than he. He was a splendid business man, and came to Jewell when the town was first started and has wielded a wide influence in the affairs of his community. He was born and raised in Independence, Iowa, and married his wife there.

He was just leaving Ellsworth and had passed two or three teams going in the same direction, south, before reaching the track where the accident occurred— the first crossing west of the depot. It is almost impossible to see a train coming from the east, until nearly to the track. Mr. Warburton was in the top buggy, but the top was not up, as first reported. He wore a fur coat, however, with the big collar turned up so that his view would be limited to the road straight in front of him. When about twenty or thirty feet from the track he noticed the swiftly approaching train, and struck his team with the whip, in an effort to cross the track ahead of the engine. The team got safely across, and another fraction of a second of time would have saved Mr. Warburton's life, but the engine struck his buggy squarely between the wheels, tearing it to pieces. The unfortunate man was of course thrown violently downward, being caught on the pilot of the engine, and carried there nearly to the bridge east of Ellsworth, about half a mile from the crossing where the accident occurred. The engineer got the train stopped there and backed up to the depot in Ellsworth. The post mortem examination made by Coroner Eberle showed that Mr. Warburton's neck was broken, the skull crushed and both arms broken, probably by the force with which the pilot struck him, but the body was not mangled or otherwise badly disfigured. The train which caused the accident was the second section of No. 25, a westbound freight train in charge of Conductor Edward Nichols, of Lake City, and Engineer Harry Harrison, Fireman Calvin Mann and Brakeman Harry Shultz and Henry Herrick.

Thos. Cotterall, a young man of about twenty-three, was thrown from his wheel on Second street in Webster City and almost instantly killed. The accident was caused by the colliding with another wheel. It took place in September, 1897. Samuel McComb, who lived two miles north of Kamrar, was killed in a runaway accident September 17, 1897. He had started to Webster City when a runaway team came up behind and ran into the rear of his buggy, throwing him off the seat over the dashboard. He received bruises that resulted in his death in about twenty minutes. J. M. Beardsley and a son of McComb were in the buggy with him but they escaped with injuries. McComb was born in Ireland in 1840, and came to Hamilton county in 1867.

ATTEMPTED BANK ROBBERY

An attempt to rob the Exchange Bank of Blairsburg was made October 24, 1896. O. W. Hick, a special correspondent to the Freeman, gave the following

account:

An attempt was made by three masked men to rob the Exchange Bank of Blairsburg Sunday morning at 3 o'clock. One of the robbers is lying at the Blairsburg hotel with two bullet wounds in his body, one in his chest and one in the abdomen. The two other men escaped. For two days the robbers were in this city, and Saturday night they took a hand car and made the trip to Blairsburg. The two men gained entrance to the bank through the front door of the build

ing. While two were at work in the bank the third was stationed outside. A hole was drilled through the top of the outside safe, and to make their work sure they inserted dynamite enough to blow open a dozen safes. The great iron doors were hurled twenty feet, the safe was wrecked and the entire building was damaged. The noise of the explosion brought half the people of Blairsburg from their beds. James Coners, an employe at the Blairsburg creamery, was the first citizen to arrive. When he saw the havoc that had been wrought he uttered a yell and retreated to the hotel across the street. It was this cry that frightened the burglars. They had prepared another charge of dynamite for the time locks on the interior of the big safe. This they did not explode. They hastily left the bank through the rear window, and as they were passing the northwest corner of the building the third man, who gives his name as Edward Gillicon, rushed around the corner. Twice the fleeing burglars shot at him, each shot taking effect. A volley was fired by the bandits at the crowd which had rapidly gathered, but owing to the darkness the others shots did no harm. Gillicon was carried to the hotel, where physicians probed his wounds. He is a young man about twenty-six years of age, fair complexion, and his hands give no evidence of toil. Efforts were made to induce him to tell the names of his associates, but he declared he did not know them.

Theories are advanced as to why the robbers shot Gillicon. One is that they mistook him for a citizen and the other is that, as it was impossible for him to escape, they thought to kill him to prevent any testimony he might offer against them. Gillicon says he never met the men until two days before in Webster City, when they were drinking together and they gradually approached the subject of robbing the Blairsburg bank. He fell in with them and showed a willingness to assist. They explained that they had looked over the field and every detail of the building and it would be an easy job.

To frighten Gillicon into a full confession threats were made of lynching, but they proved of no avail. He stoutly maintained he did not know even the robbers' names. Sheriff Sinclair drove to Blairsburg before daylight Sunday morning. When he searched Gillicon's clothes he found a number of skeleton keys and other tools used by robbers. He had a number of gold watches, chains, etc., in his outside coat pockets.

At the November term of the district court Gillicon pled guilty to the charge of burglary, and was sentenced to five years' service at the penitentiary at Anamosa. James R. Walters, employed on the B. C. Mason farm in Independence township, was killed by an angry bull November 6, 1897. He had gone into the feed lot and in passing the bull pricked him in the side with a shovel to make him get out of the way. The bull turned suddenly and struck Walters in the breast with his head with such force that he died within twenty minutes. Andrew Leksell committed suicide at his home near Bone's mill May 6, 1898. He got up from his bed during the night and went out to the barn, where he hung himself. Nothing of his intentions was known by the family until he was discovered, dead, the next morning. The coroner's jury found that he came to his death by his own hand while temporarily insane.

Ira Fitts, a traveling man from Des Moines, committed suicide at Williams December 7th. The means used to accomplish the act are unknown. From

letters found it was learned that domestic troubles and gambling were causes that led to the act.

A man by the name of Snelson committed suicide near Homer April 9, 1899. He was a man of about forty and had become enamored of a young girl of about sixteen. She apparently did not care for him and was keeping company with another young man in the neighborhood. He became extremely jealous. On the day of his death he had followed the young lady and her friend and on overtaking them, threatened to kill the girl. By whipping their team into a run, the young people managed to escape and reached home. Snelson followed and renewed his attempts to shoot the girl and failing in this, placed the muzzle of the pistol to his temple and fired. He had evidently premeditated suicide.

William Wilder, a young man of twenty-five living near Webster City, committed suicide November 10, 1899, by shooting himself. He had been in poor health for a year and this was the only cause that.can be given for his strange act. He wrote farewell letters to each member of the family.

A. L. Deo of Stratford was accidently killed November 17, 1899. He was digging a well and went down into it to remove a rock. He was overcome by damps and before he could be drawn out had expired. He was about forty years old and had lived at Stratford for many years.

CHAPTER XVI

MILITARY HISTORY

HOW THE SOLDIERS WERE ASSIGNED-MILITARY RECORDS OF HAMILTON COUNTY SOLDIERS THOSE WHO DIED IN SERVICE-THOSE WHE HELD OFFICE-CIVIL WAR VETERANS WHO RESIDE IN HAMILTON COUNTY-CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS BURIED IN HAMILTON COUNTY.

During the Civil war 163 soldiers enlisted from Hamilton county and they were assigned to the following regiments: First cavalry, II; second cavalry, 58; seventh cavalry, 7; ninth cavalry, 9; first infantry, I; second infantry, 2; sixth infantry, 1; twelfth infantry, 1; fifteenth infantry, 1; sixteenth infantry, 26; thirty-second infantry, 41; forty--fifth infantry, 1; forty-eighth infantry, 4; first United States infantry, I; paymaster United States, 1.

Of this number, 34 died while in service. Their loss was credited as follows: First cavalry, 4; second cavalry, 10; seventh cavalry, 2; third infantry, 1; sixteenth infantry, 10; thirty-second infantry, 7.

Of all who enlisted from this county the following is a list of those who still resided here January 1, 1912: J. M. Jones, Thos. Fisher, L. M. Harris, Lars Henderson, Joseph Adams, James Brock, J. N. Maxwell, John McFarland, N. J. Olmstead and Eri Dodge.

In the office of the adjutant general of the state of Iowa is a record of the military service of each Iowa soldier. From that record, as published by the state, we reproduce so much as refers to the soldiers who enlisted from Hamilton county:

COMPANY G, FIRST IOWA CAVALRY

John D. Corbin. Age 17. Residence, Hamilton county, nativity, Ohio. Enlisted Nov. 24, 1864. Mustered Nov. 24, 1864. Mustered out Nov. 26, 1865, Austin, Texas, expiration of term of service.

John P. Corbin. Age 16. Residence, Hamilton county; nativity, Ohio. Enlisted Nov. 24, 1864. Mustered Nov. 24, 1864. Mustered out Nov. 26, 1865, Austin, Texas, expiration of term of service.

Oscar J. Daniels. Age 19. Residence, Homer; nativity, Pennsylvania. Enlisted Aug. 13, 1862. Mustered Aug. 13, 1862. Promoted fourth corporal Nov. 1, 1864. Mustered out May 2, 1865, Memphis, Tenn.

Suell Dodge. Age 19. Residence, Webster City; nativity, Maine. Enlisted June 13, 1861. Mustered Aug. 1, 1861. Killed in action July 11, 1862, Big Creek Bluffs, Mo.

Vol. I-18

Levi S. Drinkwalter. Age 30. Residence, Hamilton county; nativity, Pennsylvania. Enlisted Aug. 14, 1862. Mustered Aug. 14, 1862. Discharged May 31, 1865, Memphis, Tenn.

Harris Hoover. Age 28. Residence, Webster City; nativity, Pennsylvania. Enlisted June 13, 1861, as fourth sergeant. Mustered Aug. 1, 1861. Promoted second sergeant Sept. 19, 1861; first sergeant June 18, 1862. Mustered out Sept. 9, 1864, Davenport, Iowa, expiration of term of service.

Daniel R. Hopper. Age 23. Residence, Webster City; nativity, New York. Enlisted June 13, 1861. Mustered Aug. 1, 1861. Promoted seventh corporal Sept. 19, 1861; sixth corporal Oct. 1, 1861. Died of disease March 17, 1863, Mountain Grove, Mo.

Charles H. Porter. Age 22. Residence, Eldora; nativity, Michigan. Enlisted Aug. 13, 1862. Mustered Aug. 13, 1862. Died of disease Oct. 14, 1863, Little Rock, Ark. Buried in National Cemetery, Little Rock, Ark. Section 1, grave 82.

Henry C. Skinner. Age 25. Residence, Webster City; nativity, Pennsylvania. Enlisted Sept. 12, 1862. Mustered Sept. 12, 1862. Died of disease March 9, 1863, Mountain Grove, Mo.

Isaac Soule. Age 37. Residence, Webster City; nativity, New York. Enlisted June 13, 1861, as fifth sergeant. Mustered Aug. 1, 1861. Promoted third sergeant Sept. 19, 1861; second sergeant June 18, 1862. Discharged for promotion as hospital steward of eighth Missouri cavalry May 11, 1863.

John H. Williams. Age 20. Residence, Hamilton county; nativity, Ohio. Enlisted Aug. 12, 1862. Mustered Aug. 12, 1862. Promoted sixth corporal Sept. 9, 1864; sixth sergeant Nov. 1, 1864; fifth sergeant March 1, 1865. Mustered out June 13, 1865, Memphis, Tenn.

COMPANY F, SECOND IOWA CAVALRY

Ammond, George R. Age 21. Residence, Hamilton county; nativity, Pennsylvania. Appointed second lieutenant Aug. 9, 1861. Mustered Sept. 9, 1861. Promoted first lieutenant Nov. 23, 1861 and appointed quartermaster for third battalion. Mustered out Sept. 26, 1862, Hamburg, Tenn.

Vivaldo A. Ballou. Age 20. Residence, Hamilton county; nativity. New York. Enlisted Aug. 9, 1861, as third sergeant. Mustered Sept. 9, 1861. Discharged for disability Sept. 17, 1862, Corinth, Miss.

Hiram N. Battles (veteran). Age 22. Residence, Homer; nativity, Ohio. Enlisted Aug. 9, 1861. Mustered Sept. 9, 1861. Promoted eighth corporal March 19, 1862; seventh corporal April 4, 1862; quartermaster sergeant Nov. 1, 1862. Reenlisted and remustered March 1, 1864. Promoted first sergeant June 13, 1864. Mustered out Sept. 19, 1865, Selma, Ala.

Berkley, Granville. Age 39. Residenec, Hamilton county; nativity, Virginia. Appointed captain Aug. 1, 1861. Mustered Sept. 9, 1861. Mustered out Oct. 29, 1862.

Berkley, John J. Age 18. Residence, Hamilton county; nativity, Virginia. Enlisted Aug. 9, 1861. Mustered Sept. 9, 1861. Promoted second corporal Oct. 1, 1861. First sergeant Nov. 27, 1861. Mustered out Oct. 3, 1864, Davenport, Iowa, expiration of term of service.