The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-07-21

From the Evansville Standard, July lath.
Trial Of H1ayberry nj Janesvili. fer the Murder
OF Alser-His Conviction By the Jury and HIS
Execntisn By Mob.
The trial of David F. Maybcrry for the MUIR
der of Andrew Alger. came on at GAINESVILLE,
Wis. and was concluded on Tuesday afternoon.
The Jury. after an absence of fifteen minutes
returned verdict of Murder in the first de-
gree. Strong feeling was manifested through
out the trial against the criminal, and an at
tempt was made while he was being conducted
from the Court House to the Jail to rescue
him from the officers and hang him. The mob
succeeded at one time in getting rope round
his neck. but the prisoner quickly threw it off.
and the sheriff and his assistants finally got
him secure within the walls of the Jail. Sew
trail attempts were then made to break the Jail
open to bring the prisoner out. but without eff
fccting anything. On the morning OF Wednes-
day last the prisoner was brought to the
Court House from the Jail, distance of about
| ten rods. for the purpose of receiving his sen
tenco. The people were collected in hundreds
and fears were apprehended that the mob would
make another attempt to seize him. He was
finally taken to the Court Room. and Judge
DoOlittle sentenced him to solitary confine-
ment in the Penitentiary during the term OF
his natur Il life.
After the sentence the Judge stepped to the
| them against the mob spirit which seemed 10
actuate them in favor of the supremacy of the
law. This was about ii o'clock.
| About / o'clock the crowd had so much
thnned out that the officers thought they
could prudcntly leave the Court House an
take the prisoner to Jail. They had but got
the prisoner from the Jail, when the cry oil
chang him." "hang him ~ was made and the
officers and prisoner coming towards the Jail
4 l..,x g..
was made for the Jail, the door of which was
FABRICATED at once by the crowd and the ap
prOach Of the officers cut off. The officers
though resisting the pOpulace with all the en-
ergy they possessed, and protecting the pris-
Oncr TO the utmost Of their powcr-were borne
down and overpowered. The prisoner was
then almost alone but he defended himself
with super-human strength. He fought with
the utmost desperation and possessing most
athletic frame. for some ten yards the crowd
fell like chaff before him. A blow, however,
with bludeeon from behind. felled him TO the
ground. and he was powerless. A rope was
then passed round his neck seized by the crowd
and a rush made down Court street. The pris-
oner though dragging in the dust, caught the
rope in his hands and thus prevented stran-
gulatiOn at once. Arrived in fl ont of our office
despt rate effort was again made by the Off
GERS and citizens to rescue him. The rope was
cut three times by Mr.. Orrin Gurnsey, who
exhibited the most determined bravery in his
behalf but as often was he thrust aside, and
the rope re adjusted.
At this time scene almost indescribable
was exhibited !; a crowd of between three and
four thousand persons swayed to and fro. La
the centre was the doomed prisoner lying on
the ground--above him stood friends begging
and struggling for his life-while a far greater
number were intent upon his DEATH This state
OF things lasted about ten minutes, and as we
looked from our window the hope predOmi-
mated that the friends of law and order might
prevail. But it was vain hope The fear
full cry Of hang him." rose louder than before,
and a rush with the prisoner was made to the
cluster Of trees on the public square the rope
was re-adjusted upon his neck, the other end
thrown over the limb of a tree, and, for the
first time in our lie, the horrible spectacle OF
a human being hanging by the neck until he
was dead met our view.