Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-02-17
rpr FIRST LYNCH LAW TRIAL.

In the Autumn of 1873, the settlement
in Ohio at Columbia contained less than
a dozen log cabins. Most Of them We're
near the bank of the Ohio, a short dis
,,uce below the mouth of the Little
Miami. The most prominent of the
settlers were, General John S. Gano,
Rev. Stephen Gano, William Goforth,
John Reilly, Francis Dunlevy (afterward
President judge. Jacob White, Ephraim
kirby, Luke Foster (afterward Judgs),
Rev John Smith (afterward U. S. Sena-
tori, John Brown, James Finn. Thomas
Hubbel, Col. Oliver Spencer, Major Ben
ia,nin Stiles, Hezekiah Stiles, Elijah
Mills, Edmund Buxton, Peter Sken
smith, James Seward, Thomas c. Wade,
BENJAMIN Shoemaker, Evan Shelby, AL.
len Woodruff, Joseph and Benjamin Cox.
One of the most useful men in this new
colony in the wilderness was Peter Sken
Smith. shrewd and ssiilful artisan,
he only, amongst them all, could repair
and keep in working order the only
hand-mill in the settlement, used almost
constantly for grinding their Indian corn
This he did by softenipg the steel, filing
it sharp and then hardening it. A trader
from Redstone (pow Williamsport), on
the Monongahela. arrived with
small Kentucky boat, laden with
-four and other produce, of which
the pioneers in their new settlement were
much in need. So welcome was his arr-
val that they lent him willing aid to carry
up his dozen barrels Of -four aud pile
them between two trees, that they might
be safe from the perils of the river.
Next morning it was found that one
of the barrels had mysteriously dis
appeared during the night, much
to the surprise Of the trader and indigna.
ton of the villagers. They speedily as
seMbled together, and were not long in
coming to conclusion that one of their
own members had stolen the -four. 1t
was Immediately determined that gen.
crai search should be made, some of the
principal citizens proposing that their
own domiciles should be examined first.
This was speedily done. but not until the
fourteenth house was searched was the
lost barrel found, in the cabin Of Peter
s. Smith. They unhesitatingly arrested
him. He submitted with o very bad
grace. When informed they would pro-
cced to try him for felony, be demanded
their warrant, well knowing that from
want of civil organization there could be
none. Having no leader with supreme
authority like Joshua of old, they formed
themselves into Lynch law court, and
after fair trial found him guilty of lar
ceny and sentenced him to forty stripes
save one, according to Hebrew law. and
that he make restitution for the stolen
hour to the owner. Smith now dared
them to inflct SO ignominious punish.
ment without authority Of law. They
procured stout cord, with each end of
which they tied his thumbs, and then
carrying the line over heavy thorn.
bush, proceeded to execute the sentence
of their own court with good will; each
of the thirteen giving him their stripes
with hickorv withe. With thi!
degrading punishment, all boldnesl
and daring forsook him. He re
paired to his cabin. but wa
never afterward seen in the settlement
1t was supposed he found his way to tn
Falls of the Ohio. and there enlisted il
the United States Army. This state
ment is made on the authority OF on
of the most respectable members of tina
primiti court, the late Judge Foster
It has been revised by the venerabl
Major Daniel Gano, native OF the yer
place where it occurred, now in hi
eightieth year. / American Histories
Record