Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-01-02
JACK kEH0E HUNG.
His Life OF Crime--.The Defiant Bully
of the Coal Regions.

| tuS udy NDeC. 1OIll InaI Villain wa
hung, at Pottsville, Pa:
With Jack Kehoe died to-day tn,
guiltiest of all the Mollie Maguires. Ii
his prison cell, in fancied security, ht
has seen score of his tools go out t.
their death, while he remained to bras
of his power and to mock at Justice. Ii
the coal regions this man was known tC
every one as the King Of the Mollies
He was man who welded great power
He kept saloon at Girardville, held
the Office of high sheriff, and, as coun
ty 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 a 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 vic,
tim was discussed and settled in his ban
room. He appointed men to commit
murders, and was the loudest in his
praises of man capable of doing =
clean job I'm other words, killing a
victim at the first shot. The years
1876 struck terror into the hearts OF
the Mollies. Arrests were making on
every side. Jack Kehoe alone felt Sc.
cure. He had seen Townships misgov,
erned and robbed by his men; he had
seen his candidates elected to the legis-
lature, and he had been courted and
bowed down to by politicians. Is was
no wonder. then, that he felt his own
power, and deemed it sufficient to keep
him floating on the swift-running tide
which was bearing 50 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 M. Thomas, and on the
18th 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 Kehoe never lost heart. He
was a politician, and held the Mollie
vote In his hand. He made open boasts
that his power could not be overlooked
"The old man at Harrisburg" he said
to his jailOr, referring to Governor Har.
tranft, the old man at Harrisburg will
never dare to 60 back OH me. | shall
never hang" and soothing at the courts
and justice he awaited his trial with the
greatest Composure, being convinced by
his friends that even if convicted he
would be pardoned out.
The crime for which Kehoe was in,
dicted was the murder of Frank w. S
Langdon, ticket boss at colliery in
Audenreid, on the 18th of June, 1862
On that day there was a gathering at
Audenreid to make preparations for a
Mollie picnic on the following Fourth
of July. The war fever was running
high, and during the day, in 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 a storm.
Langdon was advised by his friends to
go 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 &C
down the road from the hotel. A mob
followed. They assailed him with
sticks and with stones, and left him fol
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
the murderers, Jack Kehoe elected to
be tried separately. He was giver
| every chance to clear himself, but i
was testified that he took an active par
in the murder, and he was convicted il
the first degree.
Although he was not present the tes
timony adduced at several of the Mollit
Mcguire trials shows that Kehoe haC
criminal knowledge of a number o
murders in Schuylkill county besides
that for which he was convicted. Th,
night preceding the murder of Thomas
Sanger and VIM. Wren the desperadoel
VINO shot them down in the fall of 1877;
stopped at Kehoe's house, and were
urged by him to proceed In their mur
derous work. About a year after the
commission Of the crime he made
threats On the life Of a man for having
revealed certain facts which led to tht
arrest of Thomas Muniey, who wa
hanged June q, 1877, for the murder o
Sanger, who was a mine-bOss, and haC
rendered himself obnoxious to the Mol
lies by an alleged preference for Eng
lishmen as miners. For exercising thl
discrimination he was marked for as
sassination, and while on his way to hi
mine, accompanied by VIM. Wren, ht
was attacked by Thomas Mlnley anC
several others and fatally shot. Hi
companion was also murdered. Or
Aug. Il Conner James, young Welch
man, was the victim of cowardly anC
fatal assault near Shenandoah. Their,
had been a large picnic during the day
and at night q large number of MOllle
remained on the ground. Conner jane
was acting as bartender, and while IL
the performance of his duties Thoma
Hurley walked up to him and withou
a moments warning shot him dead IL
the presence ofscores of people.
James assassination had been deter
mined for months because he haC
offered Hurley an alleged insult. |
was customary to reward the murder
er's, and several Mollies claimed t
have participated in the deed. Shortly
after the murder James McParlan, th'
detective, had an interview with Kehoe
ID which the latter said Hurley should
have had from three to five hundred
dollars for having done SO clean a job
Jack declined to pay the reward (
Hurley on his own responsibility. gu