He lived in Galesburg until 1871 when he moved to Yates City and found
work on the farm of John M. Mathews. On Aug. 5, 1872, Adelia M. Mathews
was found dead in the basement of her home. Her throat had been cut.
Osborne was arrested for the murder the next day. He was held overnight
at the magistrate's office. The next day, a large crowd gathered and
loud shouts of "hang him" were frequently heard. A guard of 22
citizens escorted him to the train station. As the mob became unruly
and produced a rope, Osborne was smuggled into a baggage car and the
train departed. Still fearful of security, Osborne was moved to a
Peoria jail until his trial.
The trial was held in Galesburg on Feb. 5, 1873. A reported crowd of
3,500 attended the trial. Included in the evidence was tracks found in
the cellar and through the field outside of a size 6 boot, the size
Osborne wore. He was found guilty and sentence was passed on Feb. 20.
March 14, 1873 was set as the date for the hanging.
Although Osborne claimed he was innocent at the sentencing, he wrote a
confession the night before his hanging. He claimed he had been offered
$5,000 to kill Mrs. Mathews because she had overheard a conversation
and was to be a witness for her father in a lawsuit.
According to the old records, Osborne was pronounced dead eight
minutes after the drop and his body was allowed to dangle for another
35 minutes. His body was placed in a coffin and the public was allowed
to view the remains for half an hour before the coffin was taken to
Galesburg for interment.
John Marion Osborne was born in Clay County, Illinois in 1846. He
served in the Iowa Cavalry of the US Army during the Civil War. After
the war was over, he joined a band of thieves and robbers called Frank
F. Sidney's Western Bandit Volunteers and was convicted for larceny
and sent to the State Penitentiary at Fort Madison. He was released
for good conduct after two years.
The day of the hanging, he reportedly ate a dish of oysters at 8 a.m.
before washing and dressing. A scaffold had been erected outside the
northwest corner of the Jail.
sites@kville.org