The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-14
LYNCH LAW IN KANSAS.

HOW THE DEATH OF AN ESTEEMED CITIZEN
Is REvENGED-THE CULPRIT IGNORANT OF
HIS FATE.
The Bates county Democrat (Kansas)
gives the following example of lynching in
that state. After giving the particulars of
the murder of constable Wilson by David
Hardy it says: But the deed was done and
the perpetrator had escaped. What was to
be done? II will not do to permit him to 60
entirely free. The citizens of Usage town
ship were gathered together and the par
ticulars elected. They became Infatuated
when they remembered that Hardy had not
only killed an officer in the discharge of his
duties, but mad returned and rified his pock-
cts. Finally, rather than fail, rather than
the monster should entirely escape, re-
ward of thousand dollars was offered for
his body dead or alive. Every clew was
sought for and nothing left undone by the
neighbOrs of the murdered official to hunt
Hardy down. a squad was Immediately
dispatched to Harrisonville, and Buck was
kept under guard until after dark, when
another relative by the name of Mathews
was pressed into service with Buck and
some twenty others with these two started
for Miami bridge. Buck and Mathews,
having a sack to represent clothes, were
ordered to 90 on the bridge and whistle for
Hardy to make his appearance, while the
others concealed themselves. Hardy, sus-
Decting nothing, soon came out on the
bridge. They told him that they did not
get all the clothes. He said he would go
back and get them himself. (He hads no
idea that so many were aroused and on his
track.) While talking, the two, according
to orders, caught him and kept his arms
and legs pinioned unil the crowd came up,
his gun falling at the very first. They car
ried him back to the school house at Rich
Hill.
GUNS FIRED.
Pursuant to previous arrangement, guns
were fired at Rich Hill, giving notice TO all
who could hear and who were still on his
trail that the murderer was caught
In the meantime, Hardy's father
had been arrested for aiding and
abettiug the murder, and was at the school
house when his son was brought. Supper
was served to young Hardy, and he partook
unsparingly, laughing and talking all the
while, as if he considered it a joke. There
were only few in the house, while the
school house was surrounded by hundreds
of men before an hour after it was known
that he had been caught. Some one asked
young Hardy how he liked pickle? "Take
that. d-n you" hurting large one at the
head of the interrogation. We are informed
that he had a trial on the outside of the
SCHOOL mouse. we can state no particulars
was TO that occurred at the trial. All that,we
can state is that our informant was in the
school house cleaning all he could from the
prisoner, who gave as his reason for killing
Wilson that ne only did so to keep from be-
ing arrested. While this convers alton con-
tinued witnesses were sworn and examined.
Finally
ALL BECAME QUIET,
and one person came into the school house
and told Hardy that some one wanted to
see him on the outside. He arose from his
seat and started out. The crowd had
started off with him when our informant
went out, and he could hear Hardy singing
in derisive tone:
Farewell, mother, you may never
Press me to your heart again."
This was about day-break. What was
done can only be judged from the result.
His body was found next morning swinging
to an elm, about a mile from Rich Hill,
REHABILITATION.
Thus, in the space of twenty-four hours,
were two souls sent into eternity, the
murderer and his victim. On the morning
of the 9th the fatal shot was fired that rob-
bed the life of an esteemd citizen of
Usage township. and the subsequent morn
ing found the perpetrator of the black deed
standing in mid air.