In March 1864, a murder along a rural Polk County roadway exposed a bitter family feud, allegations of incest, and a trial that left many questioning whether justice had truly been served.
Forty-one-year-old farmer Aaron Smith was traveling by horse-drawn wagon near the line separating Saylor and Crocker townships on March 11, 1864, when he was ambushed. A gunshot fired from a brush-covered area along the road struck Smith in the back. Though critically wounded, Smith reportedly told those who found him that he recognized the shooter as Christopher Columbus “C.C.” Howard, the nephew of Smith’s late wife.
Authorities later located Howard several miles from the scene and took him into custody.
The killing followed years of growing tension between the Smith and Howard families. Aaron Smith had married Jemima Howard in 1840, and together they raised a large family in Saylor Township before Jemima’s death in 1859. Other members of the Howard family also settled in the area, including Jemima’s brother Robert Howard and his children.
By 1863, the relationship between the families had deteriorated badly. Aaron Smith had been arrested after allegations surfaced accusing him of incest involving one of his daughters, who reportedly became pregnant and gave birth. Court proceedings collapsed after the daughter refused to testify, and Smith claimed members of the Howard family had influenced the accusations against him.
Violence erupted again about a year later during a dispute involving livestock. During the confrontation, Smith allegedly attacked Robert Howard. In the struggle, C.C. Howard attempted to intervene and suffered a severe knife wound to the stomach.
Not long afterward, Aaron Smith was dead.
Howard was charged with murder, and the case went before a Polk County jury during a July 1864 trial presided over by Judge John H. Gray. Prosecutors argued Smith’s dying declaration, combined with the long-running hostility between the families, pointed directly to Howard. Defense attorneys countered by challenging the reliability of Smith’s accusations and emphasizing Howard’s favorable reputation in the community.
After roughly two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a not guilty verdict.
Historians and legal observers have long debated the outcome. Contemporary accounts noted there was no direct evidence against Howard beyond Smith’s statement before death. Some later writings suggested jurors may have sympathized with Howard because of the allegations surrounding Smith and the prior stabbing incident.
Aaron Smith was buried in Pine Hill Cemetery in Saylor Township. Reports indicate efforts to locate a surviving gravestone have been unsuccessful.
Information in this article is based on research by Nancy Bowers and sourced from Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases.
