Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-12-15
JUDGE LYNCH AT AUSTIN.
A MURDERER HANGED WITH.
OUT MUCH CEREMONY.
He Is Taken from the Jail by q
Mob and Strung Up in the Court.
house BuiIding-A Terrible Warn.
ing to Desperadoes,
fspEcIAL TO THE sENrINEL.I

ESPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL
AUSTIN (Nev.), Dec. 14.-About half
past l o'clock this morning a party OF
masked mon forcibly entered the ~jailer's
room in the Courthouse building, and
~overpowered him, and then forced him
to give up the keys to the Jail and cell door
containing one Richard Jennings, who de-
liberately and in cold blood shot and killed
John A.. Barrett, an old and respected citi-
zen, the night before without cause or
provocation whatever. lie was brought
through the Deputy Sheriff's room with a
rawhide lariat around his neck. As he
passed by the Sherif's bed he cast a wish
full look in that direction, evidently want
ing to say something, but was doubtless
afraid to open his mouth, as he saw the
inevitable crisis at hand. He was led to
the front door by a leather necktie, and
placed ON the platform outside OF the main
front entrance to the Courthouse building,
and the other end of the lariat was thrown
up to the portico OF the second story.
After drawing up the body OF the muir
derer a short distance from the floor on
which he stood, the lariat was securely
fastened to the iron railing above. Before
he was drawn up, Jennings was heard to
say, "Oh, my God Boys, / guess l de-
serve this" He then groaned loudly as
he was about starting upward. Very
shortly after the work was done word was
passed down Main street that Jennings
had been hanged, and quite q large
number Of persons gathered to view the
body and listen to the story OF the Deputy
Sheriff. Coroner Laughlin was very
shortly on the ground, and in the course
Of half an hour after the hanging took
place that officer cut the rope, and placed
the body inside the Sheriff 8 Office, where
1t lay till this forenoon, when it was taken
to the City Hall. The above statement
cmbodies about all the circumstances there
are connected with the hanging OF Richard
Jennings. So far a. known, the act is en-
dorsed by all. While, of COURSE all good
citizens oppose resorting to unlawful
means in the punishment Of criminals,
yet for the protection Of life and property
1t sometimes becomes absolutely necessary
to resort to Judge Lynch" The crime
committed by Richard Jennings night be-
fore last was without cause or provocation.
Plainly speaking he was 8 cowardly muir
derer, and received the punishment that
he Justly deserved, as was admitted by
himself in the last words he uttered before
he died. The example made this morning
Of Richard Jennings should serve as a ter
ror to that class OF men who draw weapons
ON the most trivial pretense. For a num-
Der of months past the pistol has been
used too freely in Austin. Patience finally
ceased to be a virtue, and from this time
forward it will be best for the health of
bad men to 60 very slow, lest they, too,
fall heir to jennings laeriat. II is hoped
that there may never again be occasion in
Austin to necessitate repeating the dose.
A Coroner's inquest was held this fore
noon over the body OF the murderer, but
we have been unable to obtain the verdict
OF the jury. We suppose, however, thai it
is, "Came 10 his death by hanging by I'M
known persons"
The circumstances OF the murder which
caused Jennings to be lynched are as fol-
lows Monday night Barrett was in the
saloon OF the international Hotel, when
the man Jennings started a quarrel with
him for some cause unknown. The quar-
rel soon ended and the matter seemed set
tied but a few minutes later Barrett
asked Jennings up to take a drink. The
two stood at the bar, and Barrett turned
around, while waiting for the drinks, to
talk to another person, whereupon Jen-
nings drew a Smith 4 Wesson self-cocking
revolver and fired three shots. One OF
them entered under the right shoulder
blade and struck the spinal column.
Barrett was ~paralyzed, fell heavily
to the floor. and died almost instantly.
Barrett, Ii seems, was not to blame and
did everything he could to stave off
trouble. The cold-blooded and unpro-
voked murder excited the bitterest feeling
against Jennings. Barrett was generally
liked, and his death was deeply regretted.
He was an industrious, respectable citizen,
81 years old, having a wife and two chill
dren. Jennings had not been in Austin
more than two weeks. He is a native OF
Cornwall, and was looked upon as a quar-
relsome fellow. He has q wife and four
children living in Grass Valley. The feel
ing against the murderer grew more and
intense as the deed was discussed,
but there was no indication Of the purpose
to lynch him. Preparations were made
quietly, but, as the result shows, very
nHnatiuAtv i