Silas Rood

December 26, 1878. Thursday. The Redwood Gazette, Redwood Falls, Minnesota
WALNUT STATION ITEMS. (From Our Correspondent.)

Our Town, which is usually free from excitement, had something of a change in the programme last Wednesday evening.

The Ladies’ Sewing Circle met, according to appointment, at the house of Mr. W.J. Masters, and, as is customary, the gentlemen were present in the evening to enjoy the weekly sociable. Amongst other ladies present belonging to the Sewing Circle was Mrs. H.J. Kenyon a very estimable lady whole family consists of herself, husband and little girl nine years old. They moved last spring from Eyota to this town bringing with them Silas Rood, brother of Mrs. Kenyon, a boy of about fourteen years of age. He has remained in Mr. Kenyon’s family ever since. Mr. Kenyon is in the pineries this winter and on the evening of which I speak Mrs. Kenyon left her brother and little girl at home while she and some of her lady friends attended the sociable. [Note: Mr. Kenyon returned to the area in March 1879.] After the boy had gone to bed he was aroused by a rap on the door and was informed by the parties outside that they had broke something about their wagon and wanted a wagon to tie it. The boy immediately dressed and came down where he found two men waiting for him who accompanied him to the stable where he went to procure the rope. On stepping forward to untie the rope from a post he was suddenly pushed into the manger and gagged. They then proceeded to tie his hands behind his back and tied his feet to the post leaving his feet higher than his head. He was left in this uncomfortable position from which he says it took him almost twenty minutes to extricate himself. He thought the men must have gone to the house with the intention of robbing it. Therefore after freeing himself (which he did by pulling one of his feet out of his boot) he hastened to Mr. Masters where the strange and unexpected appearance of the boy, without his cap and only one boot on was enough to alarm any one. The deep marks on his wrists showed plainly that his hands have been bound, and he carried the gag in his hand which consisted of a short stick with a notch in it and rope tied in the notch. On inquiry, it was found he stopped to Mr. Moses’ and finding a saw convenient he worked his hands back and forth over the saw until he cut the rope which was only one strand. The gentlemen as soon as they heard the boy’s story, hastened to Mr. Kenyon’s house and made a thorough search but found no one. They then hastened to the stable and found the boy’s boot and cap lying there, but there was no person within sight. It was evident that it was a prank in some way to frighten the boy. All the description he could give was that one was a little taller than the other and they had their caps drawn over their faces. Some seem to think that is only a ruse of the boy, as no wagon was seen to pass, but the boy has told the story several times in my hearing and his story agrees with what he told on his arrival at Mr. Masters’ Wednesday night. Mr. Moses on going home found the boy’s tracks to his door and could see that the saw had been misplaced. We cannot think of any one in our town who would stoop so low as to go into such business as that, but if there are we hope it will be found out, and the persons that committed the deed be brought to justice.