The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-07-19
Fully Five Thousand Persons
Witness the Double
Hanging.
Thew Ask to be Hung Early TO
Spite the Lemonade Ven
derS.
A Review Of the Dastardly DEEDS
Committed by these Dare
Devils.
Their Last Night on Earsh-Strik'
ing Scenes and Incidents.

Frank Brown and Jesse Meyers, the last
Of the gang of five deSpcradocS who car.
ri.sl robbery and murder with a high hand
in New Madrid and Wayne counties last
| winter and spring. were hung a; New Mad.
rid FRIDAY afternoon, over five thousand
people being in attendance. !
The doomed outlaws slept we'll all al
Thuri>ay night, and Friday morning at
six o'clock received holy communion at
the hands Of Father Connolly. After par
taking Of communion. both expressed
belief that they would step from the seal
fold into Heaven. 90.
| At few minutes past ID O'Clock Sheriff
Walters, accompanied 10y his brother, Dr.
\. Walters, went tn the Jail and soon reap
reared, Brown walking with the sheriff
and MEYERS with the doctor. The culPritS
assembled the gallows with firm step, and
when asked by the sheriff If they had any
thing t. say. Meyers said no; but Brown
stepped forward and addressed the great
crowd present. He said:
! '1ien.lemen--l hope to make my home
in heaven by the grace of God. There l.
fine crowd here to-day. and l hope to
meet Won all in heaven"
Il
rome, adjusted around their necks. the trap
spruns and the doomed men dropped.
Movers rope was TOO long, and his feet
touched the ground. hut several of the
guards rushed To the open trap. drew him
Hp few inches, and made the rope fast
: After hanging twenty minutes the bodies
were cut down. -
. Fully five thousand people. from all
parl, of the surrounding country, were
present, and periec; quiet was preserved
during the execution.
: Roth men asked The sheriff to hang them
early i'm the morning, giving the reason
; therefor that thew observed several men
were vending lemonade and other refTesh-
ments. and did not wish speculation tn be
made of their misiortune>. They were so
!. highly indignant that they called 1t the
barbecue business.
!, THE OUTLAWS CRIMES.
D The devili,a ierociiy which southeast
{ Missouri begets in her desperadoc> Is moi
!. more remarkable than the grim expcd'tior
with which she meets out retr!but'on io'
4 their mi>deeds. 1t is only two month;
" since the New Madrid outlaws committed
: their ar: murder. To-day the gang Is ex
. tinct. rs Jesse Myers and Frank Brown
!, who have Just expiated their crimes ON th'
!. scatfold, were the last survivors oil a
i precious band OF sccundreis rs ever dehe'
"a the law.
The story Of their exploits is Of blood
:, cusdling interest. About last christina
! Movers, Brown. JAMES .. Hamilton an
N Pat Rhodes were ali living III q nous
I. near Bain's store, some nine miles irS.
- Nv Madrid. They had evidently at thi
:, early day banded together for mischief
~ Thei,s occurred now and then in the viciu
n itv and it was not long before the F'"P'
!, i.yan to hint that the quartette werc n
~ sponsible However: there was no 4iret
3 proof, and the depredations continued Ill
n. checked. Among those who were NOR
- - outspokcn than others. was VIM. knOx,
NC farmer living five miles eOuth Of New Mat
nc rid The gang had several times threa
ened him but AS he didn't scare they d
termined to make away with him, Ontf
night of the Sth OF May, they stealthily al
:. nro,cbed Kuox's house. 1t was about
o'clock. dusk having fallen, but the tamil
beinp still astir. Keeping yell in tn
IS shadows Of the shrubbery the miscrean
r. we're able to approach the house witho'
le;ng discovered. Then skulking und
ar the bushes like wild beasts they watche
as their opportunity. There was light
the house. Presently man with an !!
p. FAINT in his arms passed the window. II
h. fatal signal was given, vOlley was hre
the man fell and the assassins thong
o., their work was done.
They skunk away silently and escap'
without being seen but the neighborhO'
had no doubt As to their identity. IL
OF hanpened too that the man they had hr.
IN IN was not Knox, but visitor named Col
lP- man. Coleman was probably saved ITO
death by the fact that three out Of the To-
no bullets discharged struck the infant, Viii
iii NO himself received the fourth in the thig
ed The child died in few days.
Next day q messenger sped 70 ~
,., Madrid. q warrant was issued for the to
he men and Sheriff Walters with posse TO
N.Y. ont 70 bring them in. The miscreaI
;,h vere found At Bain's store, but being
the lookout they took to the bush: /
:, sheri6rs party followed in hot pursuit, q
;ne being pressed, the fugitives made . sta
-: behind fallen tree, picked out good On.
'iie ter. cooked their guns and waited: 1
an sheriff came rushing on incautiousiy. .
I'm the f;rst intimation the posse had OF
true situation was a deadly vo!Iey
Ter, short range from an ambushed foes
the was a complete surprise. They tired
his strapeline round 1t the ambuscade
oil- little Jets Of fame spat spitetul!y in tn
ing faces from out the smoke CLOUDS u
curled along the fallen tree trunk. X.
La Ferge, one Of the posse, had fallen ~
lere At the first FIRE and the second vOlley dr.
fhe the officers from she field. La Fsrges bo
ne was left where it fell, and the desperad
Tay robbed it of watch, money and shirt stu
They then pulled up stakes and ran
it, cutting loose from the ne'ehoornoo3
tits good. The whole country was roaseo
dge pursuit, and rewards to the amour. :,
)C0: 1000 were offered. 1t turned out q
erai the sheriff's party had not wasted all ia
zen ammunition Tor Pat hncdes was pc
nm the same evening unable to travel, b