The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-04-24
Lynch Law in the Gold DigGinss.


A correspondent of the Journal Of c mmsrre
writing from Nevada City, California, Janaaty
q, has the following
Some of my previous letters have given you
peep into our election scenes. and A!caide's
method Of proceeding in civil Cases. Here are
one or two instances Of very nmnn mode If
administering justice to criminals in nid>i.
a drunken Enslishnan, named Divine, r,ur-
dcred his wife under circumstances ef snusaal
cruelty. During their " hole residence in Gcorge-
town, she had supported him and their children
by her own industry. lie asked her one tnastns
for some money TO gamble with, but she told ,is.
to wait until he was sober. lie rushed acfcss
the roo'n for pistol, bu; she anticipated him and
threw it into bucket Of water. lie then lea,,ed
into the street. snatched Il rifle from the shoulder
Of passer-by, returned and shot her through the
heart. +' 1at" f ta'
ii was Sunday. and as usual the places OF re-
sort We're filled by nncrs, who invariably spend
that holiday In town The report Of 4 rife n the
street was nothins unusual, but she tale af iIesror
ew as only rup,or can fly, and in FIVE n,iuaies the
house was flied. In such country as Ours, and
under such circumstances as these, men act raii,-
er than speak. neishborins .'Round Teut''
four gambling houses are often iuraed into curt
rooms in account Of their size) was selected as
the scene Of trial The prisoner was led in, and
then. before word was spoken, another marty
brought in the body Of his wife, just as she fell.
with the dark blood oozng from her breast ! h.
was gently laid a large table near her fus,,sn.
This sight stung the people into frenzy, No
thought of wasting words in trial. I be prison
er was seized. and hurried toward little rm,-
nence overlooking the village, where the iioese Of
"A lariai swung significantly from a tree. i..s-r.
Just at this moment, man of great inhuehce
witt, the people OF that vicinity attempted to per-
snade them 10 postpone their design until a Core.
ner's inques: should be held upon the body, and
summary tri J, but still trial, had, after their
verdict With much difficulty he succeeded, al,
condition that the inquest and trial shsr!a both ts
held upon that day; and, rs the Coronet was at
Columa, tonr O'Clock was given rs ihe las. mo-
ment An express was sen, 10 Cpluiia, and, 10
save time, jury empannciled, 10 act instantly
upon his arrival. They sat together In the tent
with the prisoner and the body. The mob wait
ed outside, but were not unemployed A deep
pit was dug at the foot Of The tree, and II the SOL
emn furniture Of the grave prepared. ,s.,,. ..h
As four o'clock approached, the silence Of the
mob WIS broken by deep whispers and hoafsc
murmurs Rifles, pistols. and bow ieskhi.es were
freely displayed. This did not escape the ,otice
Of The jury, and they began. not unnaturally, To
fear for their own safety. At last when the son
was low in the west. the mob could wait no ION
ger, bu tore mp the sides Of the tent and rushed
IN, Just in time 10 sec the last iaryman cscapinS
by backway. They went at il,eit task without
word AT the head ci long procession. th.
murderer matched 10 his eal.ows, aad the bosiy
o his WIFE was bofae close behind bin. Z he
chi!lren--ihank IIeaven,-werc not there: hut
even in that stern scene. they were moi fcrgo,,ce.
A small box, marked For the ORPHANS, =, was
nailed to the trse, and many an ounce was pcur-
ed INTO It from the purses OF those wlfo followed
the father 10 his DEATH Is -. a'~a
The body Of the murdered woman was lowered
into wide pit, and even While the wie.sed man
gazcd cpon it, and upon tha, empty bu, significant
box by ms SHE, the cord suddenly rghiened a.
roasst his neck and he swayed in ihs air. The
m.n SIT on the hill side and sternly watched him.
| At the end Of half an hour, lie was cut down
and laid in the grave by the side Of his .sife In
live minutes, t:eogcsown tsas as still as ,ha, lon--
ly grave upon the Hill Not "a man was 10 be seen
in the sireets;- one knew an, thing Of that
lawiess mob. at t tslz f.8
| Ia the evening, the Coroilef arrived, and pren
hearing the story, summoned his Jury for morning.
They met At sunrise upon the hill. and s,ocd n
round the untitled grave, while the end Of cnt
cord dangled above their heads. They cxchan-
scd few words. asd after Ia, ing slip cf paper
upon each Of the bodies, proceeded To iiII up the
grave. Upon one Of the Slips Wa. wri,iea, ..sl-r
dered by - Divine, her husband," aud urea
the other, Died according to the i'll Of Gcd by
the justice Of men'' f a
! Yesterday evening, a Docer Lehnox. frou, Scss
land. was shot while sitting in his office This
morning man who had often Inenaced hi, life.
was seized on suspicion, md examined before ihe
proper authorities. Daring the exaa,ina lion, sev-
erai circumstances were discovered which left
scarcely doubt Of his guilt JUS, before the end
Of this examination. party Of men with l,ssrkei
faces rushed into the room, and their leader. with
dextercus whiri Of the RATA, lassccd the crim-
nal across the foesD, and in moment ,Irrrrrd
him outside. Every rushed ost. The sheriff
calling all lssers Of law aud er TO his assistance
attempted recaplure. lie was backed hy a larv.
party, bu, many ranged upon the other sale. AZ.
ter an obstinate fight, the prisoner was rctaken.
and pat under q ',st'fs snnrd 10 one offered -
arrest the lynchers. - : q
It's doab'faI how the matter viii end. The
Iynchers are strong m numbers, aud may rvpest
their attempt upon a large .cae. The TRACED, 4
YET incomplete. but however tts affair u,ay snd.
It will still be n tragedy. g 8 :
~ PHI. BRENGfE.
B - s...t sftess "a 4ksk