gang, from Justice Watkins-father of our present sheriff-and, upon a certain day, the sheriff, accompanied by all the honest citizens as a posse, should proceed to serve the same. The warrant was issued upon the affidavit of Anson Harrington, Esq., one of our most respectable citizens, charging about half the inhabitants of the town-Brown's men-with the commission of crimes.

A posse of 80 men was selected by the sheriff from among the best citizens of the county, who met in Bellevue on the 1st day of April, 1840, at 10 o'clock, A. M. Brown, in the meantime, had got wind of the proceedings, and had rallied a party of 23 men, whose names were on the warrant, and proceeded to fortify the Bellevue Hotel, and prepare for a vigorous defence. On the sheriff's arriving in Bellevue with his party, he found a red flag streaming from the hotel, and a portion of Brown's men marching to and fro in front of their fort, armed with rifles, presenting a formidable appearance.

A meeting of the citizens was then convened to consult upon the best method of securing the ends of justice, of which Major Thomas S. Sparks was Chairman. It was resolved that the sheriff should go to Brown's fort, with two men, and demand their surrender, reading his warrant, and assuring them that they should be protected in their persons and property. It was also resolved, if they did not surrender, to storm the house, and that Colonel Thomas Cox, then a representative in the Iowa Legislature, should assist the sheriff in the command of the party selected for this purpose.

The sheriff then went to the hotel, accompanied by Messrs. Watkins and Magoon. When near the house, they were suddenly surrounded by Brown and a party of his men, all fully armed. They captured the sheriff, and ordered Watkins and Magoon to return and inform the citizens, that at the first attempt to storm the house, they would shoot the sheriff. Being conducted into the house, the sheriff read his warrant, and informed them of the proceedings of the meeting. Just then it was discovered that Colonel Cox, with a party of citizens, was rapidly advancing on the hotel. Upon the sheriff's promise to stop them and then return, he was released by Brown. He met the party, and, accosting Cox, requested him to delay the attack one hour, and if he (the sheriff) did not return by that time, for them to come on and take the house.

Cox was determined the sheriff should not return, saying that he should not keep his word with such a band of ruffians. Better counsels, however, prevailed, and the sheriff went back. On his return, he found that Brown's men had been drinking freely to keep up their courage. After some parleying, Brown determined not to surrender, commanding the sheriff to return to his men and tell them to come on, and if they succeeded in carrying the hotel,it should only be over their dead bodies.

The sheriff returned and disclosed the result of his interview. Mrs. Brown, in the meantime, and a fellow called Buckskin, paraded the streets with a red flag. The citizens were then addressed by Cox and Watkins, and it was finally determined that a body of 40 men should be selected to make the attack, upon which the posse started and charged upon the house at a full run. As our men entered the porch, the garrison commenced firing, but we being so near, they generally overshot their mark. At the first fire, one of our best men, Mr. Palmer, was killed, and another, Mr. Vaughn, badly wounded. Brown opened the door and put his gun to shoot, when he was immediately shot down by one of our men. The battle then became desperate and hand to hand. After considerable hard fighting, the "balance" of the gang commenced their retreat through the back

door of the house. They were surrounded and all captured but 3. The result of the fight was, on the part of the counterfeiters, the loss of 5 killed and 2 badly wounded; on the part of the citizens, 4 killed and 11 wounded.

The excitement after the fight was intense. Many of the citizens were in favor of putting all the prisoners to death. Other counsels, however, prevailed, and a citizens' court was organized to try them.

During the fight, Captain Harris anchored his boat in the middle of the river, and remained there until the result was known, when the passengers ascended to the upper deck and gave three hearty cheers. Doctors Finley, of Dubuque, and Crossman, of Galena, were sent for, and were soon in attendance on the wounded of both parties.

Much joy was manifested by the citizens at the breaking up of one of the most desperate gangs of housebreakers, murderers, and counterfeiters that ever infested the western country. The next morning a vote of the citizens was taken as to the disposal of the prisoners.

As the District Court was not to meet for three months, and there being no jail in the county, and in fact none in the Territory that was safe, and surrounded as we were on all sides by offshoots of the same band, who could muster 200 men in a day's time to rescue them, it was deemed the merest folly to attempt to detain them as prisoners, and it was resolved to execute summary justice upon them. The question was then put, whether to hang or whip them.

A cup of red and white beans was first passed around, to be used as ballots, the red for hanging, and the white for whipping.

A breathless silence was maintained during the vote. In a few moments the result was announced. It stood forty-two white and thirty-eight red beans. The resolution to whip them was then unanimously adopted. Fox, afterward the murderer of Davenport, and several others made full confessions of many crimes, in which they had been engaged. The whole crowd of prisoners was then taken out, and received from 25 to 75 lashes apiece, upon their bare backs, according to their deserts. They were then put into boats and set adrift on the river, without oars, and under the assurance that a return would insure a speedy death.

Animated by the example of Bellevue, the citizens of Rock River, Illinois, Linn, Johnson, and other counties in Iowa, rose en masse, and expelled the gangs of robbers from their midst, with much bloodshed.

Thus ended the struggle for supremacy between vice and virtue in Bellevue, which, from this day forth, has been as noted, in the Mississipi Valley, for the morality of its citizens, as it was once rendered infamous by their crimes.

THE State of Missouri is situated between 36° 30′ and 40° 36′ N. latitude, and between 89° 10' and 96° W. longitude. It is bounded on the north by Iowa; on the east by Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee; on the south by Arkansas; and on the West by the Indian Territory and Kansas. Its extreme length, from east to west, is 285 miles, and its extreme breadth, from north to south, is 280 miles.

TOPOGRAPHY.

North of the Missouri River, the surface of the State is principally level. South of that stream it is rolling, and gradually rises into a range of bold highlands known as the Ozark Mountains, which extend through the centre of the State, from northeast to southwest; south of the Osage River, and pass into northwestern Arkansas. Beyond the Osage River, immense prairies stretch away to the setting sun. The extreme southeastern part of the State is occupied by a large swamp, which extends into Arkansas. The Mississippi River forms the eastern boundary of the State, and receives the waters of the Salt, Missouri, and Maramec rivers. The principal places on the Mississippi are Hannibal, St. Louis, Carondelet, Cape Girardeau, and New Madrid. The Missouri River forms the western boundary of the State to Kansas City. At this point it bends to the east, and flows east-southeast across the State into the Mississippi, above St. Louis. It receives the waters of the Chariton and Grand rivers, on the north, and those of the Osage and Gasconade on the south. The principal

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places on the Missouri are El Paso, St. Joseph's, Kansas City, Lexington, Booneville, Jefferson City, and St. Charles. The Missouri in many places is lined with high bluffs, and flows through the State for about 340 miles. The Osage River rises in the eastern part of the State of Kansas, and flows east-northeast into the Missouri, about 10 miles below Jefferson City. It is about 500 miles long, and is navigable at high water for 200 miles. The St. Francis and White rivers drain the southeastern part of the State, and pass into Arkansas.

MINERALS.

"Missouri is richly endowed with mineral wealth. The iron region around Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob is unsurpassed in the world. for the abundance and purity of its deposits. On the Maramec River, and in some other localities, are found small quantities of lead. Copper is found extensively deposited, being most abundant near the La Motte mines. It is also found with nickel, manganese, iron, cobalt, and lead, in combinations, yielding from 30 to 40 per cent. All these metals, except nickel, exist in considerable quantities; also silver, in combination with lead ore and tin. Limestone, marble, and other eligible building material are abundant, especially north of the

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Missouri. The geological formations of the State are principally those between the upper coal measures and the lower silurian rocks. The drift is spread over a large surface; in the north, vast beds of bituminous coal, including cannel coal, exist on both sides of the Missouri River. When these mineral resources shall receive their proper development, they will immensely enlarge the scope of industrial enterprise."

CLIMATE.

“The climate is noted for extremes of temperature. In the winter, the rivers are often frozen so as to admit the crossing of heavily-loaded vehicles, while in summer it is extremely warm, its enervating effects being prevented by a very dry, pure atmosphere, generally favorable to health and longevity."

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.

"The soil of Missouri is remarkable for its variety and excellence. The most productive portions are the alluvions of the river-courses, which, though often mixed with sand, are rich in the elements of fertilization. Even in the mountain regions, there are rich valleys, and those tracts reported as inarable are covered with valuable. growths of white pine. The marshes of the southeast, when properly drained, will constitute the best farming lands of the State. The river bottoms are covered with luxuriant growths of oak, elm, ash, hickory, cottonwood, linden, and white and black walnut. Thinner soils abound in white and pin oak; and, occasionally, are covered with heavy forests of yellow pine, crab-apples, pawpaws, hazel, and wild grapes of a spontaneous luxuriance.” *

In 1869, there were about 8,000,000 acres of improved land in the State. The other returns for the same year were: