New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-11-30
The Lynching Of Maxwell.

A visitor at Durand on the 10Th,
who was outside the court house be.
fore and during the lynching Of Ed.
Maxwell, gave the following des-
cription Of the. scene to the Eau
Claire Free Press: >ura i.sa4..s 80. ~.
I was passing by the court house, on the 10th, at
about 2:1o. Williams preliminary examination
was supposed to be going on in the upper story,
which was jammed with crowd OF 200 or 800
men, women and children. The prisoner was on
the south side Of the court room, and was pleading
was glued on his marble face-pale as death, but
firm as adamant. How they hated him! How
there and there in the crowd the cold glare of
the Victim. Yet the greater part Of the nO crowd
were unconscious of the plot. They were staring
axedly at the prisoner on the south SIDE Of the
out upon sturdy oak tree about 1850 feet from the
building they would have seen a rope hanging from
bough projecting about 80 feet above the ground.
The end of the rope which dangled from the
bongh was in the hands of knot Of men waiting
and listening under the tree The rope, which
was 200 feet long, passed around the corner Of the
building to the pQrtco in front, and the other end
knot of men who were waiting to do their part.
All was quiet. The gentleman, referred to, had
approached nearer in the meantime and counted
no more than twenty men and boys on the portico.
side the building. Williams had waived examina:
ton. Court had adjourned. Sheriff knight and
his assistants were leading Williams down stairs
to 60 to the JAIL and the crowd was following The
men under the tree got themselves ready to pull
their end. The men on the portico who held the
moose end OF the rope were watching for their
prey. The front door opened, and pistol shot
from the crowd inside was heard. Williams came
forth, his hands shackled together and one foot
free from his iron bonds to allow motion. Like q
flash the moose was around his neck. The men a,
the tree started on run with the rope. 1t pulled
taut around Williams throat in second, and
shackled as he was, he was jerked from his feet
and fell on his back with dull thud, his head be
ing wedged against of the pillars around which
the taut rope passed A few jerks, and the insens
ible body, with great liyid bruise on the righ
temple, rolled down the steps, slid along tht
ground towards the tree, and :rose in the air
corpse. Not a spasm, not 'convuision of hi
body was seen. The rope was fastened, and til.
lynchers mixed with the crowd, which had give1
yell when the body went up The officers in thu
mean time, were not heard from. The crowd
which noisy ahd excited, increased, our infor
mant says to over 500, and not word of sympath,
or regret for thefate Of Williams wac heard. AZ
tel. the body had hung about 20 minutes some Off
GERS ventured to cut it down. It was taken int,
the court house, and at lao was buried in the pot
ter's field. As the body was being removed, tn
| rope was pounced upon and cut to pieces by reli
hunters. The gathering slowly dispersed, discus
sing the matter noisi:y, yet with decreased excite
ment, and by FIVE O'Clock the usual quiet had set
| tied upon the town. go ~. ass,.,s1