Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-09-09
LANES LAST HOPE.
Mob Law Must be Put Down.
Lane Fails to Escape on a Habeas Corpus
Writ, and Still Languishes in Jail.

ic'ieuioef tnat u lew weeks since we
gave the full particulars of the So
called detective Lane, alias d. C.
Slater, being confined in our Jail.
Among other dark deeds, Lane is
accused of leading the notorious mob
that hung Young in Clark county,
Mo. The grand jury of Scotland
county, which adjoins Clark county,
indicted Lane, and having no good
Jail sent him to Mexico for safe
keeping.
Last Saturday Lane, through his
counsel-Hughes & Hagerman, two
of the leading attorneys of Keokuk,
lowa,-asked that he be released on
a writ of habeas corpus. His counsel
held that as the alleged crime was
committed in Clark county, the grand
jury of Scotland county had nothing
to do with the case.
State attorney Gen. Smith, B. f.
Turner, prosecuting attorney of Clark
county, and j. Med. Trimble, pros
eeuting attorney of this county, we're
counsel for the State. Judge Porter
hearing long and learned speeches
from all the attorneys on both sides,
dismissed the writ of habeas corpus,
and remanded the prisoner to Jail to
await his trial for murder in the first
degree.
Lanes condition now is the same
as it was before the writ of habeas
corpus was issued. His hearing last
Saturday was not on his guilt or in
nocence. 1t ~pertained simply to the
writ of habeas corpus.
Our readers will remember that
about two years ago Lane figured in
Mexico as a detective, and assisted
in arresting young Gray, who forged
a note on Hiram Ricketts,. About
six months since he was arrested by
Sheriff Graves in Dakota Territory
for being leader in the Young mob
which took place in Clark county,
Mo-, some time Since. Sheriff Graves
brought Lane to Mexico and put him
in our Jail, because he thought we
had the best Jail and best jailor in the
State.
Sheriff Graves, while in Mexico,
told as the following incident in con-
nection with Lane'slarrest:
1t appears that some woman at
Memphis, Mo-, was in some way
connected with Lane-or had some
kind of a claim on him. At the
depot at Memphis the lady made her
appearance. Graves was prepared
for the meeting at the depot, where
about one hundred people congrega-
ted to witness the meeting Of "Frank
Lane and wife, When the whistle
Of the train was heard Lane sat quiet
ly in the bus, rather pale and his
dark eyes fixed on the approaching
train. The wheels had scarcely
., ceased motion when Graves rushed
the prisoner into the express car out
of sight, and had the doors guarded
A woman hurriedly approached
Richie, Of Clark county. who was on
walk of the depot, and said, SIS he
here?" Richie answered, Eyes; in
that car" pointing at the same time
to the express car She then ran to
the cor platform, hand in pocket, and
attempted to enter the car door,
which was closely guarded to prevent
her from shooting Lane; failing
there, she hurried to the other door
and meeting with the same fate, she
became almost frantic, and attempted
to pull herself up through the side
> door. "All aboard" cried the con.
, ductor, and the train pulled out,
leaving the disappointed woman
standing on the depot platform.
E A Clark county paper, speaking OF
Lane, says:
AS a cold-blooded murderer, he
e undoubtedly fills the bill as a con
: stitutiOnal thief and as q professional
black-leg and black-maller, he has II {
equal in point of proficiency in this
county aud as q patron and fire.
. quenter of houses of ill-repute, he ii
8 the peer of any or all of his beastly
associates or hackers. The career
of this embodiment of all that j!
a mean and low and vile has now beer
summarily checked by the strons
!, arm of the law. and let us hope tina
the lesson that by the example tina
will he made of him will not be with
Z out it's good effect oh some of his de
luded followers"
The following is a brief history o
the Spencer murder and Young mol
LANES CONNECTION WITH 1T.
= In 1877 the entire Spencer family
living in Clark county, Mo-, ant
4 consisting Of father, mother, tW'
daughters, and a son, were murder
a ed in the most fiendish manner. Fo
a long time no clew could be obtaine'
leading to a solution of the terrible
q wholesale slaughter. When tn
e murder was committed Lane was II
the Illinois penirentiary at Joliet
and soon afterward was discharged
He next turned up in Clark county
in the role of q detective, and under
ID. took to "work up" the Spencer mul
der case. The result Of his .labors'
was the arrest of Mr.. WI. Young,
% wealthy farmer, living in the vicini
r. ty. Mr. Young was tried and &C
Guitted of the murder, and after hi
ecouittal went to Illinois and wa
~ married. Upon his return to Mi
+" souri, with his bride, he was attacke
D nv a mob, headed by Slater or Lane
and was shot and wounded and the
hung in front. of his own house. Tn
~ mnrderous mob ruled the neighboi
=. hood and were greatly feared. Henc
- little was made in arrestin
and publishing Young's murderer
-. DhcIoo IF this state. Offel