Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/504



The last victim was a farmer of Jones County, named Hiram Roberts. He had long been suspected of being connected with the horse thieves, as he frequently made visits in Cedar County among the bad characters. On the last of October, 1857, Roberts went to James W. Hanlin’s, four miles northwest of Tipton. The Regulators, hearing of his visit, quietly notified a large number of the members, who, at a time fixed by the leaders, gathered at Hanlin’s and captured Roberts. He was taken over the line into Jones County and placed in a barn belonging to George Saum. Here he was left in charge of several men who had been engaged in his capture, while the others retired to some distance for consultation. After a short time a young man from Cedar County, fearing that another tragedy was about to be enacted, refused to be a party to the crime and went to the barn to get his horse to ride home. Upon opening the door he was horrified to see Roberts suspended by the neck from a beam overhead and writhing in the agonies of death. It was soon learned that the men left in charge of the prisoner, while waiting for the result of the consultation, had tried, condemned, sentenced and executed the helpless victim. Six of the prominent actors in the tragedy were arrested and bound over to appear at the next term of court at Anamosa. In the meantime witnesses were got out of the way, friends of the accused were on the grand jury and, as the prisoners appeared at court, surrounded by several hundred armed Regulators, no indictments were found and the perpetrators of the crime escaped punishment as had all of their confederates. While public opinion was largely on the side of the Regulators, there was a minority of the best citizens who were firmly opposed to their defiance of law and to the summary lynching of persons accused of crimes. Their influence was making a strong impression in the community against the lawless acts of the Regulators.

In view of the danger of severe punishment that might be inflicted upon them, a number of Regulators