and his deputy, a Mr. Hanger, were closing for the night, two men accosted them with a pleasant "Good evening" salute, and in a few seconds the postmaster was dead with a bullet-hole through his neck. Five minutes later armed men were in pursuit of the murderers, yet, strange to relate, the clue to them was lost. Several trails were followed up, one commencing where two horses had been stolen a few miles from the tragic spot. Detectives were speedily dispatched in all directions, and a day or two later a telephone dispatch at the office of Charles Stuart & Son, of Audubon, revealed the fact that the horse thieves were just fleeing over Stuart's "ranch," eight miles east, and were being pursued by eight men. At once the sheriff and other officers at Audubon sent telegrams to all points on both railroads, notifying the agents to be on the look-out. Subsequent developments revealed the fact that they had compelled a farmer in the edge of Guthrie County to get them breakfast, and then stolen two fresh horses and continued their flight west until they reached the farm house of Hugh McGill, in Melville Township, Audubon County. It was then five o'clock in the morning. The first intimation the farmer had was the approach of two men, who with revolvers pointed at him, addressed him thus: "We want your team!" They took his fine team and continued their journey west. In the meantime the agent of the Rock Island road at Audubon had been notified of the approach of the mean who it was supposed were the "Polk City murderers." The news spread rapidly and soon a posse of men was formed, consisting of W. G. Stuart, John Griggs and William Stotts, who started west accompanied by City Marshal Spriggs, it having been learned that the desperados had been seen passing a mile north of Audubon. Various reports and trails were traced out, including one on the "Mormon Trail," where the two men had inquired for Walnut Station. The next heard of them was a few rods from Kimballton Postoffice, where John Gardner and E. Baxter were building a bridge across Indian Creek. On approaching the bridge they were informed they could not pass, as it was yet unsafe, so they made the horses jumpt the stream, which aroused suspicion, and the bridge builders at once saddled their horses and followed them, but soon lost sight of them. The next seen of them was at a point seven miles north and west of Elkhorn Grove; but upon being pursued they turned, going toward the grove. One of their horses giving out, they both mounted the same horse, finally landing in the dense thicket about the grove, where they hitched their horse and concealed themselves, being watched only by Gardner, Baxter and two Danes who lived near by. The horse whinnied, giving the alarm, and thus showing the exact spot where they were concealed, so the men rode in and captured the animal, leading him to the road-side. In a short time twenty farmers were present and stationed as guards around the grove. At 11:30 A.M. Isaac Hallock and Mr. Zimmerman, from Oakfield, arrived, when, in company with John Gardner, they decided to go through the grove, but the trip revealed nothing new. At about this time squads arrived from Audubon and Exira, when a line was formed, which proceeded to march through the grove -- the men being about twenty feet apart. After penetrating the grove 300 yards, the murderers were seen by young Willis Hallock, who called out "Here they are!" whereupon he was instantly shot. No other member of the company saw the men, and as Hallock claimed their attention the villains again excaped farther into the forest. By dark there were stationed around the grove not less than 300 men, fresh recruits arriving all night long. During the night the murderers attempted to escape several times but failed. The guards were fed in the morning by farmers and by those who had sent provisions from surrounding towns. Again a line was formed and marched through the grove to no purpose; it was supposed they had made their escape during the night in some way, but better judgment prevailed and the third march was projected by cool-headed officers, who determined to go over every yard of land within the forest. The march was ordered, and when half way through the assassins were seen and one of them at once fired a revolver at John Maddy, of Marne, the ball taking effect in his side. Then the men broke for the prairie -- running a race for life, in which they failed! After going over a wheat field, about forty yards, the leader was shot down by Levi Montgomery, of Exira, when the others took for the timber again. The man shot lived about thirty minutes, during which time he was questioned about the Stubbs murder, but he refused to talk. He finally confessed to shooting Clinigan, also the two men in the grove. By this time there were present fully 2,000 people. As to the proceedings after the capture, no better account can be given than that published at the time in the State Register: "The sheriff of Polk County desired to take charge of Hardy, the living culprit, but the crowd were not ready to release him. He was marched to the public road, eighty rods distant, where they halted, when the cry went up from all sides -- 'Hang him!' 'Hang him!' But the sheriff and cool heads succeededin gaining a calm, when it was learned the prisoner had not eaten for many hours, so he was fed. "The greatest crime to which he would confess was that of stealing horses. He claimed his name was William Smith, a native of Denison, Texas, aged twenty-two years. He claimed only to have been in bad company, but said he never killed a man. Said his mother died when he was ten years old, and that he believed in a Supreme Being. He begged for mercy, and yet seemed perfectly cool in all his actions. Finally the cry for 'Rope!' became again loud, and against the officer's will a rope was placed about his neck, and with strong hands to firmly hold him he was tied. Turning south the crowd ran with violent yells, which frightened the horses, upsetting several buggies. The prisoner was then led with a rope nearly a mile to the bridge crossing Indian Creek. Hardy was taken to the center of the rude structure and told he must soon die, which statement did not seem to ruffle him in the least. He asked for pencil and paper with which to write to his mother, wishing some one present to convey it, along with his $14 in money to her. Dick Griggs, of Exira, was selected. The back of a scale-book leaf was given him, upon which he wrote the following: "'To Mrs. Ellen Crist, Butler, Bates County, Missouri: "'DEAR MOTHER:--As I am now on the gallows, speaking the last time to you, I will speak in sorrowful, although in firm tones. I am sorry to have come to such an end; I know it will nearly kill you, but it is my fault, not yours. Mr. Griggs will see that I am decently buried and give you the details of the case. I will send you what money I have and a lock of my hair, that will, I hope, have some bearing on the future life of the boys. Your loving son, "'WM. HARDY.' "Prominent men then spoke to the crowd, pleading with them not to defeat justice, and keep their hands clean of human blood! E. J. Freeman, M. Nichols, J. D. Holmes, Esquire Darnell, the Sheriff of Shelby County, and others spoke. Then the prisoner spoke at length of his innocence, after which citizens again spoke, trying to cool the blood-craving spirit already rife. At last it was concluded to vote on the question of hanging, which seemed to be in favor of letting law prevail. During the trying ordeal Hardy stood with rope around his neck, yet not a quiver or a change was seen upon his face. "The Sheriff of Shelby County succeeded in pinioning his arms and getting him in a buggy, in which he soon drove away to the jail at Harlan. The crowd, nearly worn-out by over-taxed nerves and loss of sleep, soon went their several ways." |
HARDY LYNCHED
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Hardy was confined in the jail at Harlan July 14, and on the night of the 24th of the same month, at about two o'clock, A. M., the city fire-bell rang an alarm to awaken the citizens, who speedily as possible, after finding the trouble, went to the county jail, which had been quietly surrounded by about fifty masked men, who frightened the keys from the jailor's wife; they then securely tied the jailor, and at once proceeded to take Hardy from his cell, which they qickly accomplished, and hastened him along through the town to the bridge; just south of the town, crossing the Nishnabotna River at a point near J. W. Chatburn's flouring mill, where, from all that could be traced by the officers who looked the ground over afterward, it seems they hung and shot the outlaw, and afterward threw his body into the river. The only conversation heard by Judge Chatburn, who, upon hearing the noise, stepped to his doorway, when he heard some one say, "Please don't shoot me, boys!" Again a voice said, "Pull him up from the water!" and immediately there were not less than 100 shots fired, a dozen or more of which took deadly effect in the body of Hardy. Hundreds of people began to crowd around the scene by this time, but at night no one seemed to lead, and those who constituted the mob of lynchers made good their escape, some going in one direction and some in another. A search was at once made. J. H. Weeks, member of the Harlan fire department, volunteered to go into the river in search of the body, which in less than ten minutes was found and brought to the shore. Upon examination it semed quite certain that he had at first been hung, and then shot at by the mob, as they passed along by the man in rapid succession. Some of the dozen or more balls had penetrated his heart; the size of the bullets were thirty-two calibre. The teeth of the corpse were firmly set, showing that Hardy had died as he lived -- a man of iron nerve. His hands had been tied behind him with a piece of cheek-rower cord, the same as was used in binding the jailor. |
| Prev. <=== Continue Reading ===> Next Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass August, 2013 from "Biographical History of Shelby and Audubon Counties", Chicago: W. S. Dunbar & Co., 1889, pg. 689-692. |
