Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-04-05
miscellaneous.
Lynch Law in the Gold Digglnys,

A correspondent of the Journal Of Com
merce, writing from Nevada City, California,
Jan. "a, has the following:
Some of my previous letters have given !
you peep into our election scenes, aud our
Alcalde's method of proceeding in civil cos-
es. Here are one or two instances of n very
common mode of administering justice to
criminals in our midst.
A drunken Englshman, named Divine,
murdered his wife under circumstances of
unusual cruelty. During their whole resi-
dence in Georgetown, she had supported
him and their children by her own industry.
lie asked her one morning for some money
TO gamble with but she told him 10 wait un-
iii he was sober. lie rushed across the room
for a pistol, but she anticipated him and
threw il into bucket of water. He then
leaped into the street, snatched n rifle from
the shoulder of a passer-by, returned and
shot her through the heart.
II was Sunday, and as usual the places of
resort were filed by miners, who invariably
spend that holiday in town. The report of
rifle in the street wns nothing unusual, but
the tale of horror flew as only rlIinor eau fly,
md in five minutes the house was filled. In
such country as ours, and under such cir
cunlstances as these, men nct rather than
speak. A neighboring "Rnund Tent" (our
gambling houses are often turned into court
rooms on account of their size) w0s selected
as the scene of trial. The prisoner was led
in, and then, before a word was spoken, anoth-
er party brought in the body of his wife, just
MS she fell, with the dark blood ooZing from
her breast. She was gently laid. OH large
table near her husband. This sight stung
the people into frenzy. No one thought of
wnsting words in n trial. The prisoner was
seized, and hurried toward little eminence
overlooking the village, where the moose
of lariat swung significantly from tree.
just at this moment, man of great in
fuence with the people of that vicinity at
tempted to persuade them to postpone their
design until Coroners inquest should be
held upon the body, and n summary trial,
but still trial, had, after their verdict. With
much difficulty he succeeded, on condition
that the inquest and trial should both be
held upon that day and, as the Coroner was
at Column, four o'clock was given as the last
moment. An express was sent to Column,
md, to save time, jury empannelcd, to act
Instantly upon his arrival. They sat tOgoth-
er in the tent with the prisoner and the body.
The mob waited outside, but were not unenl-
ployed. A deep pit was dug ut the foot of
the tree, and all the solemn furniture of the
grave prepared.
As four o'clock approached, the silence of
the mob was broken by deep whispers and
boarse murmurs. Rifles, pistols, and bowie
knives were freely displayed, This did not
escape the notice of the jury, and they began,
not unnaturally, to fear for their own safety.
AT last when the sun was low in the west
the mob could wait no longer, but tore up
the sides of the tent and rushed in, Just in
time TO see the last juryman escaping by
backway. They went at their task without
q word. AT the head of long procession,
the murderer marched TO his gallows, aud
the body of his wife was borne close behind
him. The children-thank Heaven = were
not there; but even in that stern scene, they
were not forgotten. A small box, marked
"For The Orphans" was nailed to the tree,
and many an ounce was poured into il from
the purses of those who followed the father
TO his death.
The body Of the murdered woman was
lowered into wide pit, aud even while the
wretched man gazed upon it, and upon
that empty but significant box by his side, the
cord suddenly frightened around his neck
and he swayed in the air. The mob sat on
the bill side ard sternly watched him.
At the end of half an hour, he was cut
down and laid in the grave by the side OF
his wife. In five minutes, Georgetown was
es still as that lonely grave upon the hill
Not man was to be seen in the streets =
no one knew anything of that lawless mob.
In the evening, the Coroner arrived, and
upon bearing the story, summoned his Jury
for morning. They met at sunrise upon the
hill, and stood around the untitled grave
while the end of cut cord dangled above
their heads. They exchanged few words
and after laying slip of paper upon each OF
the bodies, proceeded to fill up the grave
Upon one Of the slips was written, Murder
ed BY Divine, her husband" and upon
the other, Died according to the will o.
God by the Justice of mon"