Gamblers, counterfeiters, and horse thieves

     When Iowa became a part of Michigan, judicial districts, counties and townships were formed with officers to protect people against lawbreakers. In the townships the officers were constables and justices of pave, in the counties and judicial districts there were sheriffs and judges. The early townships and counties were large. This naturally made it difficult for the officers to do their duty. Frequently they were intimidated by bold outlaws, and so were the juries. Since there were few strong jails, and some lawbreakers recklessly daring, often offenders could not be punished.

    Life and property in general were less secure before than after the Civil War. Lawbreakers were numerous. The opportunity for fights were more frequent, because so many carried firearms, and they were quick on the trigger. Even boys often carried pistols which naturally resulted in many serious brawls and accidents.

    The worst of the reckless and violent men who infested early Iowa were chiefly gamblers, counterfeiters, and horse thieves. In resisting arrest they often came murderers as well. Counterfeiting was easy at that time for there was no uniform United States paper money, as now, but numerous kinds of paper money issued by state and private banks.

    The most obnoxious class of outlaws to the settlers were the horse thieves. One can understand that the poor settlers became desperate when their valuable horses were stolen, and that they....

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....resorted to extraordinary means when they saw the thieves acquitted by intimidated judges and juries.

Red beans for whipping.

     At Bellevue, Jackson county, there was a band of outlaws in the later thirties, who circulated counterfeit money, stole horses and committed murders. The town people finally determined to get rid of them, and a regular battle took place in which several were killed on both sides. Six of the outlaws made their escape, but ten were captured. How should they be punished? The people decided to vote on whether the captives should be whipped or hanged. Instead of paper ballots, red and white beans were used in voting. The red beans were for whipping and the white for hanging. The result of the voting was 38 white beans and 42 red. One of the bandits, who thus got off easy with a whipping, was thought to have lived to take part in the foul murder of the fur trader, George Davenport, on the Fourth of July, 1845.

    Several organizations were formed in the fifties to rid Iowa of bandits. A Vigilance Committee having a membership of about 700 was formed by citizens in Jackson, Jones, Clinton, Scott, Cedar and Johnson counties. This committee hanged several outlaws, two at different times on the same tree.

    Another organization with a similar purpose was called the Regulators. Like the Vigilance Committee, the Regulators did good work in bringing offenders to justice, but innocent people fell victim to them also, because the organization could be used to avenge private grudges of the members as well as to punish real offenders. Outlaws, it was said, occasionally turned Regulators.

Brave McCollugh

     The activities of the regulators ended under dramatic circumstance. The neighbor of a certain Canadian, McCullough, living in Cedar County, had been killed by the regulators, who suspected him of having committed some misdeed. McCullough believed his neighbor was innocent and openly said so. He cared nothing for the threats of the self-appointed administrators of justice. When an armed band of them came to his house, he met them at the door gun in hand and informed them by firing a warning shot that he meant to defend himself. Then he told them that of course they could easily shoot him, but before they could shoot him, he could shoot one or two of them. The Regulators knew that McCullough was a sure shot.

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They hesitated, then turned their horses and rode off. Soon after they disbanded for good. From being an outlaw-hunting organization, the Regulators had become lawless themselves and a menace to public peace and order.

    As court was held more regularly, and as juries and judges became more fearless in doing their duty, the need for Vigilance Committees and Regulators ceased to exist.

Questions and Exercises: Why was it difficult to punish offenders in early Iowa? May civilians now lawfully carry fire arms? What made counterfeiting easy? Why were horse thieves especially obnoxious to farmers? Locate Bellevue. Did the bandits have a fair trial? Why were Vigilantes and Regulators not good peace officers? Justify the action of McCollough.