Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/503



a court, and selected a jury to try the prisoners, who stood surrounded by determined-looking men and trembling with fear. They remembered the terrible fate of Page and Warren and had little hope of escaping the same fearful punishment. After the evidence was presented the jury brought in the verdict—“Guilty!”

Then in the hope that their lives might be spared, the two men confessed their guilt, and told of the particulars of the theft of the last horses taken, and where they had been sold. But there was no mercy for them and the death sentence was sanctioned by a large majority. Very little time was given them, although Soper broke down and begged piteously for mercy. Gleason was firm and reckless to the last. Ropes were fastened around their necks, they were placed in a wagon beneath the white oak tree that was used for the gallows. A score of men caught the ropes and the wagon was drawn from under them, leaving two more victims of the Regulators.

The law abiding people now began to denounce these lynchings, the killing of men for stealing and in some cases without evidence of guilt. It was felt that no citizen was safe, when suspicion could be aroused by personal enemies and innocent men be executed to gratify malice. The lawless acts of the Regulators were denounced and efforts were made to stop the crimes of armed bands called Regulators. A determined effort was made by Judge Tuthill, of Cedar County, to secure the indictment and arrest of the known leaders but so threatening were the demonstrations that the witnesses and jurors were notified that such action would imperil their lives. Citizens who denounced the deeds of Regulators were threatened, and for several months there was a reign of terror prevailing in that section of the State. Those who approved of the lawless acts, together with the large number engaged in them, were a vast majority of the citizens and it soon became apparent that they would not tolerate the punishment of any who had participated in the lynchings.