The Death and Internment of David Darst

On 8 SEP 1881 in the Indiana, Pennsylvania Indiana Progress, was republished a sketch of "A Murder Most Foul". Originally published in the La Crosse, Wisconsin Democrat in 1852 was the following account of the murder of David Darst.

A MURDER MOST FOUL

The Following sketch is from the pen of "Brick" Pomeroy, and was originally published in the La Crosse Democrat. It is so interesting, and so aptly illustrates life in early times that I take the liberty of using it here:-

"It has been humorously claimed for the average frontier town, as a point in favor of its climate conditions, that it was necessary to shoot a man for the purpose of starting a grave-yard. While this may be true of La Crosse, a ramble among the tomb-stones and monuments of Oak Grove Cemetery will discover the fact that it was unnecessary to resort to such an extreme measure as an inagural, its identity was more clearly established by being the burial place of a murdered man.

"In the spring of 1852, a man named David Darst, came to La Crosse from Illinois, bringing with him in his employ, William Watts. Mr. Darst was a man of means, and his object in leaving civilization for the hardships of the frontier is unknown. However, he located on a piece of land in Mormon Cooley, and engaged in farming.

"On the 5th of June, 1852, six or seven weeks after his settlement in the Cooley, his body was found in the bushes by a man by the name of Merryman, stripped of every rag of clothing and tied to a pole which the murderer had used to carry the body from the shanty in which they lived. Merryman was attracted to the spot by the barking of his little dog. He came into town and reported what he had found, and a number of citizens volunteered to go to the Cooley to investigate the matter and try and arrest the murderer, if he could be found. Several parties were arrested but all proved their innocence to the crowd and were released. On returning to town the man Watts was found with Darst's clothes on his back - even to his shirt and underwear. He had all his household goods, money, two yoke of cattle and everything the man had. He was arrested and, there being no jail, he was given over to the keeping of a Mr. McShodden, who kept him in his cellar, chained to a post. He evidently belonged to a gang of outlaws, as evidenced from letters received at the post-office for him both before and after his arrest.

"One evening he escaped. The whole plantation turned out to hunt him; boats scoured the river bank in all directions; men on horseback and armed searched the prairie. But they could find no trace of him. Parties of boys were also looking for him. About midnight he was found by the noise of a file he was using to get rid of his chains, by a party of these small boys and taken into custody. He afterward was furnished by his friends with a file and some iron-colored-paste. This was used in his "prison" and escaped a second time, and was not found for a long time. He was discovered as a hostler at the Ridge Tavern by a man who had been sent for the mail. The mail-carrier, without appearing to notice him at the time, on his arrival home reported him to the Sherriff, who immediately went out and secured him. A one-story stone jail had been erected by subscription after his first escape. He was incarcerated in this and made his exit through the roof of this institution. A new and stronger roof was put on the building, and a large quantity of stone put loose over the ceiling in such a manner that if he tried again it would fall on him and crush him.

"Watts confessed his crime. He said that as Darst was lighting the fire on the morning of the murder, he struck him on the head with an axe. He had no other reason for the deed than that of securing the money and property of the victim. - At the funeral of Darst, which occured the Sunday following the discovery of his body, the services were held in a small building on State street, with the murdered man in his coffin and the murderer in chains standing at the head. It was understood very generally, that as the funeral procession left for the cemetery, Watts was to be lynched. The REV. S.C. Sherwin conducted the services, and although more than one rope was in the hands of the party, such was his influence over the populace that he prevailed upon them to let law and order take their course.

"A few years afterward a party of gentlemen were attracted to the spot where Merryman's dog had discovered to him the body of Darst by the same animal, and there they found the body of Merryman himself in the icy embrace of death."