Fourteen years later near the small Wapello County town of Blakesburg, the lynching of Pleasant Anderson, 39, on Dec. 29, 1884, was by contrast carefully planned and carried out --- strung up from a cottonwood tree facing the front door of the man, Christian McAllister, he allegedly had murdered two years earlier. Anderson had been exonerated of McAllister's murder during a trial at Oskaloosa a year earlier, during January of 1884; his execution despite a jury's ruling was carefully planned.
The image here identified as Pleasant Anderson was added to his Find A Grave entry at Bailey Cemetery in Davis County by Allan Wenzel.
Here's the account of his lynching that many Lucas Countyans read when they opened their Chariton Democrat-Leader of Jan. 7, 1885:
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Most of our readers have heard of Pleas. Anderson and his trial for the murder of Chris. McAllister. On this trial, which took place at Oskaloosa, he was acquitted. At the last term of the District Court here, he was tried on indictment for shooting into the house of S.G. Finney of Blakesburg. The jury found him guilty, and pending a motion for a new trial Judge Burton had reserved sentence and admitted him to bail. Many of the citizens of Monroe county were dissatisfied with the result of the trial for murder, firmly believing him guilty. Last week, they organized and lynched him. The following account of the affair is taken from the Ottumwa Courier:
About 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon five men, who live in Monroe county, went to the residence of Fielding Barnes two miles southwest of Blakesburg and hid behind the barn until they saw Barnes and Pleas. Anderson, his son-in-law, coming to the barn. When Anderson got into the barn yard, the five men jumped out with cocked revolvers and ordered him to hold up his hands. Anderson surrendered and was at once searched but no arms were found upon him.
His captors at once loaded Anderson into a two-horse sled and started for Blakesburg, and from thence he was taken to Prairie School House, two miles from Blakesburg on the road to Ottumwa and one mile east of the McAllister residence. On the way everybody was notified that they were taking Anderson to the school house to try him for the murder of McAllister.
The party reached the school house about 7 o'clock and by that time some fifty men and boys had reached the school house and the crowd continued to grow until the house was packed full and there were full as many more outside. For a couple of hours the crowd stood around in knots indoors and out, indulging in whispered consultation. During this time Anderson appeared to be totally unconcerned, and passed the time smoking and matching nickels with boys who stood or sat around him.
About 9 o'clock the assemblage was called to order by the president of the vigilance committee; a jury of eight men was called, and the president proceeded to address the meeting. In his address he commented severely on the courts for not dealing out justice to criminals and particularly on the fact that Anderson was recently convicted of maliciously shooting into the residence of S.G. Finney, and his sentence was suspended. No attempt was made to take any evidence. After a few minutes deliberation the jury unanimously pronounced Anderson guilty of the murder of Chris. McAllister, Nov. 6th, 1882.
By this time Anderson began to realize his situation and grew pale and looked distressed, but still put on a bold front. After the jury had pronounced its verdict, a few minutes more was given to quiet conversation and caucusing. Suddenly the door flew open and eight masked men wrapped in old quilts and blankets appeared. One of the men slipped down on the ice as they attempted to enter, but soon recovered himself.
They marched in and surrounded Anderson; the last one to enter picked up a 3/4-inch rope that lay already knotted by the stove. The rope was quickly adjusted around Anderson's neck and he was led outdoors, placed in a two-horse sled and started west again towards Blakesburg, followed by the crowd. On the way, Anderson's feet and arms were pinioned.
On arriving at the McAllister place, the sled was driven under a cottonwood tree about 20 steps from the door at which Chris. McAllister was murdered, with Anderson's face fronting the door. Anderson was then asked if he had anything to say, and he spoke for a few minutes. He pointed to a gentleman in the crowd and asked him to tell his wife to keep his children (there are 5 of them, one pair of twins) together and get along the best way they could. He said, "If there ever was a breath of truth told on earth," he was not the man who killed Chris. McAllister, and he did not know who did it.
He then said he didn't want to die with his boots on and called to a boy standing near to pull them off. His request was complied with. One of the masked men then told him to mount the spring seat on the sled, and he replied, "Boys I can't do it; you know I am tied." These were his last words.
He was then lifted up to the seat, the rope adjusted to a limb on the cottonwood tree, the horses started, the sleigh driven out and Pleas. Anderson was launched into eternity.
Our informant, who was present from the time the crowd reached the schoolhouse, says he did not struggle the least or show any signs of suffering, and showed his dare-devil pluck to the last breath. After hanging two and a half hours his lifeless body was cut down and conveyed to Fritz's undertaker shop in Blakesburg, where his body now lies. Coroner Sage has been telephoned to go out and hold an inquest.
The last act in the tragedy was consummated at about 10:30 p.m. and our informant says there was not a drop of liquor in the crowd, no one was in the least intoxicated. They were all cool and collected and seemed determined to avenge a murder which they conceived had failed to receive its just punishment by the forms of law.
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