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A photo of William Glyndon

William Glyndon c. 1839 - 1915

William Glyndon was born circa 1839, and died at age 76 years old in 1915 in Iowa United States. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember William Glyndon.

William Glyndon
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circa 1839
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1915
Iowa, United States
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Updated: September 23, 2022
Biography ID: 93193097 What's this
William Glyndon William Glyndon (1839 - 1915)
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William Glyndon's History: circa 1839 - 1915

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  • Introduction

    William loved the outdoors and had worked, hunted, and trapped throughout his life, roaming to the West and the North. He even served as a member of the Seventh Ohio sharpshooters in the Civil War. Then he was (wrongfully, in the eyes of many) convicted of the murder of Wipka Martens in September of 1877. On April 12, 1878, he was sent to prison -when he was only 39 years of age. His sentence for first degree murder was for the term of his natural life. According to an article in The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) on May 6 1909 see William Glyndon Pardon - Newspaper Article, William had strenuously denied that he had killed Wipka and his character and background supported his claim. Only one man testified against him, saying that he had seen Glyndon in the proximity of Wipka prior to her murder. Many thought the witness was actually the murderer. However, the witness was a permanent resident, with money and status, and the court believed his testimony. Even the victim's stepfather was considered a viable suspect, as a short time after the murder the victim's mother confessed to a friend that her husband had done a terrible thing, but he would kill her if she talked about it. There was also strong prejudice in the community against the Irish. Previously, 3 Irish men had been found guilty of killing a German resident. Wipka had German heritage, and William Irish heritage. The prejudice also influenced the outcome. The community even tried to lynch William previous to his trial, stopped only by local lawmen. William was convicted on, as they said at the time, "purely circumstantial evidence." Entering prison in 1878, he was pardoned in 1909 by then Governor Carroll on the request of the Iowa parole board. When Wiliam Glyndon was 41, he was living in Fort Madison, Iowa, a Iowa State Penitentiary. He was a laborer in prison. The only aftereffect of his decades long time in prison was a loss of hearing, diagnosed as catarrh at the time. Then when William was 70, after being released from prison, he was living in Muscatine Ward 2, Iowa on Sowa Avenue and was a boarder in a lodging house. At that time, he was a laborer in a railroad "round house." William died a few short years later, finally a free man.
  • 1839
    circa

    Birthday

    circa 1839
    Birthdate
    Unknown
    Birthplace
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  • Ethnicity & Family History

    William was Caucasian.

  • Nationality & Locations

    Born in Ohio, William was accused of murder in Iowa, incarcerated for 31 years, and paroled in Iowa, where he died.

  • Professional Career

    William was a sharpshooter in the Civil War, a hunter and trapper later in life, and after being imprisoned, a laborer.

  • Personal Life & Family

    Whether in the Civil War or after, whether in prison or not, William was described as a kind and honest man.
  • 1915

    Death

    1915
    Death date
    Natural causes
    Cause of death
    Iowa United States
    Death location
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2 Memories, Stories & Photos about William

William Glyndon & F.A. Heald, Iowa 1909
Photo of Patty Anderson Patty Anderson
11 favorites
03/27/2013
William Glyndon & F.A. Heald, Iowa 1909
AZO, Real Photo Postcard of former prisoner William Glyndon and his Attorney, F.A. Heald, taken on the Penitentiary grounds following his pardon by the Governor of Iowa in 1909. Convicted of murder in 1878, Glyndon served 31 years behind bars before his sentence was exonerated due to 'circumstantial evidence'. Prior to his conviction, Glyndon served as a sharpshooter for the Ohio infantry during the Civil War.
People in photo include: Patty Lee Anderson and F.a. Heald
Date & Place: at State Penitentiary in Iowa United States
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Photo of AncientFaces AncientFaces
400 favorites
04/22/2021
In the early 20th century, "Real Photo Postcards" used to be a way of reporting the news. This is a postcard of William Glyndon and his attorney, F.A. Heald, in 1909.

William Glyndon (1839 - 1915) was accused of murder and sentenced to life in prison in 1878. In 1909, he was pardoned and released after 31 years. There were plenty of other suspects: the man who said he saw William and the murdered girl together; her stepfather who might have confessed; even the prejudice of the German community against those of Irish heritage. William always protested his innocence.

He had been a sharpshooter for Northern troops during the Civil War and was known as a man of good character. It may have been that he was the wrong man in the wrong place. A few years after he was released, he died. We will always remember the life and times of William Glyndon.
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04/22/2021
Handsome men. I love photos like this. Glad he was exonerated.
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William Glyndon Pardon - Newspaper Article
Photo of Kathy Pinna Kathy Pinna
31.2k+ favorites
09/23/2022
William Glyndon Pardon - Newspaper Article
A contemporaneous article about the pardon of William Glyndon and the murder for which he was convicted.
Date & Place: in Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa United States
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William Glyndon's Family Tree & Friends

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William Glyndon circa 1839 - 1915
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Other Biographies

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Glyndon, Glen (May 13, 1891 - Sep 1975)
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