50 or 60 Associates in the Outrage! A Midnight Mob an Murder! A Man Taken from the County Jail and Hanged! The Officers Overpowered!
We have the most mortifying circumstances to relate that ever happened in the midst of an intelligent and civilized community. The facts are simply these: —
A man by the name of E.G. Dalson, residing in the southern part of this County, said to have been a Methodist Class-leader, was arrested and placed in our County Jail last Saturday on a charge of murder. This man is said to have murdered a little boy, an adopted son, some months since, because of some disobedience on the part of the boy. No positive evidence could be found that the boy was murdered, but his sudden disappearance at the time referred to above, and the known ill-temper of the man, and father by adoption, led to suspicious feelings in the minds of the neighbors, which were awakened into new life by the discovery of the body of the boy in an old well quite recently. As stated above, the man was arrested, brought to Iola and placed in our county jail last Saturday.
During Monday night, however, three men presented themselves at the jail, awakened the dept. Sheriff, and represented that they had a prisoner from Neosho County which they wished to deliver to him for safe keeping The deputy then awakened Sheriff Harris, who opened the door for their admittance, when the three men rushed suddenly into the hall, followed by a host of associates, seized the officers, presented a reolver at the Sheriff’s head and demanded that Dalson be delivered to them, that they might hang the s- of a b-. The Sheriff flatly refused and endeavored to expostulate with them against the course they were pursuing. They replied that they were determined to have the life of the man in jail, even at the cost of his (the Sheriff’s) and his deputy’s lives and for the second time demanded that the prisoner be delivered to them. But Harris still refused their demands and declared that he would not deliver to them the prisoner. And for the third time they made their demand for the prisoner, or the life of the Sheriff; to which the Sheriff for the third time refused, answering that they could have his life, but not his integrity. The desperadoes then threw down the Sheriff and choked him, asking for the keys of the cell. The Sheriff informed them that he did not have the keys.
Mr. Walters, the deputy Sheriff, had by this time appeared, and attempted to interfere in behalf of law and order, which he was similarly dealt with. But finding that neither the Sheriff or his deputy would obey, and probably feeling the enormity of the offense if they should murder them, the scoundrels wrested the keys of the cells from Mr. Walters. An attempt was made to compel the Sheriff or his deputy to unlock the cells, but they would not, when one of the mob undertook it himself. His efforts were crowned with success. The prisoner was then taken out, gagged, and dragged on the ground with a rope about his neck to a wagon on the ground for the purpose. The mob then took the prisoner, more dead than alive, towards Elm creek, – the Sheriff, and such other assistants as he could by this time arouse, following after. The darkness of the night prevented a discovery of their course, but it was presumed they hung the object of their vengeance in the timber of Elm Creek. Diligent search was made for his body, but without avail. The Sheriff proceeded along the trail as near as he could judge towards Humboldt. About daylight in the morning, his mind suggested the idea of looking into an old barn on that deserted town-site, where the body of the unfortunate man was found suspended to the rafters by a rope about his neck, and thus ended the sickening tragedy, A jury was summoned by the Coroner, and after hearing the evidence a verdict was returned according to the facts set forth above.
Only one man engaged in the horror was recognized by the Sheriff or his deputy, and he was arrested while attending the inquest, by order of the Coroner. His name is R.T. Stevens. He is now in jail awaiting trial. Before closing this account we wish to state that this mob was composed of men not known to Iola, and that the people of Iola, with one accord, no matter what may be their peculiar religious or moral predilections, denounce the act as a wicked, unjust and diabolical outrage, and will do everything in their power to bring the offenders to justice.
P.S. — Since writing the above, we learn that Dalson made a confession in substance as follows: – That he undertook to correct the boy with a small switch, that he supposed the boy was conquered and left him, when the boy became very saucy and impertinent. He then returned to the boy, placed his foot upon the boys neck for the purpose of holding him down and showing his superior power, that when he supposed the boy had received sufficient punishment to render him submissive, he removed his foot and discovered that the boy was nearly dead. Efforts were made to resuscitate him, but without avail. Dalson was thunderstruck with the result, and did not know what course to pursue. At last he concluded to conceal the body, and determined that the best way to do so was to throw it in the well. The Valley Register, Iola, Kansas. July 13, 1871. Page 3.