Between the 23rd of August and the 5th of September a company of strangers
made their appearance at different localities in the State of Minnesota
attracting attention by their peculiar bearing, remarkable physique, and
decidedly southern phraseology. They would appear sometimes in pairs, and
at other times there would be as many as four or five in company. At one
time they would be cattle dealers from Texas, and again they were
gentlemen in search of unimproved lands for speculative purposes, and then
again they were a party of engineers and surveyors prospecting for a new
railroad when they would make enquires about roads, swamps, lakes and
timber lands, carefully consulting maps they had with them (published at
66 Lake Street, Chicago, 1876), and when opportunity offered Andreas’
State Atlas of Minnesota. These men visited St. Paul, Minneapolis, St.
Peter, Red Wing, St. James, Madelia, Garden City, Lake Crystal, Mankato,
Janesville, Cordova, Millersburg, Waterville, and Northfield, putting up
at the best hotels, spending their money freely, and creating a general
impression of free handed liberality. But there was a certain air of
audacity blended with their _sangfroid_ and easy manners which led men to
think they were no ordinary persons and aroused speculations as to their
true character and vocation. The registers of the hotels honored by these
guests bear the names of King, Ward, Huddleston, &c., generally written in
one line, but subsequent developments prove these to be merely _nommes de
guerre._
On Saturday, Sept. 3rd and Sunday five of these strangers were in Mankato,
and attracted universal attention by their peculiar carriage, suave
manners, and fine, almost _distingue_ appearance. They were well dressed
and rode good horses, and sat their horses like men who were bred to the
saddle. They made several purchases in the town, and one of them visited
the City Bank and obtained change for a fifty dollar bill. When riding
through the streets they showed their excellent horsemanship with a great
amount of display and swagger entering into conversation with several
citizens upon the merits of the animals they rode. They did not all stay
at the same hotel, two of them registering at the well known and justly
celebrated Clifton House while two others stopped at the Gates House, but
it is not known where the fifth man put up. Two of the men, however, spent
most of the night on the Sunday at a low brothel kept by the notorious
character Jack O’Niel. This foul den of infamy is just outside the city
limits on the opposite bank of the Minnesota river, and is surrounded by
heavy timber. A more fitting place for a thieves’ rendezvous, and for
hatching plots or dark deeds, could hardly be imagined. It should be
stated here, that after the visit of the two strangers, Jack O’Neil went
to the Sheriff of Mankato and informed him that three young men—living in
Mankato were plotting at his house to rob and probably murder an old man
supposed to be possessed of considerable wealth, and residing at Vernon,
some eighteen miles from Mankato. He made arrangements for the sheriff to
overhear their conversation which resulted in the arrest of three young
rowdies, Mark Ingals, George Peabody and James Quane, who were frequenters
of O’Neil’s infamous den.