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Dayton Review
January 11, 1894
HONORING THE CITY'S DEAD
Stores Closed and Buildings Draped
John P. Larson, whose death from a murderer's bullet was recorded in these columns last week, was buried with the greatest honors that it was possible for high neighbors or the town to bestow.
The funeral took place on Thursday and when the hour arrived every business house in town was closed and draped in mourning. A large delegation of the leading people of Stratford headed by the town council and officers arrived on the afternoon train to attend the funeral. There were...
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Dayton Review
January 11, 1894
HONORING THE CITY'S DEAD
Stores Closed and Buildings Draped
John P. Larson, whose death from a murderer's bullet was recorded in these columns last week, was buried with the greatest honors that it was possible for high neighbors or the town to bestow.
The funeral took place on Thursday and when the hour arrived every business house in town was closed and draped in mourning. A large delegation of the leading people of Stratford headed by the town council and officers arrived on the afternoon train to attend the funeral. There were many people from other neighboring towns present.
The town council headed by the mayor acted as pall bearers and the town council of Stratford acted as a guard of honor.
Eld. John Linn assisted by Revs. P. J. Berg, pastor of the Swedish Methodist church and John Christenson, pastor of the Lutheran church conducted the religious exercises. At the home Rev. Linn read the 23rd Psalm, beginning, "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want," and offered up a prayer. The long procession then wended its way to the Lutheran church where the public services were held. The choir sang "Jesus Lover of My Soul," and then public prayer was offered by Rev. P. J. Berg.
Rev. John Linn took for a text Psalm 39, 4, and Revelations 13, 14, and from them preached an eloquent and touching sermon. He said that the shock had been almost more than he could stand, and did not hesitate to speak in the strongest terms of the awful crime that had been committed. His address was made in Swedish and repeated in English. At the conclusion of his address the choir sang, "Rock of Ages." He was followed by Rev. Christenson, who took for a text Psalm 39, 7. He was listed to with rapt attention and all speak in the highest terms of praise of the appropriate and able addresses delivered by him.
No funeral ever held in Dayton excited such universal interest.
The marked integrity of the man, his faithfulness to every duty gave him the respect and the esteem of all. That he should be marked for the murderer's bullet excited the sympathy of all. Never was there so large a funeral in Dayton. The large church was crowded to the utmost.
Mr. Larson was laid away to rest in Dayton Cemetery sincerely mourned by all.
Peter J. Larson was born in Mjolby, Linköpings Län, Sweden on the 17th of Nov. 1838, and was married to Anna Johnson in Sweden in the year 1859. By this union there were six children, four of whom are still living.
He removed to America in 1869 and after two years sent for his wife and children. HIs wife died in Dayton June 28, 1874. Two years later on the 17th of September he was married the second time to Christine Nelson in Boone, Iowa. By her he has had two children. He leaves the widow and six children to mourn him.
Coroner's Inquest
STATE OF IOWA
Webster County
An inquest holden at Dayton in Webster County, Iowa, on the 3rd day of January, A. D. 1894, before C. H. Curchill, coroner of said county upon the body of Peter John Larson, there lying dead, by the jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed. The said jurors upon their oaths do say that the said Peter John Larson came to his death by a wound inflicted by a rifle or revolver in the hands of a man called Paris Winters at about 12:30 o'clock a.m. Jan. 2nd, 1894, in Dayton, Webster county, Iowa. In testimony thereof, the said jurors have hereunto set their hands the day and year aforesaid.
JOHN LINN,
C. J. DANIELSON,
LOUIS ERICKSON.
Attest C. H. CHURCHILL, Coroner
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Dayton Review
January 4, 1894
Murderous Rioting
DAYTON IN THE HANDS OF A MOB
Marshal P. G. Larson
KILLED AND HIS SLAYER ARRESTED - FRANK DOWD, J. A. GUSTAFSON
ARE THE LIONS OF THE TOWN TO-DAY
ALL ARE MOURNING THE DEATH OF LARSON
The dance that was held at Burnquist's hall New Year's night progressed quietly until just before supper when a commotion was heard in the north end of the hall. A Winters had get to talking loud about a hat. John Gustafson tried to quiet him but the talking was only the signal for the cleaning out of the hall, before determined upon by these Boone county hoodlums. In a moment chairs were flying and women were screaming and there was a general rush to get out of the hall.
Gustafson fought them bravely and at one time had two of them down when a third hit him over the head with a chair and knocked him down. Gustafson was beaten until he had to be dragged out of the hall. After getting possession of the hall the miscreants proceeded to make it a complete wreck and for fifteen minutes the noise of smashing chairs and breaking glass as the chairs were thrown through the large two sash windows was terrific.
There were a few spectators on the stage who saw the whole performance but did not dare to come to the help of Gustafson.
After accomplishing the work they went to Dayton for they went to supper.
By this time the citizens were aroused and came upon the scene to the help of Marshal Larson, who was trying to arrest one of the ring leaders in the restaurant.
Frank Dowd, the picture of a cow boy and armed to the teeth, came in and told the one who was arguing with, Dave Winters, to throw up his hands. Instead of complying he put one hand behind him and got Frank's revolver on his head with such force that he came to the floor. A second time he made an offensive movement and a second time felt the weight of the revolver. He then surrendered and was turned over to the marshal.
At this moment Frank discovered Paris Winters, a brother of Dave, coming with a knife and threatening dire vengeance. Frank seized him by the arm and again the revolver came down and the man with it. The hand that held the knife got the weight of Frank's big boot and the knife flew from it and was taken care of.
While looking after him Dave was heard to say "give me that gun and I will clear the room." He then grabbed the gun from the marshal and Frank heard a shot behind him and turning around he found that Dave had shot the marshal and stood threatening him with the gun. Another grab and Frank had the gun and again Frank's revolver as a club descended and this time Dave had enough. Parris however was up and coming and had to test the weight of the revolver before he discovered he was not in it. The whole crowd then submitted to arrest and were taken to the callaboose. There were nine in all. Not all of them were engaged in the riot but all had come in the crowd and were more or less drunk.
Marshal P. G. Larson was shot in the right hip by his own gun in the hands of Dave Winters, the ball a .40 calibre, passing through him and lodging just under the skin just below and to the left of the naval.
He was carried home and cared for by Dr's Mullikon and Coats. In the morning he was in a very bad condition and made his anti mortem statement before M. D. O'Connell. In the evening a surgical operation was performed by Dr's Seymore, Mulliken and Coats. They found eight bullet wounds in the intestines and so much inflammation that there was no possible chance of his recovery. He died Wednesday morning at 1 o'clock. Thus was sacrificed as good a man and as pure a man as we had in Dayton.
It was thought best to send the whole gang of rioters to Fort Dodge for trial and Deputy Sheriff Gustafson came down in the afternoon and took them away.
Dave Winters shot the marshal; Paris Winters assaulted Dowd with a knife. These, with Willis Phipps and a fellow by the name of Geo. Carns, did the wrecking act in the hall.
This gang has long terrorized the north end of Boone county and the most if not all of them have figured criminal suits there without number.
The only mistake Dowd made was that he did not furnish the town a couple of corpses instead of subjects to figure on Webster county court dockets.
The following is a list of those who were sent to Fort Dodge for trial:
Geo Hull
Huey Wilson
Barney Brady
Alonzo Winters
Dave Winters
Willis Phipps
H. Barber
H. Hamilton
H. Brown
George Carns
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Fort Dodge Messenger
January 4, 1894
MURDER AT DAYTON
CITY MARSHAL JOHN LARSON SHOT BY RIOTERS
Nine Men Were Arraigned in Justice Chantland's Court This Morning and Pled Not Guilty to Charge of Assault With Intent to Commit Murder - Preliminary Hearing Set for Monday at 1 o'clock
One of the worst fights in the history of the county occurred at Dayton Monday night, at which the City Marshal John Larson was fatally shot.
The scene of the fight was Burnquist's hall and yesterday it presented the appearance of having been struck by a cyclone. The windows are broken, the furniture torn to pieces and scattered over the street. The row was started by a gang of tough citizens from Boone county in the vicinity of the new town of Frazer. They came with the avowed purpose of breaking up the dance and they were very successful. They arrived on the scene not long after the dance had started, having in the mean while filled up on booze so that they were ready to do or dare anything. Just how the fight started is hardly known. Two men had hot words, others joined in and before anyone could realize just what was happening the fight began. The ladies beat a hasty retreat. Marshal Larson appeared on the scene with some other of the citizens to quell the riot. He grappled with one of the Winters bros., lost his revolver in the scuffle and was shot in the hip. He was cared for immediately by other citizens who had been attracted to the place by the noise. Nine men were placed under arrest; Brady, Scotty Barber, Winters Bros. of which there are two, Wilson, Smith, Hamilton, Brown and George Hull. These men are on the whole a tough gang and very few terms of court in Boone county go by without some of them being on the docket for some crime. They are part of the same lot that broke up a political meeting in Grant township some two years ago.
In making the arrest Frank Dowd, who returned to this county from the west a short time ago, proved himself a man of cool nerve and great courage and it is due to his efforts that the men are held under arrest.
Attorney M. D. O'Connell who was at Dayton on business took the antemortem statement of Mr. Larson. It is said that the positively identified the man who did the shooting to be a Winters. Larson was one of Dayton's best citizens being highly respected by all who knew him. He was an efficient and fearless officer and because of these qualities seems now to be about to give up his life in the discharge of his duties.
Deputy Sheriff Gustafson went to Dayton Tuesday and brought the prisoners to this city where they were lodged in the county jail.
Marshal Larson died Wednesday morning from the effect of the wounds received. The nine men who were arrested were arraigned in Justice Chantland's court on Wednesday plead not guilty to the charge of assault with intent to commit murder, and the preliminary hearing is set for Monday at 1 o'clock. At that time the charge will be amended to read murder instead of assault with intent to commit murder.
The shooting was not done in Burnquist's hall as was at first reported, but in Tucker's restaurant, just across the street where the rioters had gone to continue their depredations. The fight began in the hall about 12 o'clock when the majority of the dancers had gone to supper. There was still a large number present and when the fight began they made a mad rush for the street almost jumping over one another in their haste to get out of the way. Men and women were pushed, rushed and almost thrown out, and in about a minute after the affair began only two men besides the rioters were left in the hall. One of these took a safe position behind the curtain and the other was soon rendered helpless and left to gaze upon the scene of devastation as it progressed under the reckless hands of the marauders. Chairs were sent flying down the stairs preventing any of the many citizens who had gathered with revolvers, from ascending them. When everything had been broken up in the hall, they proceeded across the street to Tucker's restaurant intending to make mincemeat of everything there. It was then that Marshal Larson appeared on the scene with rifle in hand. It was promptly taken away from him and the fatal shot fired.
After Mr. Larson was shot Frank Dowd began knocking the rioters right and left and nearly every one who bears a wound is witness of the effectiveness of his blows. About this time a hundred or more citizens had gathered on the scene with rifles and revolvers, and the rioters were taken. They were marched to jail and the jail was guarded until Deputy Sheriff Gustafson arrived to take charge of them. the prisoners were taken to the train in a bus and a large number of citizens followed, armed to prevent any possible escape.
The injuries which the men other than Mr. Larson received are not serious although a number will carry scars for the remainder of their lives, which will be silent reminders of the fray.
The men under arrest have engaged Mr. Healy to defend them. A large number of friends arrived from the south this morning. The father of Hugh Wilson has engaged J. F. Duncombe to defend his son. The men arraigned this morning are David Winters, Alonzo Winters, Hugh Wilson, Barney Brady, Wm. Barber, Willis Phipps, Hans C. Browne, Call Hamilton and Geo. Hull.
It is claimed by a man from Minneapolis who was on his way from Lake Mills, that he was robbed of $125 and he lays the blame on some of the rioters. There appears however, to be no evidence against them on such a charge and no doubt the fact of their being under arrest on the other charge would give color to such a story.
Geo. Kearns was placed under arrest for being implicated in the riot. In conversation with people from Dayton it is learned that they placed nearly all strangers in the city under arrest as a precautionary measure and that no doubt many of the fellows under arrest will be able to prove that they were not implicated in the riot.
A MESSENGER reporter visited the men under arrest in the jail. They appeared cheerful for the most part and several of them claimed that they were not in the riot at all. Gustafson who was badly battered about the head was present at the time and stated that Hugh Wilson was not among the fellows in the hall. He claims to be able to positively identify the other men as being present there. He was set upon by five of them at once. |
