The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-08-16
A GALLANT SHERIFF.
Attempt to Lynch sharpe, the Murder.
er OF Erskine-How sheriff smith
COwed a Missouri Mob. a..

AS early as four o'clock on Tues
day afternoon, says the Kansas City
Times of July 25th, there were ON.
inous whisperings in the streets oi
Warrensburg. The confession oi
Sharpe, and the murder OF Gsllaher
by him two years ago, which had
been told by the hired man, Young,
bad reused the people in his neigh
berhOOd to evaporation. The pos
sibility that he might by some uniore-
seen circumstance elude justice and
escape the halter was canvassed, and
resulted in q determination TO put an
end to ali fears or doubts on that
score by summarily putting an end
to the culprit.
A little before Line O'Clock, Tues
day night, Sheriff Smith learned that
all of the available saddle horses In
Warrensburg had been engaged for
some mysterious service, and he at
once concluded that an attempt
would be made some time during the
night to take Sharpe out Of Jail and
hang him. He, therefore, summoned
a posse of men numbering some ten
or fifteen to assist him in case of any
attempt to take the prisoner, but for
some reason or other his posse, with
one or two exceptions, failed to come
to time. They were all sick or had
business, or were not armed, or did
not believe there would be any need
OF their services-framing all sorts of
excuses except the right one, as
Sheriff Smith said, which was that q
majority of them did not care to face
the mob.
The Sheriff, thus thrown upon his
own resources, determined to get
along the hest he could and maintain
He accordingly armed himself with a
small portable arsenal OF navy revol
vers, and placing his deputy, the
jailer, as q reserve corps, quietly
awaited the storm.
About midnight man came run
ming into the jail yard with the news
that q body OF men, over q hundred
strong, mounted, and some OF them
masked, had congregated at Post
Oak Bridge, about three-quarters of
mile from town, and were holding
o consultation.
The Sheriff, upon the receipt Of this
intelligence, Immediately started for
the bridge, intending to demonstrate
with the mob, and il possible induce
them to disperse without any demon
strations. He had not gone far be-
fore he met them coming. Knowing
that remonstrance would now be
useless, he turned back and took his
station at the door of the jail. The
mob came up rapidly and surrounded
the house, and when they had CON-
pleted their Gordon OF investment,
three OF the leaders approached the
door, saying, "SheriffSmith, VIC want
James Sharpe"
"Gentlemen, you can't have him"
came back in measured, low, determ-
ined tones.
"But we intend to take him at all
hazards"
sI shall defend him similarly"
retorted this thorough going officer
of the law.
"Come, now, Smith," said one OF
the party, which an attempt at buster,
"none Of your fooling. We want
Sharpe, and by-we are going to
have him, and you want to get out oil
the way.'
There was clicking sound In the
crowd, and the dim light showed a
hundred pistol barrels looking at the
Sheriff.
"Gentlemen," said Smith, and his
voice had sank to husky cultural
thst told those who knew him best
there was to be no more trifiing
alisten to reason q moment. Sharpe
| is in his cell, chained to the floor.
He is under the protection OF the law
He will die. He will die in day.
light by the hands of the law, as his
crime is known to all men, and moi
| in the night by unknown hands. Sc
far as his life, of itself, is concerned,
any one of your lives is worth q hun.
dred like it. But SO far as present
circumstances makes the preserva.
tion OF his body from violence at
YOUR hands representative of the
msjesty OF the law, his life is worth O
hundred of yours. In defending
James Sharpe, but I am vindicating
the majesty Of the law we live under
and the good name and good order
of this community. This is what
am sworn to, do and l shall do it. You
all know me, and know what i mean
Go now to your homes, and let jus
tice take its regular eourse'
Words so bravely and fitly spoken
could not but have their effect. Their,
was silence in the mob. Then ther,
was a murmur, as of consultation
A few men approached the door.
.Stop!" !" said the sheriff shown.
IL g.