Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-21
TODD COUNTY TRAGEDY.

additional Details Of the Ly,,chf,.o of
John Meide-Meide Killed Before He
Vas HnnO-1Ae Wonsas In the Case.
The Todd County Argus, published at Long
Prairie, Mimi, where the recent lynching took
place, gives the following additional details of
the tragedy: 4-...- -....-
John Meide was placed in the Jail, and al.
though those who attended him say they were
satisfied he would be lynched before morning.
nothing was done to protect him. In the night
he took off q Mackinaw coat be wore and gave
it to Sam Strong, who was with the officer in
tho corridor of the Jail, telling him to give it
with his mittens, pipe and tobacco to bis BROTH
that he was bad man and wanted to die, but
did not want his body cut to pieces. In few
minutes after he ceased speaking, about two
o'clock in the morning, the tramp of the mob
was heard outside. One blow with an
axe and the outer door flew open, and, with
the words island back, !" the corridor filled with
armed men. A few blows cut the door fasten-
ings of the cell door and Black John was at the
mercy of the Infatuated mob. In moment
rope was round his neck and he was half led
and half dragged to the outer door, where he
was jerked ten or fifteen feet and was dragged
from there to tree back Of Mr.. Jones' house,
where he WAS found next morning hanging
with his feet foot or two from the ground.
The hanging was only matter of form, as he
was dead before he reached that place. The
doomed man spoke not q work nor murmured
during the time the door was being forced, nor
when he was seized. He was cut down about
pollock Sunday morning aud taken to the
court house and laid beside his victims, and
crowds gazed on the siokening sight presented
by three murdered men lying side by side.
Black John looked perfectly natural, more
like sleeping than dead, with only small
scratch on his nose. His shirt was torn as
he was dragged, and pieces were found
on the small brush near the Jail. Galway and
Steinhover were in full dress except coats, and
all besmeared with blood, and in this way they
were put in coffins and buried in the north
west corner CT the Catholic cemetery, whittier
they were followed by large concourse Of peo-
pie on Sunday afternoon. Black John was
buried by the coroner on Tuesday afternoon in
the Catholic cemetery.
The prisoner tod different story from that
told before the coroner's Jury. He stated to a
ed Colway. He said that he and Mike went to
Steinhove:'s house two weeks ago last Monday
afternoon to kill the two men. The men were
not at home and they took the spade from the
house to dig the hole to bury the bodies.
When the men came homo Mike went into the
house, accused Steinhover of burning the
house and when he denied the charge, shot
(John) stepped in the door and killed Oolway
with the ak. This story is probably nearest
tho truth, as it is oorroborated by the appear
ances Of the house aud also Col.
ways body. There were only the marks of
one shot in the house, as stated last week, and
no shot wounds on Colway's person. Fears Of
violence is probably what deferred him from
telling this story to the coroner's jury.
The woman with whom Mike Meide has been
living (Colway's wife) who is incidentally the
cause of all the trouble is about II years old
and does not know enough to distinguish good
from bad. She supposed when Mike said he
bought her that it was a legitimate trade but
Mike very likely killed Oolway more because
Of his standing between him and this woman
than for anything else. Both John and Mike
have families in Germany, and their sister said
last Saturday they both had committed murder
there and escaped to this country.
John has been resident of this county for
eight or nine years, and has been growing
worse each year. Mike emigrated to this coun-
try last spring, and together they made dan
gerous pair in q community.
There is one of the brothers still left, named
Joseph, but he is of q different turn and ia
good citizen, and expresses no sympathy fur
1is bad brothers.