The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-01
The Ylgllants at Work.

- fSAs
A Nevada paper gives the details OF
lynching case at Virginia City. Afellow
named Hefferner alias Perkins, was taken
from the jail and hung. The yigilants
to the number OF one hundred, all armed
to the teeth, assembled. The Sheriff
refused to give up the keys, but was
forced to do so. Thereport says: After
taking possession of the keys, guard OF
half dozen men were left in the room
with the officers, and the rest went
directly to the cell where the victim was
confined. They told him they had come
for him, and that he must dress himself
and go along with them to be hanged.
While dressing, he protested that they
were doing wrong in this matter, as he
never intended to kill Smith-that sit
was an accident, f" etc. He had some diff
ficulty about getting his boots on, and
was told that he would not need them,
so he went without them, or with pair
pair OF slippers on. Meanwhile there
was party of some forty Vigilants IN
front OF the jail and patrolling B street,
between Union and Taylor streets, while
similar detachment was at the rear OF
the jail and occupying A street, between
the points mentioned. By this time
quite number of spectators were gath
cred on B street, curiously watching the
proceedings, and evidently expecting to
see the prisoner brought out, But in
this they were disappointed, for Heffer-
| NJ, ,,.or al. r,,k AZ u, ~ ,,pnp A
street. The Sheriff thinks it was about
half an hour from the time the Vigilants
passed out with Hef1erner before some Of
them came back, and, speaking to the
guard left there, they all left. The Of
ficers then went to Hefferner's cell, locked
it, and got the keys again.
The Vigilants, with their prisoner,
allowing no one to follow them, marched
along A street to Sutton avenue, and
thence up to the Ophir mine, where
stands q small building over one OF the
shafts OF the company. From the front
of this building, some twelve feet from
the ground, beam projects, beneath
which is cut or car-way, some six or
seven feet in depth, with car track at
the surface, formerly used in running
out cars or tubs loaded with ore from the
shaft, to be dumped into the cars in the
cut beneath. Apiece of board was placed
across theupper track, and on this Hef-
ferner was made to stand, while rope
they had brought along was thrown over
the beam overhead, and moose at the
end adjusted about the neck OF the
doomed man. Heappeared firm and col
lected, and did not make any confession,
merely mentioning something about his
relatives. When the small board upon
which he stood was removed, he gave q
spring upward at the same time, making
his fall still greater.
About o'clock, policemen on searching
for the body, found it still suspended
where the Vigilants left it. The hands
and feet were tied, towel was bound
across the eyes, and pinned to the left
lapel OF the coat was small placard, on
which was written the following:
"ARrHUR pERKNs-coMMrITEE NO. COL. I"
Coroner Symons held an inquest in
the matter. DR.. Green testified that on
examination of the body he found the
neck not broken, therefore the deceased
must have died from strangulation. Gin
hanging the fall was evidently six or
seven feet Another witness testified
that deceased was born on board the ship
Arthur Perkins, at sea, between Panama
and San Francisco, while on the way to
California.
The verdict OF the Coroner's jury was,
to the effect that deceased was born at
sea, was aged "a years, and that he came
to his death on the 25th day Of March,
1871, from strangulation by hands un-
known, in the City of Virginia, Storey
County, Nevada.