Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-10-13
A MURDERER LYNCHED.
1 Prisoner I'm the Bloomington (IIs.
Sail Murders the Jaiier-Ehe Muir
derer Seized and Executed by n
HoyyIing Mob.


BLOOMINGTON, H., Oct 8.
About ESQ O'Clock Saturday evening three
discharges of a revolver following each other
IN rapid succession were heard in the county
jail Then the people on the street began to
cry, Police police !" and run toward the
jail building, at the corner of Center and Mar
kot streets. Immediately rumor prevailed that
thepris tiers had obtained pistols, had killed the
Sheriff and Jailer. and were making their es-
cape. The fact was, prisoner named Charles
Pierce, horse thief, had murdered Teddy
INKS, the County Jailer. Franks. while
changing the prisoner, Pierce alias Hewlett.
iiom oae cell to another, was murdered in cold
blood by Pierce, who seized the iailer's reyol-
yer from Franks hip pocket, shooting him
three times and killing him instantly. This
third shot, large bali, went clear through the
body.
Within few moments after this tragedy
had occurred, large number Of people had
gathered IN front of the north door of the
jail within which tho body OF Teddy Franks
Was lying stark in death. Walking among the
people, You could hear men say ''Ths is too
bad This comes from the failure of our
courts to punish CRIME. He ought to be hung"
Don't stir up mob !" law-and-orier man
would say. Let the law take its course"
" There Is no law against murder and other
crime m Mclean county. He ought TO be
hanged"
hen some one cried 'Let us take him
out !"
Cheers followed this, and other voices cried
" Take him out p
After an hours excitement. a rush was made
sod The work OF breaking into the Jail was
commenced
For ,wo hours the mob worked ct the jail
with SIX siedge hammers and batterlng rams
made CT great pieces of timber,
Sheriff Alor and his deputies and the CITY no.
lice soon ascertaned that they could do nothing
to restrain the reckless men and boys who COM
posed the assaulting crowd. Fully 1000 per-
sons were in the bowling, Yelling multitude. At
last the mob gained Abundance to the iail.
secured the murderer of Franks took him 10 a
tee on Market street, near the northeast
corner of Center and Market put a rope
around his neck. threw one end across branch
and pulled the cuiprit mp. One of the mob
climbed mp the tree and ont upon the branch
to which the murderer was hanging, and amid
the cheers of the delighted people, pulled the
hanging body up three OF four feet and let il
drop
Pull him up higher !" the crowd yould
cry. The man on the branch would comply
with the request and lot tie body drop With
duh thud, while the savage crowd would
cheer and laugh. The knot had slipped behind
tIO hpdu VI tbe corpse. ana tlc HeQQ was
thrown forward The ewes stared and the pale
face turned from side to SIDE. a spectacle which
tho maddened crowd seemed to enioy. IL
cheered and yelled and shouted THERE'S lag
for you y 9 Curse the courts - was cited
here and there
At last the man on the branch caneht the
rope, slipped down it, threw his legs around
the neck of IKE corpse and jumped to the
ground. The crowd seemed TO be deligh ed bv
tins feat. II cheered and yelled and shouted.
About that time rain began to fall, though the
great crowd fingered about, wading in the mna
and. BY stiea oing gaslisht viewing the dan
Cling murder (.
When the murderer WAS raised the ftst time.
officer Bailey, OF the police force imperi,ed
hls HE by running in, cutting tie rope and let
ting Pi9rce fall to the ground. Ia attempting
to repeat 1t he came near Icing killed A large
number of people climbed on top OF 4 she'd 10
witness the lXecution, when the binding went
crashing 3 Il g ground. ranSely, none wef,
charge of the body
Tie ynchtrs ha kog Of gunpoNdar ieaay
With which TO blow mp the jail if they failed to
batter il down.
All day yesterday (Sanday) the wrecked jail
and the buidlng in which lay the remains OF
the lyHched man wtre The cclit.r of attraction.
Thousands visited the jail. looked at the
wrecked doors, windows and brIckWOrk, at the
terrible blood stains on the ti0or and on the
Counterpart on which FRANKIE died, and which
was saturated with the bright ami vivid
crimson OF srtenai blood. The romans of
Pierce lay in box of .co ut the und. rta,ers
and constant stream passed IN at the trout
door and ont at the back. Tile fatnl rope ,sas
around lis neck. TIE face was livid with coag-
ulated blood, which extanded down to the cen
ter Of the chest, yet the face wore a peaceful
expression. NAM ladies tainted a, the sight.
At least 5000 persons viewed the remaius.
A card was tackled ON the elm tree On
which thu following was written:
" Bloomington, Mclean County, III
AMMAN axusar, spare this tree, and never
touch a singlt-l ough, and mas God spare this
elm ree forever to grow TO marx where the
fret justice, murder, ever was done in Mclean
county, and may the good people stand by-the
bows trst did IT.
Nrae ~ deprecate the method by which
the end WA attained, there 81 ms TO be no
regret whatever that the mn .ercr met bis
dasfh