| Bremer County, Iowa | |
News ArticlesHanging An Innocent Man Hung By A Mob The Dubuque Times tells of an innocent man being hung by a Vigilance Committee on Monday last at Janesville, Bremer county. It says: “In the Times of yesterday morning there appeared an account of the hanging of a supposed horse thief by a mob, or self styled Vigilance Committee, between Janesville and Waverly.” Fuller particulars have since transpired in regard to the affair, which places it in an entirely different light, and reveals the horrible fact that an innocent man has suffered death at the hands of the mob. It seems that two young men, partially intoxicated, took the horses and rode them down to Cedar Falls, and after they got there turned them loose. McRoberts was arrested at Janesville, as the supposed thief, and hung in a manner already related. When the farmer got home he found his animals there. It is also stated that McRoberts was hung by the mob at 10 o’clock in the evening, and left hanging by the mob until 12 o’clock the next day. Warrants are now out for the arrest of the ringleaders, and it is to be hoped that all the parties concerned in the infamous outrage will be brought to justice. We understand that one of the chief leaders of the mob is the deputy sheriff of the county. It is certainly a sickening affair, as no doubt remains that an innocent man has been hung. [Daily Iowa State Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Published May 17, 1868, submitted by Cathy D.] Sensational Murder More Peculiar Features Attending the Killing Than Any Which Has Developed in the State of Iowa Waverly, Ia., Dec. 31 – The coroner’s jury has brought in a verdict against Edward Billings for the murder in the first degree for shooting W. S. Kinglsey. This case is one of the most sensational and has more peculiar features in it than any which has developed in the State of Iowa. Billings is 45 years of age, and was a respected lawyer of the town of Waverly. His wife was a woman of fine figure and with many charms of feature and manners, but a good deal younger than her husband. Will Kingsley was but 25 years of age, but brilliant to a degree, a law graduate and so well read and popular that he was easily successful in being elected county attorney. The two men at one time had an office together and business relations with each other. A few days ago Kingsley called at Billing’s office. Suddenly passers-by on the street were startled by the report of pistol shots, and Billings came running down the stairs crying out that Kingsley had shot himself. Citizens ran upstairs, and on entering Kinglsey’s office found him lying dead on the floor with a bullet in his brain. Billings claimed that the dead man had shot himself. A month previous to this Billings had had the young attorney arrested, the warrant charging him with seduction, it being sworn to by a girl in poor circumstances. She afterwards confessed that the charge was not true, and that Billings had induced her to swear to the warrant. From the testimony adduced at the inquest on Kingsley’s body it was developed that Billing’s had set about effecting the ruin of Kingsley in the most systematic manner. He had forged his own wife’s name to notes directed to the lawyer, the contents of the notes being full of loving terms, and asking Kingsley to meet her at her own house while Billings was away. Kingsley replied in good faith, declining to make an assignation, and warning the supposed female writer to desist from her course. Of course the reply fell into the hands of Billings. The letter even went to far as to prepare notes of hand filled out conveying all Kingsley’s property to himself. It is believed that on the day of the shooting Billings went to Kingsley’s office to try by blackmail to have him put his signature on the notes. The evidence as to the blackmail and the forgeries was direct, but there were no witnesses to the shooting, and that part will have to be proven by circumstantial evidence. [Dallas Morning News, Published January 1, 1888] | ||
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