Hide Article Text (OCR)
The First Murder Trial in Taylor County REMINISSENCES OF EARLY DAYS. The search was continued during the next three days with no tiding of the escaped prisoners, still it seemed impossible they could escape. The country was aroused in the di rection they were likely to travel and cold and hunger would surely compel them to seek shelter in some dwell ing. On the morning of the fourth day after the escape, a horseman came galloping into town with the news that Brice and Crans were eat ing breakfast with a man named Tare, ving about six miles south, when he left. He had seen the pris oners in the court house and knew that he was not mistaken. A posse of men were soon galloping in that direction. When they arrived at Tare’s the prisoners had left. The pursuing party were not long in Satis fying themselves that, the prisoners had again taken refuge in the brush. An all day’s search followed. Just as darkness was closing around them they saw the prisoners leave their hiding place and start south. As soon as they found they were discov ered they ran for a small branch of Honey creek, not far from the main stream. As the horsemen came up, Crans threw up his hands in token of surrender. Brice showed fight. With a well-directed aim he sent a bullet tearing through the shoulder of Ezekiel Rose, who was then treasurer of the county. Then running to Honey creek he plunged in and had gotten about half way across when Uncle John Campbell called on him to halt. Looking around and seeing that he was covered with a double barrelled shotgun, he also threw up his hands in token of surrender. The prisoners were then marched back to Bedford, looking much the worse for the cold and hunger they had suf fered. The reader will naturally ask why it was they made so little head way in getting away from Bedford. Their story was that they got the irons off the first bight, but not in time to travel far. The next night and the night following they traveled hard, only to find themselves in sight of Bedford when morning came They were lost and had traveled in a circle. They, of course, dare not travel by day light. On the morning of the fourth day Crans ave out and insisted he must have food. For this Brice called him chicken hearted and never forgave him. When the prisoners were brought back to Bedford there was a general demand that they should be guarded with greater vigilance. In compli ance with this demand they were separated. Brice was put back in the court room and chained to a post that supported the roof of the build ing at the center. Crans was con fined in a small room in the north west corner of the lower story, and instead of boarding them at the hotel their meals were taken to them. I have already stated they had made arrangements for assistance I make their escape before reaching Bedford. An explanation of thi seems to be here in order. After Crans had been confined by himself I sought and obtained an interview with him and asked him to tell me by whose assistance they had made their escape. After much persuasion and argument I drew from him the following facts: When on their way to Bedford they had been confined a few hours in the jail at Burlington, awaiting the de parture of the stage. There they formed the acquaintance of a pris oner named Cooper, whose term of imprisonment was about to expire, and made an agreement with him that as soon as his term expired he would come to Bedford and aid them in making their escape. He came according to agreement, engaged the ponies and wagon of a map named William Cain, living in the west part of Bedford. He managed to gain ad mission to the court room and was recognized by Brice and Crans, who, of course, were too discreet to give any signs of recognition but managed to gain information as to the time when everything would be in readi ness.£ afterward received intelli gence from the sheriff at Burlington fully confirming this statement, and £ made an effort to have Cooper arrested 30d brought here but a war rant was out for him at the time for burglary, for which he was subse quently convicted and sent to Fort Madison. CONFESSION OF CRANS. While Brice and Crans remained together it was impossible to draw a word from either regarding the mur der of Mullen. Brice appeared to hold some strange and unaccountable Influence over Crans; in fact to have him completely hypnotized, and yet always afraid he would say something he wished not to be said. His watch ful eye was ever upon him and Craps seemed to yield to his control as an obedient child yields to the control of a parent; but when separated, with the assurance they would never be together again, he became a different man. All bravado disappeared and he wept like a child. He was advised to turn witness for the state and was assured that if he did so he would have the sympathy of the people and probably a light sentence from the court. He listened to these represen tations and his story, briefly told, is as follows: “T had got out of the wagon previ ous to the killing of Mullen and had run on ahead of the wagon for the purpose of warming myself, when IT heard a pistol shot, and looking back I saw Brice standing up with pistol in hand and Mullen was not on his seat. Brice had hold of the lines and shortly stopped the team, threw Mul len out of the wagon and dragged him to a deep hollow and threw him in. I was horrified, but what could I do? I had no friends within more than a thousand miles, and was completely in the power of Brice. I knew it to be my duty to reveal the murder, but the longer I put it off the more diffi cult it became. This story appeared to be plausible, and when told by a young man of fine open countenance and gentlemanly bearing could hardly fail to make an impression favorable to him. Many persons came to the conclusion i I was true and resolved to do what they could to save the young man’s life. He was told that by giving testimony for the state and reating his version of the affair to the jury under oath he would probably be found guilty of murder in the second degree, and then the people of Bedford would bring a strong influence to bear upon the court to make this term of impris onment brief as possible. To this method of procedure he finally yield ed consent. When the intelligence was communicated to Brice that Crans had broken down and was to be a witness for the state, he simply gave a haughty look of scorn and re marked that “he should not hang worth a damn.” Nothing further of general interest occurred during the brief period that intervened between the recapture of the prisoners and their trial. Brice took his meals while chained to the post in the center of the court room, and was otherwise waited on by his guards. He was, however, allowed to amuse himself with card playing and other games with his guards. Crans lay curled up on his couch in the the corner of his little prison with penitent looks, and often with tear ful eyes, but not a word could be drawn from him regarding his par entage or the place of his home and friends. [Continued next week.] Conway Briefs. Perry Besto and Chas, Allen, of Lenox, were transacting business in town last week. Mr. and Mrs. A. Ragie of New Market, were in town last week the guests of Mrs. H’s brother, O. alngg. D. Hanson and daughter Mrs Will iams, departed for their home in Ill iois last Friday evening. BH. A. Crawford of Pacific Junction, has been visiting his parents and other relatives there the past few days. Jack Frost has been a very unwel come visitor the past week in and around Conway. Rev. Hastings, of Lenox is announc ed to preach in the Christian church text Sunday afternoon at + o'clock. N.P. Nelson and ©. A. Haynes, were Bedford visitors Monday. The ladies of the Presbyterian church gave an ice cream social at the home of Mrs. M. A. Sawyer last Thursday afternoon and evening, which was well attended. M. G. Maxwell and a friend whose name we did not learn, were in town last Wednesday. Frank Wright and wife visited at St. Joe last week. Mr. James Tippey and wife of near Hopkins, were visiting relatives and old time friends in town the first of the week. Mrs. Pitman who has been living in Virginia the past two years, is visit ing her son Alex and other relatives and friends here. Rev. Elbert of Creston, ably filled his appointments here Sunday, as also did Rev. Lewis of Bedford. H. Bowen has added greatly to the appearance of his property by giving his house a new coat of paint. Some parties from Decatur county have been putting down on what is known as the ‘‘Wright quarter” of land east of town, a system of wells the past few weeks. This is a new idea in this section but seems to be a success. Three wells of four or five feet in diameter were sunk, the deep est being about 31 feet, from which feeders were run out and from one well to the other. The last well put down is the shallowest but by test it alone will furnish about 900 gallons of water every twenty-four hours. The expense was about 3140 which seems to be very reasonable for the amount of work furnished. Briefs from Exchanges. ‘The assessors report shows that Chariton has a population of 3323. A Dozen divorce cases and no marri ages leads the Mills county tribune to remark “that the outlook for the future is rather gloomy. There are 636 pupils tn the Villisca schools and the per cent of attendance is 96.3. While attending a picnic at Afton, rank Bird accidently shot himself through the hip with a 38 caliber Smith Wesson. The wound 19 seri ous but not fatal. The monthly report of the Clarinds asylum for April shows there are now 588 patients in the institution—349 inmates and 239 females. There were 1S admitted during the month, and 15 discharged for various causes This is the largest number ever recorded. The Corning Union man has just undergone the throes nf a removal of their plant from one building to an other. The editor remarks: “There is some sentiment connected with a removal, but the surrounding circum stances of dirt and disorder, do not favor the development of senti ment.” James Mayne, age 75, suicided at Clinton, by jagging his jugular with a pen-knife. He had suffered for years with consumption and wasted away util he only welshed thirty pounds. The mayor of Corning, has been rounding up the crap shooters of that town and fining them. Ben Bosly of the Avoca Herald, has started a daily. An Atlantic surgery has shipped out ten cars of trees this season. An addition costing $3,700 is to be made to the high school building at Tabor. The Creston city council proposes to put a stop to the herding of cows on the streets. Oskaloosa has an indebtedness of $90,000, or $24,000 above the constitu tional limit. Missouri Valley uses about 75,000 gallons of water a day, so their water works engineer reports. Iowa City is to be supplied with a modern appliance for giving instant police of the exact location of a fire. A gang of seventy-seven Council Bluffs wheelmen surprised Glenwood people by coming into town in double fire last Sunday morning, owned 17 cows, and was father of 8 young hopefuls. The new stand-pipe of the Red Oak water-works toppled over 30 inches from a perpendicular the first time it was fled with water. The stand-pipe holds 250,000 gallons and costs #15,000. Creston has quite a curiosity in the way of triplet sisters. Mrs. John Ross gave birth to them several days ago and they are getting along nicely. The three together weigh eleven pounds and 3 half. At Fontanell, John Bohilfog, an aged citizen, fell into a small stream near the town and was drowned in three feet of water. He was en route to the cemetery with flowers to put on his wifes grave, and while dipping water with a bucket, sliped into the stream. E. O. French, former principal of the high school, was selected by the school board from a large lst of ap plicants for superintendent of the Creston Schools next year. E. H. Martin, of Webster City has invented a telephone which is some thing remarkable in the way of ac curacy. It works with only one come cell battery, while the bell telephones use three. With this telephone 4 whiper can be heard for miles after traveling over the wire.
Newspaper Details
Taylor County Democrat
Bedford, Iowa, US
Thu, May 16, 1895
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Audrey H.
USA 16 Jan 2026
Other Publications Near Bedford, Iowa
Bedford Times Independent
Bedford Times Republican
Bedford Times Republican and Taylor County Repub
Bedford Taylor County Republican
Atlas of Taylor County Iowa
