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Archiver > ILMCDONO > 1999-09 > 0936477136
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Subject: 5th part of murders in McDonough County, IL (part 1)
Date: Sat, 04 Sep 1999 15:32:16 -0500
THE MAXWELL OUTLAWS--Two of the most noted outlaws this county ever
produced, and who at one time attained a national reputation by their
murderous deeds, were the Maxwell brothers who were raised in this
county and who here commenced their career which ended in the lynching
of one, but not until after he had killed many men and defied an entire
company of militia.
Along in 1869 or 1870, a mover with two boys and a girl stopped near the
residence of Elijah Hicks in Macomb, and wanted to occupy an unused
house near their place for awhile, as he wanted to find work. The
privilege was given him and he remained, not only for a time, but for
years. This mover's name was Maxwell, the father of Ed and Lon. The boys
as youths did not attract any particular attention unless it was the
adaptability of the younger in learning scripture, he having won a prize
for having committed 3,000 verses of Scripture. The teaching of the
verses he committed did not seem to have much effect on him, however, as
at an early age the boys would steal chickens for cooking while out on a
lark and commit petty depredations.
On February 10, 1874, Ed Maxwell first commenced his career of crime
which ended only when he was lynched by an infuriated people, and most
of his subsequent years were spent in the penitentiary. On the day
mentioned the clothing store of Dines & Co., of which Charles Dines, for
years County Clerk here, was one of the proprietors, was robbed. Maxwell
was suspected of the robbery, just why it was not learned, and a day or
two later Dines and another man went to the farm where Maxwell was
employed, to investigate. Maxwell was evidently looking for them, or at
least recognized them, for he disappeared as they rode up and tied their
horses, both being on horseback. They entered the house and there found
the missing articles. Then Maxwell gave the first evidence of that
spirit of deviltry and bravado that afterward earned him a national
reputation. He slipped up to the horses, while the men were in the
house, mounted the best one and with a whoop and yell was off on the
full run. Then followed a chase that was the talk of that section of the
county for some weeks. The other rider hurried to Blandinsville and
organized a posse and gave chase. Through Blandinsville, Sciota and
Emmet Township went the fugitive and the pursuers, there being some
twenty armed men in the hunt. At last Maxwell struck for Spring Creek
and followed it to where it empties into Crooked Creek. Here he found
the creek too high to ford and turned north again, but the pursuers
thought he had forded. The horse was later found at Good Hope and from
that place he was traced to Roseville, where he was arrested, brought
back to Macomb and sent to the penitentiary for three years.
Up to this time the Maxwells were unknown, so to speak, being quiet and
never having done anything to particularly attract attention except the
one escapade of Ed's, and as he had offered no resistance at that time,
his desperate character was unknown. After he had served his time, being
released in 1876, he returned to this county and then commenced the
worst reign of terror as to thievery this section as ever undergone. He
had for a pal, a man supposedly named Post, but who, in fact, was his
brother Lon. The two would steal a couple of horses and strike out
through the county robbing houses. They scoured Emmet, Sciota,
Blandinsville and Hire Townships, and continued their depredations on
into Henderson and Hancock Counties. They would make a trip like Santa
Claus, starting in the night, visiting nearly every house on their road,
steal what they could and then disappear, selling the horses or turning
them loose. They visited La Crosse in daylight, defied arrest, subdued
the officer with their revolvers and left at their pleasure.
On one of their last trips they stole two horses from E. S. Smith, a
farmer of Sciota Township, the animals being found some time later near
Hamilton, Ill., badly used up. They raided the houses of a John Isom, F.
Ferris, S. B. Davis, L. English, James D. Griffith, and others,
receiving a considerable amount, taking money from under the pillow at
one place while a man was asleep. This last raid, however, awoke the
community to a state of action and a man hunt was started, a reward of
$500 being offered for their capture. The hunt was unsuccessful,
however, but it served to keep them away until they were brought back in
irons by an officer.
For some time the outlaws eluded the officers but they heard from them
occasionally. The Maxwells supposed the officers did not know Lon was
the big man of the two, but thought they were looking for a man named
Post. At last the officers received a tip that they were going down the
Illinois River in a boat, so they waited for them at Beardstown. The
boys landed there and Ed went uptown to buy some supplies, Lon remaining
in the boat. The officers waited until Ed entered a store and they
stepped in after him. They grabbed him when he was off his guard, but at
that he put up a desperate fight, kicking, biting and cursing and it
required the combined strength of three officers to hold him. At last he
was ironed, however, and the others went after Lon. Lon was still in the
boat and seeing the men, asked them if they did not want to buy the
skiff they had attached to the other boat. They said that they did and
came down to look at it, that giving them the desired opportunity. They
jumped on Lon when he was not looking, but he grabbed a revolver and
fired one shot but was disarmed before he could do any harm. An
examination showed both boys to be heavily armed with revolvers and
knives and they had rifles in the boat. At Bushnell they were ironed
together but quietly slipping off their boots they made a dash for
liberty while chained together, and it required about a seventy-five
yard sprint by the officer to bring them back. They were then landed in
jail without further trouble.
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