A violent home invasion in rural Warren County in 1877 left a young Iowa woman dead and sparked one of the most dramatic vigilante incidents in the state’s history.
Nineteen-year-old Augusta Kading was shot during a masked home invasion at her family’s farm near Milo on October 31, 1877. According to historical accounts, Augusta was sitting with her younger sisters while her father and brothers were away when three masked men entered the home.
Rather than retreat, Augusta confronted the intruders. She grabbed the gunman’s revolver and tore the mask from his face before he fired, striking her in the chest. Despite suffering serious wounds, Augusta managed to force the attackers from the house and secure the doors before collapsing.
While recovering, Augusta identified neighbor Reuben B. Proctor as one of the men involved, based on his voice and mannerisms. Authorities arrested Proctor and held him in the Warren County Jail.
Public outrage over the attack grew rapidly. On November 14, 1877, during a preliminary hearing, an angry mob overpowered law enforcement officers, seized Proctor, and lynched him in Belmont Township before any trial could take place.
Two days later, on November 16, Augusta died from complications related to her gunshot wounds. Despite Proctor’s death and suspicions involving other individuals, a coroner’s jury ultimately ruled that Augusta had been killed by a person or persons unknown.
As a result, the murder of Augusta Kading officially remains unsolved nearly 150 years later.
Source: Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases
Author: Nancy Bowers (March 2016)
