Monona-Jackson County IA Archives Court.....Watkins, Samuel 1877
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ken Wright wright@prestontel.com February 26, 2011, 2:07 am

Source: Bellevue Leader
Written: 1877
Recorded: May 16, 1877

Bellevue Leader, May 16, 1877 

WATKINS CHARGED WITH MURDER 

Samuel P. Watkins, the same man who was tried and convicted for the murder of 
Sam Cronk in Jackson County in 1868, was charged with the murder of Melius 
Boser in Monona County. Last August Watson hired a young man named Melius 
Boser of Monona County, with his team and wagon, to go with him to Marshall 
County. Since that time Boser has not been seen alive. Watkins was last seen 
with the team and wagon at Dunlap, and afterwards disposed of them in Council 
Bluffs. He returned to Monona County and told several stories about young 
Boser which were found to be untrue. Preparations were made to charge him for 
larceny of the team, but Watkins got wind of the matter and “skipped out.” 
Nothing more was done about it until the first of this month, when a party of 
men on the way to the Black Hills, found the skeleton and clothes of a man at 
the bottom of Battle Creek in Monona County, and notified the authorities, who 
took care of the remains of the murdered boy and have arrested Watkins for his 
murder. 

It is needless for us to relate the facts concerning the murder of Cronk, for 
they are patent to all our readers. Watkins escaped the penalty of the crime 
although there were few persons in Jackson County but what believed him guilty 
of that atrocious murder. If he is guilty of this last crime charged upon him, 
it is a pity that he cannot be hung under our existing laws. Society should 
not permit such a man or such a monster to live if he is guilty of two such 
diabolical crimes as these, and the next general assembly of Iowa should 
hasten to repeal a law that shields from justice such devils. 

Some of the particulars of the Boser murder are related by the Monona County 
Gazette as follows: 
On the evening of May 4, 1877 a party of men bound for the Black Hills camped 
on or near Battle Creek, on the Dunlap road, in Jordan Township, Monona County 
in the vicinity of the farm of Mr. Ransom. The next morning, Saturday, one of 
the party started out in search of game, thinking her might be able to find a 
rabbit for his dog-a large grayhound. He followed up the creek some distance 
and came upon the clothing of some man. Thinking it strange that he should 
find some articles in that out of the way place, he pursued his investigations 
further and came upon human bones. He then returned to his party and they 
feeling confident there had been foul play, disturbed nothing and carefully 
marked the place with a stake and at the intersection of the Dunlap road 
placed another one, and then proceeded on their way westward. 

At Castana, they told their story, and Mr. O. Morse, a justice of the peace, 
at once proceeded to act as coroner in accordance with the code. A jury was 
immediately subpoenaed and went to the spot indicated by the travelers, and 
found that the clothes were lying at the foot of some willows with every 
appearance of having been carried there by high water. The bones were also 
scattered around some with every appearance of having been disturbed by the 
action of water, but were all lying within a radius of about ten feet. Every 
indication seems to go to prove that the remains found are those of young 
Boser and that he was there murdered by Watkins. The place where they camped 
last summer on a bluff close to Battle Creek, and but a few rods from the 
Dunlap road, is plainly marked. The remains of the campfire are still there, 
and some of the partially burned faggots yet remain. The exact spot where the 
wagon and horses stood can plainly be seen. Near where the wagon stood are 
traces of blood and the ground looks as though there might have been a 
struggle there. 



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