Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-20
Hung BY a Mob.
Outragssus Affair ~ ruitsn. Me-
old Peter Kessler Hang 20 .
Tree After C%snvicNsn.


old Peter Kesslsr Hang % q
Tree After Csnvictien.
A terrible tragedy occurred OF
Saturday last, the 10Th Of August,
at Fulton, Galloway county. Peter
Kcssler aud his son August, who
were arrested near st. Louis about
four weeks ago for stealing two
mules from j. W. Brown, nh influen.
/ tial citizen of Galloway, have beer,
confined at Jefferson l'ity for saft
Keeping since the first Of the month,
About 0 o'clock Saturday morning
they were taken out OF Jail by the
sheriff Of Galloway county, Mi. Geo,
W. Law, who was accompanied by
posse.
The party started for Fulton where
tho KesslCrs were to- DO tried, but
when about two miles from Cedar
City, Just across the river, Angus,
dnrted to the platform b: tho cur and
lcapcd to the ground. Before the
i, traim could be stopped he had gather.
ed himself up and was hidden in the
brush.
The rest of the party went OH To
Fulton, arriving there about half pnsi
ten. Peter kcssler was taken into
court, aud after u little preliminary
iormality, plead guilty to the charge
of stealing Browns mules. lie wa.
sentenced to six years in the pcnitcii.
tiary.
1t was known that tho Kess!eI
eases were set far trial Saturday anu
Fulton was throngcd with excited
farmers from all the surrounding
ttat August Kesslcr had escaped,
their Indignation was beyond all re.
%straint. and they clamured for Peter
krsslrr's life.
After the sentenced had been
passed the sheriff put the prisonc,
in a hack aud, accompanied by !.
guard of four deputies, started 70,
/ the depot. Almost immediately. INT
vehicle was surrounded by the angry
mob, who demanded that The prison.
or should be given up to them. This
request was promptly refused, where.
upon the mob commenced firing into
the hack. The sheriff was mortally
wounded ut the outset OF the atlray.
Several Struggling shots were fret
and the prosecuting attorney, Mr..
John G. provinces, who is editor of
the Press, the new Democratic paper
in Fulton, and several of the deputies
were seriously wounded.
The mob then took kessler H..
their OWL charge, drove the vehicle
out of town about u mile and hun.
him.
The kcsslcrs formerly lived near
Rredsvillc, in Galloway county, and
one Of the boys was hung there by
the visiluntcs for horse stealing sew
crhl Years ago.
The history of the Kcssler rob-
Louis papers n month or two g
about rs follows:
In the latter part of June the ST.
Louis police authorities were notified
by j. W. Brown, oil Galloway county.
That lie had lost two valuable mules
which he suspected had been stolen
by the kcsslers. The family had been
living on IL small place on the Clayton
road twelve miles from the city, and
their ~antcce6Gnts were tOlerably well
known 10 The mounted police.
For two or three weeks the ST.
Louis officers Kept II sharp lookout.
and eventually captured old Peter
kcssler and two OF his sons, August
and George. George Kessler cleared
himself of any completely in the
uoings OF his father and brother by
showing that he had been living re-
Specially in Indiana up TO a very
date, and was accordingly
released.
The mules were recovered, and OH
a search of the house in addition 10
kits of burglars tools, they found a
lot OF new jcwclry, u two horse |
wagon and II 10. of seamless sacks, all
10 be stolen.
Mr.. Brown was Notified of the ar
rest and went OH at once. Tho chief
of police told him very plainly that
the police force could not be used to
catch thieves, who would be lyuchcd
rs soon as sent out of the city. lie
r%eiicarsed the recent hanging of
Howard at Franklin as one instance,
in which the department had been
compromised.
Mr.. Brown gave the most solemn
that the kesslers should
have a fair trial, and was even will
ling to give bond it required. On
the evening of the 18th of July, Mr..
Brown started back to Galloway |
county with the kcssIcrs, having Of
ficcr Jaqucs of the ST. Louis police as
m escort. They arrived III jefferson
City OH tho morning of the 29ih, and
went over the river 10 take the train
for Fulton, but we're warned not to
come by tel. grams.
On The morning of the 30tl,, they
vent to Fulton and were met al the |
depot by a hundred armed men who
escorted them to the court house.
Brown gave out that he was under
bond of $1,000 to the ST. Louis cl,ic,
of police for the safe delivery of th,
prisoners to the sheriff of Galloway
county, and it was thought this was
the only thing that restrained til,
vi@lianteS from Immediately string
ing up the kcssler. That nigh,
the Sheriff hid the prisoners in The
woods to save them from the mob.
and ihc next day took them to Jeifer-
0 City, where they remained until
yesterday morning.
Peter kessler, who was hung. wa>
a why, keen old man, between six
~ aud severity years of age. lie had
Il rather prepOsscssins appearance and
u very ready tongue. Before the war
he lived near St. Joseph, and in 1866
he went to Galloway county and
bought a farm near ltcetsville. He
did well for IL time but had n son six
teen wears old who Was a genuine DIES
pcrado. This boy confessed to the
stealing OF several mules and horses,
anu the Galloway vigi!ants hung
him. That brought the old man into
i'l-repuic, and lie sold out. A small
place was taken real ST. Louis for a
KIN" OF headquarters, and the Kess-
lers have been roaming the western
"uh'ry ever since, honest and dis
honest by turns.
Inc old man denies that he ever
stole II horse, but says he bought a
goo" many cheap and asked NO aucs-
mons. lie say il was in this way
That he got Browns mules, haviu.
purchased them ut Joncsburg. Upon
one occasion lie returned to the owu-
trs NV" vcro fine mules which had
been stolen.
Horrible RaiIro d Accident.
horrible railroad accident occur
rca laS' Saturday night on the Clica-
go anu sli"'l '"id, twenty-five miles
s"",T"i Chicago, The accident was