Week 11 - A Turning Point - Sam Dillingham

Sometimes life gives you a chance to make amends. My great-uncle Samuel Dillingham was handed such a possibility. 

Sam was the second oldest son of Nathaniel G and Ellen (Berry) Dillingham. He was one of 14 children. He had a couple of siblings who were notorious for fighting and scrapping and getting into trouble with the law. So was Sam. Family stories (from the wife of Sam's grandson and also from his younger brother Bill/Willard Dillingham) state that Sam had a falling out with his family and ran away from home at the young age of 12. He is listed with his parents and siblings in the 1880 census (age 11) and in the 1885 state census (age 16). So maybe he came back home? 

Sam was born 8 Dec 1869 in Cerro Gordo, Iowa. In 1894 in Manning, Iowa when he was age 24 he and another man named O. W. 'Hock' Hunter got into a fight and Sam was underneath when he pulled a knife and attempted to kill Hunter. A Grand Jury sentenced him to two years at the state penitentiary for assault with attempt to commit murder. 

 
                                                                  
A Cowardly Assault.
Wednesday Manning was thrown into a state of excitement by the cowardly stabbing of O. W. Hunter by Sam Dillingham. For some time there has been bad blood between these men and Wednesday Sam filled up on prohibition 'mulot' and went out to the fair ground to witness a horse race and met his old friend Hunter. Dillingham was very insulting and intrusive until Hunter thought that forbearance has eased to be a virtue and knocked his persecutor down. No sooner was he on his feet that he drew an open pocketknife and Hunter started to run. On crossing the racetrack, he fell and his pursuer being close at hand plunged the knife into his back and stabbed him a couple of times in the arm. By this time help was at hand and placed the would-be murderer under arrest. The next day County Attorney Korte was at Manning and had Dillingham arraigned before Esquire Johnston who placed him under $500 bonds to await the actions of the grand jury. In default of bail, he was brought to this city last night and is now boarding with Sheriff Jeffrey in the county jail.  Hunter and Dillingham had a private grievance of their own, and we understand, as usual in cases of this kind, Cupid had a hand in intensifying the ill will they had owed each other. If there was a woman in the case Hunter undoubtedly has the best of his rival as thing have turned out, for he has the field all to himself.  Carroll Sentinel, pg7, Sept 1894 Manning, Iowa.

He was prisoner #2941 of medium complexion and his religion was stated as Methodist. A year later, it was recorded that a strong appeal had been filed to secure a pardon. He never received a pardon and fulfilled his full term.

Following his release, records suggest that his time in prison marked a turning point for him, after which he chose to begin building a new and better life


Dillingham, Sam 
Iowa, Consecutive Registers of Convicts, pg25 1895 pg2


A few years after being released, he married Katherine 'Katie' Jones 17 Mar 1900 in Ft. Dodge, Iowa. They were the parents of four children: Leona, Mary Ellen, Robert and Violet. On 19 February 1918, Kate died from an ectopic pregnancy leaving behind a grieving husband and four children aged ten, eight, six and one.

Sam remarried to Florence 'Anna' Dillow 23 October 1919, and they had three children Willard, Ruby and Florence.  

Sam led a quieter life after his two years in prison. He was a teamster and worked for the Gypsum mine in Webster County, Iowa and also worked for himself as an independent wagoner.

He died 30 Aug 1934 in Coalville, Iowa from heart disease at the age of 64 years.  He is buried with his first wife Kate at Holaday Creek Cemetery in Webster County, Iowa.

Barbie




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