A. J. Millslagel

A. J. Millslagel, or "old Slagel," as he was almost universally called, was a distinguished character in an early day. He was the first professional prairie breaker in the county, and was known to be here as early as 1852. He was fond of hunting deer, almost as fond of that sport as Jerry Bradshaw was, who had rather hunt than eat. Old Slagel was a great eater, and had a reputation in that line. Hunters who knew him would not allow him to accompany them because it was so hard to fill him. Corn dodgers set before him disappeared as by magic. A quarter of venison was hardly an appretizer for his wonderfully rapacious gastric organs. One time in the winter of 1853, Jerry Bradshaw was many miles north of the Indiantown settlement, on a hunting expedition, and his family started "old Slagel" up to Jerry with an enormous supply of provisions. He traveled with oxen and very slowly and when he got up to Jerry's camp he had eaten every pound of provision with which Mr. Bradshaw was to have been refreshed. Millslagel removed into Douglas township, Montgomery county, and bought the wife of a man named Wilson, and began to live with her. The neighbors became very much incensed at such conduct on the part of Wilson, Mrs. Wilson and Millslagel, and gathered about the house one night, in a mob for the purpose of expressing their disapproval of such demeanor, and for the purpose of warning them to leave the neighborhood. Millslagel grabbed his rifle and fired into the crowd, killing John Stipe, instantly. Millslagel was arrested, tried, convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to twelve years in the penitentiary. This was before the war.

From "History of Cass County, Iowa Together With Brief Mention of Old Settlers," by Lafe Young, Atlantic, Iowa, Telegraph Steam Printing House, 1877, pg. 24-25.