The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-07-26
I.vnch LAW Ii Wisconsin.

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boasted of what he had done. The boast
was scarcely credited at first, but circum
stances soon transpired which established
its truth. He was arrested, and, a few
days ago was tried at Janesville. He
was found guilty, but according to the
new law (the death penalty having been
abolished) be could only be imprisoned
for life for his crime. This was deemed
by large portion of the friends of the
murdered man, too light a punishment
for so foul murderer, and q determina-
ton to hang him at all hazards, was very
clearly manifested. The Sheriff under
took to remove the prisoner from the
Court House to the Jail, but be, with his
posse, had scarcely got out of the Court
House, when the cry arose-'hang him
hang him. The officers were then COM
pletely overpOwercd by the crowd, the
prisoner seized, rope placed around his
neck, and Notwithstanding his awful
shrieks and prayers, they dragged him to
cluster Of trees and hung him till dead.
A band of three hundred men had organ
lied to execute the deed. The greatest
excitement pervaded Rock River for over
one hundred miles.
BG- The JanesgilIe Standard, issued
on the day that the hanging of May ber-
ry took place, thus speaks of the matter
After the sentence was pronounced a
special police Of about thirty of our citi-
Zens was summoned to assist the officers
in re-conducting the prisoner to lail.--
Meantime the crowd without were collect
ing and becoming more furious in their
clamors for the prisoner.
Judge Doolittle came to the portico
and made a very impressive addrss to the
Ipopulace, demonstrating against the spirit
which seemed to actuate them, and in fa-
vor of the supremacy of the laws. He
was listened to respectfully, and at this
juncture a more quiet spirit seemed to
prevail. This was about IL o'clock a.
VI. About l o'clock the crowd thinned
out the officers deemed this a fitting time
to proceed with the prisoner to the jail.
At this hour we were in our Office,
which is but short distance from and
comm ands a view of the Jail
We were then startled By the cry Of
hang him. hang him ? when on stepping
to the window, we saw the officers and
prisoner coming toward the Jail, surround
ed BY the infuriated mob. y rush was
made for the Jail, the door of which was
barricaded at once by the crowd, and the
approach Of the officers cut off. The Of
ticers-tLough resisting the populace with
all the energy they possessed, and pro-
tecting the prisoner to the utmost Of their
power, were borne down and oyerpower-
ed. The prisoner was then almost alone;
but he defended himself with supcgLC-
man strength lie fought with the ut
most desperation, and possessing a most
athletic, physical frame, for some ten
yards the crowd fell like chaff before him
A blow, however, with bludgeon from
behind felled him to the ground, and he
was powerless. A rope was then passed
round his neck and seized by the crowd,
and a rush made down Court-st. The
prisoner, though dragging in the dust,
caught the rope with his hands and thus
prevented strangulation at once.
Upon arriving in front Of our Office. a
desperate effort was again made by the
officers and citizens to rescue him. The
rope was cut three times by Mr. Orrer
Gurnsey, who exhibited the most determ.
ined bravery in his behalf, but as often
was be thrust aside and the rope read
justed.
At this time scene ostiDdescriba-
bic was exhibited; crowd of between
three and four thousand persons swayed
to and fro. In the centre was the doom
ed prisoner, lying on the ground-above
him stood friends begging and struggling
for his life-while far greater number
were intent upon bis death. This state
Of things lasted about ten minutes, and as
we looked from our window the hope pre-
dominated that the friends of law and or
der might yet prevail. But it was vain
hope. "Hang him. rose louder than be-
fore, rush with the prisoner was made
to the cluster Of trees on the public square,
the rope re-adjusted upon his neck, the
other end thrown over the limb Of tree,
and for the first time in our life the hor-
riblc spectacle Of human being banging
by the neck until he was dead met our
view
We have thus endcayorcd to give q
faint but truthful history of the terrible
events Of this day. We have witnessed a
scene, which, God grant we may never
see again. 1t was spectacle which, to
be appreciated, must be seen, but once
seen can never be forgotten. True, the
circumstances which attended the mur-
der Of Alger, were Of the most aggrava-
ted kind. II was a cold blooded and
atrocious deed 1t is unattended by a
single mitigatory circumstance. But
those facts do not justify the course that
has been adopted to-day. 1t will be her
aided throughout the country as an evil
dence Of mob-spirit which prevails here,
and will be an inefaceable blot upon the
escutcheon of our fair, young city, whose
reputation will suffer in spite of the truth,