The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-29 00:00:00

LYNCHING IN AMERICA.

Very remarkable records of crimes -are sometimes
received from the'. nether regions" of the Far West;
but the subjoined narratives, extracted from the
Anteriltm Flag of the 17th ult., published in the dis-
trict of Rio Grande, possess features of unusual
atrocity :
"On the 11th inst. our citizens were astounded
with the melancholy intelligence that Justice Beacon,
in consequence of the death of the coroner, had been
called to hold an inquest over the body of Captain
John Brennan, who had been murdered in cold blood
by the notorious Bill Hardy, both recently from Gal-
ves:on. It appears that the above two, with 'a number
of others, were at the Landango-house, where they
remained till between one and two o'clock in the
morning, when Captain Brennan left fur his place of
lodging. He had not proceeded far when he was
overtaken by Hardy, who drew bis knife and thrust
it to the hilt in Brennan's left breast. Seeing
Hardy's movements, he threw up his hands and
exclaimed, Bill, don't cut me!' It was too late—
the fatal stab came too quick and too certain for him
to avoid it. He ran soma thirty or forty yards,
fell, and soon expired. After committing the
outrage Hardy walked back into the house, with his
knife in his hand, reeking with blood, exclaiming,
I'M a tart, end that's the way I'll serve any man'
who will follow me.' Some of those who heard him,

supposing be had got into difficulty with a Mexi-
can, advised him to leave, which he did. As
soon as it.was ascertained that he had killed
Captain Brennan, men were lent to the several
ferries to prevent his escape into Mexico, and others
started in pursuit. He was arrested next .morn
ing about daylight near one of the ferries, ironed,
and taken to gaol. The cause assigned fur this
brutal outrage is the refusal of Brennan to let
Hardy have money while at Brazos, which i., in
all probability, 'the true cause, as Hardy was heard
to say, on the way up to that place, that he had
marked his man. The people resulved t mete out
justice to, the murderer, and they according a‘sembled
and demanded the, culprit from the- dept., -sheriff,
who was obliged to deliver up the man into their
hands. On the spot far this tragip ac he,

he remarked that he knew fie had to die, and intended
to die like a man, but would rather be shot than
hung. The crowd assembled to witness the solemn
tragedy was quite large, but orderly nod quiet, with
a few exceptions. No one volunteering to Fit:;ot the
guilty wretch, it was decided, that he must hang.
thiring all this time, and even while the atiatigements,
were making fur Jamming him into eternity,. where
he would meet a more dread tribunal than any on
earth, he evinced the most perfect indifference as to
his fate, not suffering a muscle of his face or limbs to
betray the least emotion, and even took the-rope that
was to hang him and tied the hangman's knot, to show
how it was done, without the slghtest perceptible tre-
mor of the nerves. Those managing the matter, fear-
ing the knot was not well tied, untied it for the purpose
of retying, in which they failed; when he remarked
toe gentleman standicg roar him that he would tie it
again. This kind office the individual addressed
promised to perform fur him. The doomed man then
got into a cart, mounted on a plank which rested on
the wheel,, without any resistance or assistance, and,
-while the rope, which was suspended from a beans
used for hoisting beeves, was being adjusted around
his neck, asked to have his hands tied behind him.
There he stood high above the crowd, his hands tied,
the noose closed about his neck, and death staring
him in the face, calm, cool, nal collected. The cart
moved from under him, and in this condition he was
hurried into eternity. He died after a slight strug—
gle, and thus terminated the earthly career of Bill
Hardy. He met death with the same reckless indif-
ference that, he had meted it out to others.

" On last Tuesday morning our city was made the
scene of another bloody tragedy, when our citizens
again took the law into their own hands, and meted
out justice to a brutal wretch who had set at defiance
the law of God and man. From what we can learn
of the occurrence, the particulars are as follows :
A Mexican went into the house of M'Kee, where a
monte-bank is kept, and asked another young
Mexican fur a bit. The individual who was dealing
monte at the time remarked that be would give it to
him, which he did. In the meantime he had drawn his
pistol, which, on receiving the money, he fired at
the Mexican first addressed. The pistol was loaded
with buckshot, two of which struck the young
' man fired at. in the breast, near the throat, and
a third wounded another Mexican in the
arm. As soon as he had committed the
foul deed he ran to the river, and attempted to effect
his escape into Mexico by swimming. Several shots
were fired while he was in the water, but none hit
him. He was pursued by several persons in a skiff,
caught, and brought back. He was then taken to see
the man whom he had shot, who was suffering greatly,
thence to the place where Hardy was executed, and
there hung. It did not exceed 20 minutes from the
time he discharged his pistol till he was dangling at
the rope's end. No cause has been assigned for the
cold-blooded act. The young man who was shot in
the breast died shortly after his murd-rer was hung.
"The house of Mr. G. L. Stillwell, nine miles the
other side of the Rio Colorado, containing his family
and four Mexicans, was attacked on the 10... h inst., by
11 Indians, who surrounded the premises and kept
up a cons!ant fire for about half an hour, without
doing any other injury than killing two horses that
were tied at the door. One of the party ten came
foyward at what he no doubt considered a safe dis-
tance, as if to challenge, when Mr. Stillwell shot him
dead. The party then left, taking away three horses,
and made towards Brownsville. It is supposed that
this party were among those who attacked Mr. Hol-
brook and a Moxioan, a pall of Mr. Stillwell's
party."