The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1868-12-17
Lynch Law.
a Man Hanged by n Mob.

who was understood to have been a native
of Como, Mississippi, below Memphis.
The papers give the following relative to
his life: ..'
j. II. Musgrove was native of Como
depot, Mississippi, and was about forty
years of age. When the war broke out,
he, cspoused the cause Of the South, but
did not fight for it--going to California,
where he got into dispute with man at
race, on account of the war, and attack
ed him with knife, killing him, or near
y so. He afterward killed two men
there, and fed to Nevada, where he car
ried himself in the same manner, being at
the head of band of desperadoes, until
he was driven out. He then went to Salt
Lake, and from there to Colorado, arriving
here in 1866, or about that time. He
first lived in cabin at Bakers bridge, on
Clear Creek, and soon went up North, tra-
ding whisky to the Indians. At Old Fort
Huleck he killed a half Indian and
was put in the guard house, from whence
he was sent to Denver in irons. lie had
an examination before Commissioner Will
cox, but was discharged on the plea of no
jurisdiction. He went among the Indians
again, and killed another half-breed, and
the Sioux drove him out. That same year
he stole seventeen head of mules from
General Palmer, and came to Denver with
them, but he escaped from the officers Of
justice. lie next stole eleven government
mules from Lieutenant, who gave chase
and pressed him hard. Musgrove played
stratagcm upon him by hiding eight of
them, and then returned with the other
three. Meeting ,he Lieutenant he inform
ed him that he had found those three,
and the Lieutenant took them-letting
Musgrove go, who then brought the re-
naming ones to Denver, where they were
sold. Last spring he was at the head of
the gang which stole fourteen from Lieu
tenant Abell at Cedar Point. A party of
officers from Denver followed them and
ran them into their den somewhere on the
Cache a la Poudre, where Musgrove de6ed
them. He finally consented to hold a
parley with officer Haskell, who had long
talk with them. Musgrovc had eight
mcn with him, all armed with guns, and
was too strong to be attacked. He also
made another raid on Fox's stock at Cedar
Point, running off twenty-five head, but
lost them again. His smaller deeds Of
wickedness have been innumerable. lie
has been at the head of gang of outlaws
and dcsperadoes of the worst character
ever since lie has been known in this Sec
tion, and has also the credit of having
been at the head of band of Indians,
who have infested various sections of the
West, and who have committed various
deeds of wickedncss.
About two o'clock in the afternoon a
mob of two hundred men wrested Mus
grove from the authorities, and unami-
mously voted to hang him. Musgrovc
having received an intimation of what was
going on, had prepared a stout club. With
one foot on the railing, with twenty or
thirty men hemming him in, with much
larger crowd below in the bed of the creek,
and couple of hundred or more lining
the banks on either side, he penciled the
following letter, directing it to "W. 9.
Musgrove, Como Depot, Nlississippi:"
DENVER, November %, lSGS.-"My
Dear Brother: 1 am to be hung to day
on false charges by mob my children is
in Napa vally Cal-wlll you 60 get them
& take curee of them-for me god knows
that am innocent praJ for me-but |
was here when the mob took me Brother
good by forever-take care of my poor
little children I remain your unfortunate
Brother good bye "L. II. MUsGRovE."
This, scrawled on piece of paper, was
addressed "Mrs. II. E. Musgrove, Chey-
enne, W. T.
"DENvER, c. T.-My Dear Wife: Be-
fore this reaches you | will be no more.
Mary 1 am as you know innocent of the
charges against me. do not know what
they are agoing to hang me for unless it is
because l am acquainted with Ed. Frank
lin--godd will protect I hope good bye
for ever as ever yours sell what | have
and keep it. "L. H. MUseRovE."
When he commenced to write he was 0