Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 46, 1905

Chapter 46

MILD WINTER - SOCIAL AND MORAL WORK - MRS FOSTER'S TEMPERANCE REVIVAL - MRS. STEVENSON FOUND DEAD - LINES ON THE DEATH OF MRS. STEVENSON BY MARY DAYTON - BUILDING OF THE COUNTY JAIL - COURT SCENE, LAUGHABLE AND DISGRACEFUI^RICHARD TONER AND ANNIE McCANN BURNED TO DEATH - NEW JAIL BROKEN - JIM JOHNSON SHOT - D. C. FREELAND - FIRE COMPANY ORGANIZED.

The winter of 1877-8 was one of the mildest in the history of the state. Frost came out of the ground in January so that plowing was done in some localities during that month. There was very little snow all winter and no sleighing. For several weeks the roads were dry and dusty. Some farmers sowed wheat in February. The ^Mississippi River from St. Paul to New Orleans was free from ice as early as March 8.

Social And Moral

Owing to the mild weather, no doubt, there was considerable doing in the way of lectures and social gatherings during the season. The month of January, in Waseca, brought a great temperance revival. Mrs. J. Ellen Foster, then a noted lecturer and attorney, of Iowa, delivered a series of powerful lectures, or addresses, in Waseca.

The Lectures

The local paper, speaking of Mrs. Foster's work, said: "ilrs. Foster has taken the town by storm. She has started a good work. The "Blue Ribbon" is a success. Mrs. Foster's lectures, delivered in this place since last Thursday, together with the terrible death of Mrs. Stevenson, whose body was found last Sunday morning, have created an emotional temperance sentiment in this place which we hope may settle down to something sound, substantial and practical.' The death of Mrs. Stevenson was detailed in the local paper of Jon. 9, 1878, as follows:

Terrible Death Of Mrs. Stevenson

"It is with a sad heart that we record the fearful death of Mrs. S. J. Stevenson, wife of the late deputy sheriff of this county, who was found within thirty feet of the Catholic church of this village and only a few rods from her own home, last Sunday morning, frozen to death, with an empty bottle in which there had been whisky. There is no reason to doubt that she came to her death while in a drunken condition, as for years she had been more or less addicted to the use of liquor - was, in fact, a slave to its power.

"She was found by Mr, Breen's son and James B. Hayden, clerk of the court. When first discovered the body was in a kneeling posture, the face, knees, and toes resting upon the ground and the body bent as though she had fallen while on her knees; thus her spirit passed beyond the vale.

"When sober, she was one of the kindest and best of women, especially in sickness, and with the exception of this fault was a respectable, kind-hearted woman. She was about fifty years of age."

The death of Mrs. Stevenson brought forth the following lines from Miss Mary B. Dayton, then a young school teacher, afterwards Mrs. Shepard, now deceased. The lines were so sincere and true that the author offers no apology for reproducing the following extracts from the poem :

Lines On The Death Op Mrs. Stevenson

"Gone to the earth, returned to dust! Gone to her maker, too, we trust. Her life is done, her work is o'er; Now she will rest forever more. She knew no happiness in life, But much she knew of toil and strife. She once was young and very fair - Alas! she knew not then the snare That would enfold her in its grasp, Till human power and help were past. She fell into the tempter's power;

When tempted oft to turn astray. Remember God, the living way. Think well before one glass you take. Before His holy law you break, Think of that creature once so pure. Think of the woe that came to her! Think of her lying stiff and cold. Think of her poor immortal soul! 'Tis true she sinned, but who is he Who sinneth not? If such there be. His is the right to judge of one Who sitteth now before God's throne."

Death Of Mrs. Nathaniel Wood

jMrs. Amelia Wood, wife of Mr. Nathaniel "Wood, who settled in "Woodville in 1855, died Feb. 6, 1878, at the advanced age of seventy-six. She was a native of Vermont, and was the mother of :\Iessrs. Eri G., Loren C. and Luman Wood, and Mrs. J. K. Meyers, Mrs. Scott, Mrs. G. R. Buckman, and Mrs. R. M. Addison.

County Jail Building

For several years the county commissioners, under the wise counsel of Auditor Cronkhite, had been creating a fund for the building of a jail, and on the 20th of March, 1878, the contract for building the same was let to W. B. Craig & Co., their bid being $9,333. Conrad, Bohn & Co. bid $9,445. The contract required the completion of the building on or before the first of the following October.

Wholesale Indicting

The temperance people of the county were very active in 1878. At the March term of court, thirteen indictments were found by the grand jury against as many different persons in New Richland for selling liquor unlawfully. Nearly all of them plead guilty and were fined $50 and costs of prosecution.

The Fourth Of July

this year was celebrated by our people quite generally. Public meetings were held in Blooming Grove, Otisco, Janesville, New Richland, and Waseca. Rev. R. Forbes and James E. Child delivered addresses in Blooming Grove; Hon. Wni. Brisbane delivered the oration at New Richland; Rev. Gilbert Shaw addressed the people of Otisco; there was a circus at Janesville; a picnic at Waseca; and a church celebration and dinner at St. ^Mary.

Laughable And Disgraceful

"A laughable and at the same time a disgraceful scene occurred in Hon. B. Smyth's court, last Wednesday. The plaintiff was a man named Taylor, a lithe, supple, plucky chap; and the defendant, a Mr. Gove. Lawyer Cole appeared for plaintiff and Lawyer Jones for defendant. The plaintiff was put upon the stand and all went as usual until the crossexamination, when some sharp words ensued. Jones called the witness

"That was too much for Jones; he seized a chair and raised it, threatening to knock the witness' brains out. Taylor, not to be outdone in politeness, as quick as a flash also presented a chair. Cole rushed to a corner and called for a revolver, the jurors ducked their heads, one behind another expecting every moment the crash of arms, the justice commenced gathering up his papers, men from the street rushed wildly to the scene of conflict, everything was in suspense until two seconds rushed in and prevented the flow of gore by parting the combatants. Lawyer Jones, being disarmed, paced up and down like a caged lion, asserting that he was a respectable citizen of Waseca, and that he would not take such an Insult from a tramp. Whereupon Taylor informed him that he (Taylor) was not a tramp, and moreover that Lawyer Jones was not even a respectable citizen. And then the valorous Jones again approached Taylor with clenched flsts and flashing eyes threatening a terrible les- son In pugilism. Taylor again assumed a fighting posture, and no one can tell how much blood might have flowed had not Constables Roddle and Stevenson rushed between them. Disgusted at his failure to crossexamine the witness over the head with a chair, Jones left the court in contempt. After his departure the court held the scales of justice in equal poise and finished the trial - peace and harmony prevailing,"

One of the saddest occurrences in the history of the eonnty transpired August 27, 1878. The following account was given at the time by John J. Toner, son of Richard Toner :

"The inmates of the house were Mr. and Mrs. Toner, the parents, who slept below; John J. Toner, their son, a young man, and two hired men; two daughters, young women, and the girl, Annie McCann, all of whom slept in rooms upstairs. Mary Toner, the older daughter, first discovered the fire about fifteen minutes after one o'clock, Tuesday morning, in the southeast corner of the building, upstairs, next to the kitchen. She at once gave the alarm. John, as soon as awakened, went below and called to his parents, and then went out with one of the hired men, thinking to extinguish the Are. He soon found that the fire was beyond control and went back to the front door of the main building. His sister then told him that the McCann girl was still upstairs. He sent for a ladder whereby they might reach the chamber window. Just then one of the daughters said 'father is still in the house.' John then went to the open bed-room window and reached into the bed but could not find his father. He then called him. At this time the smoke and heat were stifling and he turned his head to get a fresh breath. When he turned again he found his father prostrate with his head in the window. By this time, the fire was over head and all around them. One of the men came to assist, but both were unable to succeed in removing the old gentleman and were driven back by the fire. The other man also made an attempt to reach the window, but was driven back by the fire. Nothing more could be done, and, Mr. Toner and the girl perished in the flames. Nearly everything in the house was consumed. Mr. Richard Toner was one of the oldest settlers of the county, having settled in Iosco in 1856. He was about 65 years of age. He leaves a large family and an extensive circle of friends to mourn his sad death. Of late years he has been a sober, exemplary citizen, and universally liked and respected on account of his generosity and neighborly deportment.

"The origin of the fire is unknown. One of the men, desiring to use some warm water, as late as eleven o'clock the evening before was in the kitchen, but saw no fire.

The Election Of 1878

The campaign of this year was one of intense feeling and excitement. There were four tickets in the field - Temperance, (Greenback, Democrat, Republican. The vote on state senator was as follows : >S. B. Williams, temperance, 729 ; P. C. Baile.v, republican, 464; Fenton Keenan, democrat, 443; AV. D. Armstrong, ,L;reeul)ack, 274. John S. Abell, temperance, received 570 votes and was elected representative, while John Thompson, republican, was elected by a vote of 5.').3 over Ira D. Beaman, temperance, who received 505 votes. ]\[r. E. Cronkhite, candidate on both the temperance and democi'atie tickets, was re-elected by a vote of 745. The total vote of the county this year was 1,922.

New Jail Broken

Scarcely had the new jail been completed when the four inmates came very near making their escape. They cut off one of the bars with a common, steel table-knife, unlocked the scuttle door leading into the attic with an old ke.v, went into the attic and knocked a hole through the brick wall, on the north side, close to the cornice. Sheriff Keeley's attention was attracted by the noise, and he and Jailor Long proceeded to drive the culprits back into their cells. Evidentl.v the jail was not burglar proof.

Marriages, Deaths, And Miscellaneous Events

The marriage of Mr. Martin Haley and I\Iiss Ellen Collins, at "Waseca, by Father Christie, Feb. 25, 1878, was quite a society event. Mr. Haley had been captain of the champion baseball club of the state, and was son of Mr. Patrick Haley, one of the wellto-do and early settlers of Blooming Grove. Aliss Collins was a sister of Sheriff Collins, of Waseca. j\Ir. John Kahnke and Miss ]\Iary Matz, of St. Mary, were married the next day - Feb. 26. ]Mr. Kahnke is one of the yiuing old settlers of the county. All-. H. X. Carlton, one of the earlie'st boysettlers of Woodville, married Miss Lovica Smith, daiighter of A. C. Smith, October 1878. The bride was the first white child born in the town of Woodville.

Mr. A. B. Crumb, of Byron, an early settler, died .Ian. 30, 1878, of lingering consumption, aged fifty years. He had resided in th(> county aboiit foui-t(>en years.

limits of Waseca county (then Bhie Earth county), died Augu-;t 15, 1878, aged forty-one years, at Decoria, Blue Earth county. She left a family of ten children. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Gregory, now deceased, who settled in St. Mary in 1855.

James Johnson, son of Isaac Johnson, both early settlers in this county, was accidentally shot near Mapleton, Nov. 10, 1878. It appears that he had been hunting, in company with his brother AVilliam and two others, and was returning home in a buggy. He had the butt end of his gun on the bottom of the buggy, and leaned forward to let one of the company have some tobacco. When he straightened back, the gun slipped, striking the hammer on the bottom of the buggy, and discharging the contents into his thigh, severing the femoral artery. He only lived a few seconds, and spoke but a few words. "Jim," as he was familiarly called, was one of the famous players of the ' ' Champion Base Ball Club of this county and had many warm friends.

Mr. D. C. Freeland, one of the early settlers of Vivian and a man of high character, died of ulceration of the liver, Nov. 26, 1878. He was son-in-law of Mr. Wm. Hoover. He left surviving him a widow and three sons. His widow is noAV Mrs. A. T. Wolcott, and his sons are prosperous residents of the Pacific coast at Portland, Oregon.

The First Fire Company

The following appeared in the local paper June 26, 1878 : "We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, propose to start an independent fire company for the protection of all property in the corporate limits of the village of Waseca. We respectfully ask the assistance of all property holders: