Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-01-01
JACK EEHOE HUNG.
u;., life of Crime...The Defiant Bully
of the Coal Regions.

Teboe's life OF CRIME was telegraphed
10 day dec. 1oth) that villain was
mig. at louisville, Pa;
with Jack kehoe died to-day the
.,,;ltiest of all the Mollie Maguires. In
- nrison cell, in fancied security, he
rs ,-o seen score of his tools 60 out to
.ba;r death, while ne remained to brag
, This power and to mock at justice. In
the coal regions this man Tas known to
,rorv one as the King of the Molles.
Ne was a man who welded great power.
10 kent a saloon at Girardville, held
tho office Of high sheriff, and, as coun-
~ delegate of the Schuylkill County
yIollie Magures, opened the meetings
with prayer, and Immediately discussed
the murder OF some one who had
gained the ill-will Of the " Buckshots. J"
For wears he had been member of the
.ociety. and was connected with deeds
II violence from the first. For years
he had planned and plotted the bold
est of crimes. The fate of many a vic
tim WAS discussed and settled in his bar
room. He appointed men to commit
murders, and was the loudest in his
nraises Of man capable of doing a
> clean lob in other words, killing a
victim at the first shot. The years
,sl5-76 struck terror into the hearts of
he Molies. Arrests were making on
very side. Jack kehoe alone felt Sc
cure. He had seen townships misgov-
ernei and robbed by his men; he had
seen bis candidates elected to the legis-
AZURE. and he had been courted and
bowed down TO by politicians. 1t 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 so many Of his dar-
ing and desperate followers to destruc-
ton.
With several others he was arrested
and pat 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
10 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.
Sill Jack kehoe never lost heart He
vas 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-
tlanit, the old man at Harrisburg will
never dare to go back on me. l shall
never hang" and scotfing 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
dlcted was the murder of Frank W. 5.
Langdon. ticket boss at a colliery in
Audemeid, on the 11th of June, 1862.
On that day there was q gathering at
Audenred to make preparations for a
Nol,Ie 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
terlngs which foreboded a storm.
Langdon was advised by his friends to
50 home, and let the excitement die out,
but he did not consider that his life was
n danger, and he refused all advice.
towards evening he was obliged to 60
down the road from the hotel. a mob
followed. They assailed him with
sticks and with stones, and left him for
dead. The blow which undoubtedly
caused death was given by Yellow Jack
ponahue, since executed. When. IN
1916 this murder, long forgotten, was
brought to mind by the indictment OF
themmderers, Jack Kehoe elected to
be tried separately. He was given
every chance to clear himself, but it
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 tes-
umony adduced at several of the Mollie
Mcguire trials shows that kenoe had
criminal knowledge of number of
murders IN Schuylkill county besides
mat Tor which he was convicted. The
hlght 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 We're
Urged by him to proceed in their muir
ueFous work. About a year after the
commission of the crime he made
threats on the life of man for having
revealed certain facts which led to the
arrest Of Thomas Munley, who was
hanged June p, 1877, for the murder Of
sanger, who was a mine-boss, and had
rendered himself obnoxious to the Mol
..es by an alleged preference for Eng
.5,hmen as miners. For exercising this
discrimination he was marked for as
,A-sLnatlNn and while ON h1s MY To his