Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-09-03


was settled by the rebel elemel :
years ago, when the first Ku-klux
organization controlled the state,
that the Harris boys must be killed.
They were waylaid, ambushed,
fired at from houses, called out OF
their own houses at night, and at
tempted assassination in all its forms
was tried on them, but they were as
wary as they we're brave, and though
wounded several times, more than
one Ku-Kux was made to feel the
certainty of their aim. Clayton's
smashing up Of the Ku-Klux gave
the Harris boys few years rest,
but the same old feeling Of vindic-
tiveness remained and developed
itself at the first opportunity. The
usual method adopted by the White
Leagurer, an organization which
has taken +hs place of the Ku-Klux,
when they wish to kill a Republi-
can, is to charge a crime of some
kind against the victim, start to Jail
with him, have some of their con-
federates fire shot over their
heads from the bush, then the party
having the prisoner in charge forth
with shoots him down, on the plea
that he was about to be rescued.
This method was somewhat changed
in the case Of the Harris's. They
were arrested on their farms by a
large body of mounted men late in
the afternoon, who took them to
Roseville, where guard was placed
over them IN hotel. No charge
was made against them until they
reached Roseville then they were
informed that the guard who had
them in charge considered them
guilty of demonstrating. OF course
the charge was utterly groundless,
aud only trumped up to enable these
rebel Williams to safely murder The
men they had relens!cssly pursued
for years, but whom they were
afraid to openly attack. About
shutdown on that day, the 4th OF
August, VIM. Harris, his younger
brother, and his brother-in-law,
Skidmore, were taken short dis
trnce from Roseville to a large oak
tree, and hung on the same limb
until dead.
The hanging Of these three men
was, Heaven knows, brutal enough,
but the most savage and revolving
part Of the inhuman drama remains
to be told. Mrs. Harris, mother of
two of the victims, and mother-in-
law of the other, knowing the men
who had siezed her sons, and be-
lieving that they intended to MUIR
der them, though 90 years of age,
mounted a horse and followed them.
She reached The scene OF the TRACE
dy just as they pulled her eldest son
Off the ground with a rope around
his neck. She rushed up and, rising
insthe saddle, cut the rope where 1t
passed around the limb, her son
falling half lifeless to the ground.
The old lady was thereupon seized
by the savages, dragged from her
horse by one wretch, and shot
through the head by another, hauled
to one side in the brush, and a
horse-blanket thrown over her, while
these worse than savages, more than
cannibals, proceeded to murder her
children. Can the history of any
tribe of barbarians on the face Of
the earth show All equally atrocious
piece of devilish brutalityI
PROCEEDINGS OF THE WlNGvILL.s
CAUCUs.-Mr. Editor: There are
some facts connected with the pro-
ceedings of the Republican caucus
at Wingville, on the Goth OF August,
which / deem important that the
public should know. The meeting
was called in the usual manner by
the Republican Town Committee,
upon notice posted conspicuously
for one week. There were about 80
in attendance T. L. Taylor was
chosen chairman and l. &. Dewitt,
secretary. Immediately on organi-
cation the nomination of }. Stevens
as delegate was made and voted
down. Then an animated dicussion
was had upon the propriety of not