The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-01

4 Initiation Of Pittsburgh Gentleman
Into western Mining Life.
Pittsburgh Dispatch.
OIL Inspector Ramsey, Of this city, who
was on Q visit TO the Far West several
months ago. yesterday related TO q report.
er Of the DlpaicI IN interesting story
Of how he attended lynching In 0 Col.
orado town. His story Is as follows:
"Wake up. RamseyM called out com.
pRnlon Of mine one morning at an early
hour; "wake up or you will miss the
lynchipg." had gone 10 bed Of an early
hour, tired and sleepy, and had heard
nothing OF the murder which had been
committed during the night.
"HulIo, Jim, Is that your said ], when
does the thing take placer"
pretty did quick" answered my
friend.
So, hurridly DOMINIC my clothes, !
sauntered out and found my "bunky"
waiting ut the door Of tho shanty. we
walked up street short distance, and,
finding crowd Of rouRh'looktng minerS
around the door Of . gambling hell, we
pushed through and entered the saloon,
where we found = Coroner's jury impan'
eled and about to begin their investigation.
Two tables, used for dealing faro, had
been pushed together, and on them was
stretched the dead body Of police officer.
had known him well. He was splen.
did specimen Of manhood, fully
slx feet SIX inches In hight and
built In proportion, quiet molten.
sivs citizen, but o thoroughly good
officer. On the top OF the body lay q coil
Of hali.iuch rope, neatly rolled up, with 4
hApg.mAn's moose at one end. AS We
entered The Coroner called the frst wilt
ness, who, having been sworn, stated that
ION the evening previous he had been In
the gambling saloon OF jim Begga, where
two fellows were playing cards; during
the game they quafreled about something,
and both got up from the table and enter
ed the barroom, where they both drank,
and again commenced 10 wrangle about
the bets. They made considerable noise,
and In the midst OF II the officer came In
and quietly said, Boys, less noise; this
must be stopped He had no sooner said
this than one Of the gamblers jerked out
his gun (reyolver) and shot the officer
through the heart" The witness
had proceeded thus far, when BtTApping
big fellow, clad In red flannel shirt, and
with pantaloons stuck In his boot.leEs, q
bfoad.brImmed hat half hiding his dark
eyes, Quietly walked up 10 the dead body,
and, taking hold Of the coll Of rope, said:
"Boys, that's enough, come on" pushing
his way out through the crowd, followed
BY fifteen or twenty Of his companions.
Without word they walked down 10 the
cooler" Crane statlon.house), where the
prisoner had been incarcerated, and,
coming up 10 the six men on guard, de.
handed the keys. They told then that
the keys were not in their possession.
"Hold up your hands, then" cried the
leader. "Lets examine you"
The guards held up their hands and
quietly submitted 10 the examination.
The lynchets finding that the keys were
not In their possession, went TO woodpile,
and, picking up an ax, speedy demolished
the door. The leader then entered the
room and In q lew minutes came out with
one end Of the rope over bis shoulder,
and, ut the other end was the murderer,
the moose tightly around his neck: l had
taken my stand on the opposite side Of the
street, and could plainly see the poor devil
as he came out. He was richly clad, n
large diamond stud glistened on his shirt
front, and on the little finger Of his left
hand was large solitaire; a heavy gold
watch. chain dAngled from his vest pocket.
His countenAnce did not bstoken
fear; In fact, TO look at the
man one would have thought the whole
performance was but 4 joke. Alter reaching |
The street the crowd seized hold VI the rope |
and led the victim down TO an old build
ing, where beam iutted over the side |
walk. When they reached this point one
OF the number climbed out over the beam,
and the end Of the rope was thrown TO
him. Alter pulling the slack up he slowly |
let II down on the other side, and then
leaned his elbows down on the beam, and
took deliberate look at the crowd below.
The leader OF the committee then ap.
preached the gambler and said: "Well,
Jim, yer times short; want 10 say any
thIngW
jim replied and said: Snow look here;
can't you jist as well put lew bullets
through ME; what's the difference? I've
got 81 900 in my pockets, and you can
divide the whole thing among you II you
don't hang. viii you do it?'
"Not by o did sight," said the leader.
"You murdered good man, and you got
to swing for It." Il
"Well," said Jim, Ego on; l suppose I
must swing; this Is the third man put
away, 90 suppose my times up"
He had no sooner said the wordB than
the rope was quickly pulled up, and jim
was dangling in horrible manner. His
hands not being tied, he reached up over
bis head aud grasped the rope, and thus
released the strangulation..
"That won't do, Jim," cried the leader,
and thay Jet the dangling victim down
again and speedily tied his arms behind
him, and again elevated him, where he
hung for nearly an hour. After II was
asceT,ained that their victim was dead the
COMMITTEE" sent for photographer, aud
had photograph taken oil the entire
gang" In tbs foreground the committee
could be seen--eVery face oSBily recognized
while Just behind them was tho dang |
ling dead man, his diamonds and Jew.
elry shining Ia the early morning sun,
and above him sat the assistant hang.
man, evidently proud Of his station. The
entire proceedings were rs quiet as could
possibly be; not word or shout could BIZ
heard. The companion Of the murderer
was given sig hours' time TO get out Of
town, and was met somp two miles away
by some Of his friends, who asked him |
where he was going. "Oh, the boys gave
me elk hours TO get out OF town" said he.
land am now five hours ahead OF time"
This was my FIRST initiation into Western
life, and trust my last.