The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-11
Lynch Law in Ca.ifornia--A Murderer
Hume. fy n Efas,


Lynch Law fa Casifornsa-A Mursiere,
Hung by o Mos.
On Christmas-eye noted desnera do nano,,
James g. McCrory shot down in cold blood
a respectable citizen of Tulare. California
named Charles Allen. firing four bullets into
him. He was arrested, and on his wav to
Jail M effort was made to hang him.
The crowd of citizens grew larger every
moment, and Sheriff Glasscock was called
upon to give up the prisoner. He refused.
ana appointed several deputies to assist him
III guarding the jail District Attorney At
well also aided the sheriff. After the lapse
OF short time, during which the citizens
eflnced determined resolution to bring Nc
Srory TO summary justice without awaiting
the laws delay, which had saved his neck
from the halter SO many times before when
be so richly deserved 1t, movement was
made for an organization.
Inc prisoner was finally secured in Jail,
ana posse of deputy sherifIs organized to
prevent the crowd from obtaining possession
OF the prisoner. The crowd was calmly in
earnest as to the object in view-tbe taking
out of McCrory and his execution. The only
thing was how best TO go about it. The off,
GERS maintained n firm front Mt the hall door,
which was locked, and stubbornly resisted
whenever an attempt was made by any of
the crowd to force in. Finally it was deter
mined to break into the Jail Immediately at
all hazards. long iron waterpipe was OBJ
tanned, some twenty feet in length, fifty
hands seized it, and the officers. after brief
but fierce struggle, were forced aside, the
outer hall door was soon battered open, and
the citizens were inside the hall. The Jail
door was now reached. The first door was
forced with q crowbar. The second failed
to yield. Sheriff Glasscock was then over
powered and searched for the keys. but I'M.
successfully. The crowd rushed in with
implements to break the wrought-iron door,
but they finally found the keys.
The names Of the other occupants of the
Jail were called and answered to by them
until McCrory's cell was identified. 1t was
unlocked, and McCrory was found lying in
side completely paralyzed with fear. He re-
fused to stand on his feet or speak. He
knew that his time had come. A rope had
been prepared, and as he refused to walk, a
moose was put over his neck and he was
dragged out. As the moose was being put
on his neck he made some resistance, striking
with his hands and kicking, but not attempt
ing to stand. The crowd now probably
numbered two hundred. Dozens of men
seized the rope. and he was dragged to the
Court-Stlcet bridge in Il moment. All his
clothes were dragged of him down to his
ankles. The end of the rope was tied to the
railing and the body rolled of. The fall was
about four or five feet. No motion of the
body was perceptible after the fall. 1t hung
there for some time after he was dead, and
was taken down and delivered to an under
taker. The crowd raised twenty dollars to
bury him, as they were determined not to
allow the county to be pIt to any further ex-
penSe on account of the desperate.
The Tularc Times, in closing the account
of the tragedy, says:
We say wcll.done' to our citizens who
executed this devil incarnatc. Allen was the
fourth man he had killed in Visalia. He had
killed at least two of them in cold blood,
without the slightest cause or provocution.
4 couple of years ago he shot and killed a
Mexican in the Fashion Saloon here, whose
back was turned, and who was not even
aware of his presence, and with whom he
had never had n single angry word. He was
allowed to plead guilty Of murder in the Sc
cond degree through his attorney, and on
being brought into court, before Judge Brad
ford, for sentence. he denied that his attor-
ncy was authorized 70 make this plea. He
was sentenced, nevertheless, to imprisonment
in the penitentmry for fifteen years. After
being in prison q few months he was grant
ed Il new trial OH this tcclnicaity, and on
account OF the removal Of essential witnesses
and other reasons, he was allowed TO go scot
free. He had shot at various others in this
town besides those lie succeeded in killing.
After this trial he left here and went to Ari-
zona. He got into Il shooting-scrapc, it is
said. killed soldier, and had to leave. lie
had Il family in Stockton, and was on his way
there. he said, when he reached Fisalia on
Tuesday.
Tie men who hung him were among our
best and most influential citizens. They
;ho,ghttlmt there had been about enough OF
wholesale, coIh-bloodcd murders in this
community. The law had failed to protect
liz. The county hid time and again been
put to thousands of dollars of useless eX-
pcnse in Trials which amounted to nothing.
And they mad just seen man convicted of q
cod-bpodcd assassination, and the judg.
ment upon whom had been affirmed in our
Supreme Court. have his sentence commuted
to simple Imprisonment by the Governor. In
IL couple OF years he may be pardOned out to
kill somebody else. No man was safe under
Slrh circumstances. Human life has been
held too cheap here by despcradoes,
and the good name OF our entire
law-abding community has suffered
throughout the land in consequence. But
the worthy clement in our community has
spoken Cand taking ot1r whole population
into consideration, there is none more peace
full and respectable, and we hope the lesson
given to dcSperadocs in the hanging of Nc
Crory will have the effect to render such a
course entirely unnecessary in the future,
We are earnestly opposed to mob law, but in
the case we have chronicled it was assuredly
the quickest. cheapest, and best way of ac'
ccmp!Shing the desired end. But the clos
ing act of McCrory's career was certainly
short and striking. lie arrived here Tues
day morning from Arizona, after long ND.
scncc, murdered man in the afternoon, and
was hung in the evening.
tf<El II ,LT T.