CHAPTER XI.
BENTON TOWNSHIP (CONT'D).
THE CROOKED CREEK COWBOYS AND THEIR END.
Having spoken of some of the good citizens of Benton township, it is the more striking to contrast their lives with the deeds of the notorious Crooked creek cowboys, who terrorized many sections of northeastern Cass county in the early 'eighties. When they were at the height of their careers the "Atlantic Daily Telegraph" wrote of them as follows: "Our readers have heard and read much about the 'Crooked creek crowd,' or the "Troublesome creek banditti,' but probably very few know exactly who the men are and what their career has been. To our non-resident readers we will say that the localities named are in a northeasterly direction from this city, in Benton township, ten or twelve miles from Atlantic, near the Audubon county line.
"First there are the Brown boys--Frank, aged about twenty-three, and Grant, about eighteen. They are sons of James Brown, who owns a fine farm in Benton township and has lived there probably fifteen years. John Hall, a stout young fellow whose home was formerly in eastern Iowa, is aged about twenty-two years. He makes his home with John Millhollen, is married to a daughter of James Brown, and is therefore a brother-in-law of Frank and Grant Brown. Lloyd Hinkle, aged twenty-two, was raised in Audubon county and makes his home with James Brown. Jesse Millhollen and his brother John are aged respectively thirty-three and thirty years; both are married and members of the Millhollen family, who have lived in Cass or adjoining counties for twenty or more years. Robert and George Van Winkle are two more, and Will Northgraves, son of the late Phillip Northgraves, an old and respected citizen, is still another of the band. Carl Strahl does not live many miles away.
"The wild and riotous life which the young men herein named have been leading began in a mild form of fights at elections, disturbing public meetings, despoiling harness, removing ivory rings, etc., and then being accused of these things their passions were aroused for revenge toward their accusers. They are all the time having imaginary grievances for which they want to take revenge on everybody. There is a sort of spirit among them which causes them to take advantage of the peaceful disposition of others for the purpose of frightening and terrorizing. To have their ill-will for any cause is to endanger life. Many of their neighbors, if not all of them, keep shot guns in their houses, loaded to the muzzle, and carry shot guns when they go away from home. James Brown, father of the Brown boys, is a good man, and ought to have raised his sons to a better style of life--and the boys had better settle down while there is yet time. There is but one end to the career they have started upon--and that is death. They may kill others first, but they will finally get sent to their long home with their boots on. Roll Strahl has already met his death.
"Robert Van Winkle, George Van Winkle and Will Northgraves have left the country, being charged with the Ballard robbery, the job being planned by 'Old Knowlton,' who is always away on an 'excursion.' It it reported that Carl Strahl has said that his son Roll was killed because he knew who committed the Ballard robbery; that Roll took the two Van Winkle boys and Will Northgraves to Des Moines about a week after the Ballard robbery and that Roll came home driving a very fine pair of matched horses. The theory is the robbers gave Roll the horses for driving them away. It is also reported that Old Knowlton got $300 for planning the robbery. It is said that the quilt in which the Ballard papers were found in the road after the robbery has been identified as having been used by one of the Van Winkle boys as a saddle blanket. John Anderson, of Exira, is also one of the same crowd. He is in jail, accused of burning hay belonging to a man by the name of Rogers, and of setting fire to a saloon in Brayton. Del Anderson is a younger brother, and is also a bad citizen.
"Whiskey is the first assistant of all these semi-outlaws, and is always called to their aid when they want to raise a rumpus. For the good of society, the security of life and property, this outlawry in northeast Cass and southeast Audubon should be suppressed, and suppressed with a whirl, even if desperate means should be required. Men who own farms and pay taxes for the support of the government are entitled to protection, and should have it. The question as to whether a number of 'young bloods' can trample down and terrorize three or four townships of people with impunity, should be settled in the negative most emphatically."
It may be added to the above account that besides Roll Strahl several others of the band of Crooked creek cowboys came to sudden and violent ends, and that since their brief reign of terror Benton township and the adjacent territory have been ranked among the peaceable and law-abiding communities of the county.
"Compendium and History of Cass County, Iowa." Chicago: Henry and Taylor & Co., 1906, pg. 146-147.Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, July, 2018.
