The Shasta courier., 1868-04-11
Nun der and Lynching.

The Quincy (Plumas county, National of
the 4th inst. contains the following account
of cold blooded murder committed in the
town of Greenville, in that county, and the
subsequent lynching of the murderer:
On last Sunday, at the town of Greenyille,
in this county, man by the name of Webb
stabbed one Gephart. inhie:iug injuries that
caused his death in few minutes; and on
the following day, Monday, in tie evening,
Webb was hung by a mob, consisting of
about one hundred persons. Thus the mur-
derer followed close after his victim to the
bar of the Eterual Judge The circum-
stances attending the horrible transaction. as
near as we are able to gather them from
the somewhat conflicting accounts we have
received, are about as follows On the day of
the murder, the man. Webb-who, it appears
from his own statements, was a desperate
came into the town of GFeenville in com
panv with man named Timbat During
the day he became quite boisterous under,the
influence Of liquor, AMI was heard making
threats in bragadocia manner, that he
intended to kill man or two before leaving
town-that he hal before killed three men,
the last one at Virginia City. Whether this
.
Unfortunately his threat was too soon carried
into effect. y short time before committing
the murder, he was asked by his companion
to 60 with him into grocery store kept by
Mr.. Summerlaud-for what purpose We did
not learn-but refused TO do so, for the rea-
son. as he alleged that if he went in there he
would kill the id rascal, but shortly after
went into the store, where Gephart and the
man Timbat were having some words in
regard to an old feud that had existed between
them. Webb walked up behind Grphart.
and without saying word inflicted won I'D
in his thigh with a knife, severing the femo-
raj artery. He then left the house and went
into the street, and commenced wiping his
bloody knife on his boot leg. In a few mo-
ments Gephart came to the door as if intend
ing to come out, V hen Webb again rushed
at him. and plunged the knife into his breast
with sufficient force to break the blade. He
then went off a short distance and sat down.
Gephart then walked across the street, and
took hold of a post, and in a few moments
dropped dead The only words he was
heard to utter after the stabbug, was to ask
Webb why he had killed him. 1t appears
that there had been no words or previous
animosity existing between them, which
makes the act of Webb unaccountable, IN Ter
any hypothesis other than insanity or the
possession of devilish and malignant heart.
But from his actions before and after the
deed, the charitable plea of insanity, in his
behalf must be excluded. The wound In
Gephart's thigh. severing the femoral artery,
was the cause of his death, as the wound III
his breast was not considered mortal. Webb
was taken in custody by the authorities, and
on Monday was taken before Justice Glover
for trial when he waived an examination and
was committed to the county Jail to await his
trial. In the afternoon Constable Rose, who
had Webb in Charge, was making prepara
tions to start with his prisoner to this place.
to put him in charge of the Sheriff, and on
leaving the room where be had Webb In
custody, to ascertain if the team he had EN-
ployed for the occasion was ready, he had to
pass through another. when, as soon as he
had got through the inside, door, it was closed
and locked by some person there for the
purpose-the front door having been previ
ously fastened. undoubtedly with the design
of keeping him out of the way. Webb being
thus left without protection, was taken hy a
mob, consisting of abOu. one hundred per
sons, and hung to the limb Of a tree, short
distance from the place. Thus ended the
career Of one who, if report be true and We
have no reason to doubt its correctness-wa:
reeking with crime of the greatest magnitude
Mr.. Gephart was a man well known in thu
community in which he lived, of good repu
fation and unsullied character, which, NJ
doubt, added much to the undue excitemen
actuating the mob.