The Donaldsonville chief., 1871-12-02
Cheeks Exploit.
seventy-fve Men Routed by Details
Of the Attempted Lynching at Brook

0! tne Attempted Aynchlng at Brook
vile.
[FrOnl the Cincinnati Gazette, Nov. 21.1
A dispatch from Brookville. Indi
ana, published in yesterdays Gazette
announced that an attempt was mad,
on Saturday night last to lyncl
Mcdonald Cheek, now confined in th,
Jail at that place, for the murder o
his father-in-law, Thomas Harrison
! about year ago. From parties resid
/ ing near Brookyille, who were cog
infant of the facts at the time the,
occurred, we have obtained the fol
lowing particulars, which bear the
impress of truth:
AT about half past twelve O'Clock
last Sunday morning, mob com.
posed of some seventy-five OF eighty
residents OF Aurora and Manchester
entered BroOkville and proceeded tC
the jail, for the purpose of hanging
Mcdonald Cheek. They had come
in wagons, in two bodies, from differ
ent directions, and, by preconeerted
arrangement, met in the outskirts OF
the village, leaving their wagons
about a mile out of town, in the tim
ber on the west fork of the White
water. The persons composing the
party were clad in great coats, reach
ing the knee and long capes. They
were all masked and seemed to be
under command of a chief, whose
orders were carried out so far as the
unforeseen difficulties in the way of
their self-imposed mission permitted.
On their way to the Jail they were
encountered by several citizens, who
were promptly ordered into their hou-
ses under penalty of death. To one
who met them a short distance from
the prison, and demurred to the order,
they said: eco back into your house.
If you don't want to get shots Aud
to another who questioned them In
regard to their eI1and: eve don'E
want to hurt anybody here, but we
are going to hang Cheek.n
Arriving at the Jail, sledge- hammers
and crowbars were produced, and the
work OF breaking the outer doors
commenced. These were three in
number, constructed of iron, and
withstOod the united efforts of the
mob for some twenty minutes before
an entrance was forced. As the last
door fell, the party formed in military
order, and, before entering, indulged
in little fOrmality, which, under the
circumstances, seems slightly super
fiuous. The leader, standing at the
entrance, repeated the words: Zone,
two, three, in goes he" and stepped
inside, followed by his companions,
each one as he entered repeating the
cabalistie words, which, i'm view of
the unexpected termination of the
attempt, when it became necessary to
reverse the movement and hurriedly
execute "out goes he," impart
ludlcrOus tinge to what was intended
TO be tragic retribution.
A long hall runs through the iail,
upon each side of which are located
the cells. Cheek occupied the third
one from the outer door, on the right
hand side. The cell doors were open,
Is is the custom, in order to give the
prisoners opportunities for exercise in
The halls.
With the first blow upon the solid
,uter doors, Cheek reused from his
and knew intuitively that
IN hour for which he has long looked,
lad come. Alone, in the darkness of
MS cell, knowing that there was but
little probability of the arrival of aid,
le made preparations for defence,
determined at least to sell his life as
iearly as he could. Wrenching a
post from the low bedstead, from
which he had but just risen, he took
his station near the door, and awaited
he coming struggle. In spite of the
Iwfll crime that brought him to a
cell, one cannot repress a
entiment of admiration for the cool |
less and courage with which he pre-
,ared to meet what seemed his inevit- |
lble doom.
The leader of the mob knocked on
he door of the first cell, in which |
vas confined a prisoner named Coul-
er, on charge of murder. In an
wer to the inquiry Who's there ~
'oulter replied, giving his name.
aid the spokesman of the party
We don't want you, Coulter; we are
riends of yours. Where's Cheek 2"
Coulter, to draw them off the scent,
possible, replied, Cheeks up
tairs, expect"
This answer did not seem to satisfy |
hem. After word or two among
themselves, they proceeded direct to
'heek's cell, knocked at the door
Ehich was about half opened and
aquired, "Who's here 7 :"
Cheek replied, Harry "-the name
t fellow prisoner.
Come out and show yourself"
He remained motionless.
They asked again, "Who's here Z"
nd he replied as before, Harry"
A member of the party cried,
That's Cheek, now!" One of them,
aising the side of dark lantern, |
,oked within the cell, and seeing the
man standing at bay, like
united tiger, withdrew with the cry,
He has got club ~