Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-12-27
JACK kEHOE HUNG.
His Life Of Crime..-The Defiant Bully
of the Coal Regions.


With Jack kehoe died to-day the
guiltest OF all the Mollie Maguires. In
his prison cell, in iancied security, he
/ has seen II score of his tools SO out e
4 their death, while he remained 10 hras
Of his power and tomoek nj Justice. Iii
the coal regions this man Was known Il
every one rs the King Of the MolieS.
He was man who welded great power
lie kept saloon at Girardville, held
the office of high sheriff, and, rs eoun-
4 " delegate of the Schuylkill County
Mollie Maguires, opened the meetings
with prayer, and immediately discussed
the murder of some one who had
gained the ill-will of the Buckshots. +"
For years he had been member OF the
society, and was connected with deeds
Of violence from the first. For years
he had planned and plotted the bold,
est of crimes. The fate of many II vic
tim was discussed and settled III his bar
room. He appointed men 10 commit
murders, and was the lOudest i'll his
praises Of man capable Of doing IL
clean job in other words, killing u
victim 1T the first shot The years
lS15-76 struck terror into the hearts of
the Mollies. Arrests were making on
every side. Jack kehoe alone felt se-
cure. lie had seen Townships misgov-
erned and robbed by his men; he had
seen his candidates elected TO the legis-
lature, and lie had heeh courted and
bowed down to by politicians. 1t was
no wonder, then, that he felt his own
power, and deemed il sufficient to keep
him floating ON the swift-ruming tide
which was bearing so many Of his dar-
ing and desperate followers to destruc-
ton.
With several others he was arrested
and put on trial on the Sth OF August.
1876, for assault and battery with intent
to kill William NJ. Thomas, and on the
l4th he was again tried for conspiracy
to murder William and Jesse Major.
He was convicted on both charges, and
an imprisonment of fourteen months
was imposed. But he was not to es-
cape SO easily. In November he was
indicted for murder, with five others.
Still Jack Kehoo never lost heart. lie
was politician, and held the Mollc
vote in his hand. He made open boasts
that his power could not be overlooked
THE old man nj Harrisburg" Inc said
to his lallor, referring toG0vernor Hair
tranft, the old man Mt Harrisburg will
never dare to 80 back Oh me. | shall
never hang, and SOOTHING ut the courts
and Justice he awaited his trial with the
greatest composure, being convinced 10y
T. ~ Irt L. ~ Ill Il
would be pardoned out.
The crime for which kehoo was in
dicted was the murder Of Frank w. :.
Langdon, ticket boss ut n colliery III
Audenred, on the 1ith of June, 1862.
On that day there was u gathering mt
Audenreld to make preparations for II
| Mollic picnic on the following Fourth
of july The war fever was running
high, and during the day, III u mo-
ment OF excitement, some one
spit on the American flag.
Langdon was personally unpopular,
and when, from the steps Of the hotel.
he denounced the act in unmeasured
terms, there were angry looks and NUT
terings which foreboded storm.
Langdon was advised by his friends to
90 home, and let the excitement die out,
but he did not consider that his life was
in danger, and he refused all advice.
Towards evening he was obliged TO 90
down the road from the hotel. a mob
followed. They assaied him with
sticks and with stones, and left him for
dead. The blow which undoubtedly
caused death was given by Yellow Jack
Donahue, since executed. When. in
1876, this murder, long forgotten, was
brought TO mind by the indictment OF
tie murderers, Jack Kehoe elected to
be tried separately. He was given
every chance to clear himself, but il
was testified that he took an active part
in the murder, and he was convicted in
the first degree,
Although he was not present the ties.
timony adduced mt several Of the Molllo
Mcguire trials shows that Kehoe had
criminal knowledge Of number 81
murders in Schuylkill county besides
that for which he was convicted. The
night preceding the murder Of Thomas
Sanger and VIM. Wren the desperadoes
VINO shot them down in the fall Of 1875
stopped at kehoe's house, and were
urged by him to proceed in their muir
derous work. About year after the
commission Of the crime he mad,
threats on the life Of man for having
revealed certain facts which led to the
arrest Of Thomas Munley, who wa
hanged June u, 1877, for the murder oil
Sanger, who was mine-boss, and had
rendered himself obnoxious to the Mol
lies by an alleged preference for Eng,
lishmen as miners. For exercising thin
discrimination he was marked for rs.
sassination, and while on his way 70 his
NINE, accompanied by VIM. Wren, he
was attacked by Thomas Munley and
several others and fatally shot. lii
companion was also murdered. On
Aug IA Conner James, a young Welch.
man, was the victim Of cowardly and
fatal assault near Shenandoah. There
had been large picnic during the day
and AT night large number Of Molliet
remained on the ground. Conner james
was acting as bartender, and while il
the Performance Of his duties Thomas
Hurley walked up TO him and withou,
moments warning shot him dead IL
/ FL -,