Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-08
Judge Lynch, in Butte County, Mur-
derer Taken from Jail by Citizens
and Hanged.

Judge Lynel, in Buife County, MUIR
derer Taken from Jail by Citizens
and Hanged.
ORovILLE, August 7th.-J. F. Noakes,
who murdered A. j. Crum, about three weeks
ago, at Chico, was taken from thu Jail this
morning by a posse of armed and masked
men, and conveyed to Crum'5 old place. about
ten miles from here, on the road to Chico,
and there hanged by the neck to the limb of
a large oak tree. The body was first discoy-
cred hanging there early this morning by
Sheriff Sprague, who was returning home
from business trip to Durham. Coroner
Mitchell and a jury are now gone there to
hold al inquest and bury the body. Under
Sheriff Patten was confined to his bed by i'll
ness, and jailer Knowles was the only
person at the jail. He was awakened
at about ? A. NJ. by knock on the
outer door, and in reply TO his inquiry
of who's there?" the answer was made that
an officer from Biggs with prisoner desired
admission. The jailer unlocked the door,
when it was suddenly pushed wide open and
into the jailer's room, seized and disarmed
him, and demanded the keys of the Jail, at
the same time telling Knowles who they
were after. Knowles refused TO disclose
where the keys were, and the party at once
set to work with tools which they brought
with them to break open the doors. Noakes
was confined in one of the iron tanks, and
the party was apparently well aware which cell
he occupied, as they proceeded directly to it,
having two wooden and two iron doors to force
TO reach him. This was accomplished in a
very short time, and when his cell door was
forced he at once surrendered without any
show of resistance. His hands were tied
with rope and he was placed in wagon in
waiting, with four men standing guard over
him, and the whole party drove rapidly
away across the river in the direction of
Chico. The whole affair was so quickly and
quietly accomplished that no alarm whatever
was created, and the first any of our citizsns
knew of il was the alarm given by Jailer
Knowles after the party left. They were
met on the road few miles out of town by
person coming in from Pences and he said he
| judged there were forty or more in the crowd.
Guards were stationed by them on all the
streets leading by the Courthouse while they
were at work there. No violence whatever
was done to Noakes at the Courthouse, and
| it was thought none was done till the grand
finale. When Sheriff Sprague discovered
| him he was still hanging, with his hands tied
behind him and his feet tied together with
rope. Your reporter has yet the first word
| to hear uttered in condemnation Of this pro-
cedure, the murder was so brutal and unpro
yoked-the murderer being powerful man.
| over six feet in hight, while his victim was
small man, over 30 years of age and cripple,
| utterly at his mercy, and was not even ac-
quainted with Noakes. The only provoca-
ton that Noakes alleged at the time was that
| Crum had made some disgraceful remark in
reference to Noakes' brother. but even this
Crum utterly denied to him when he accused
him of it; but without another word he at
once felled Crum with one powerful blow of
his fist and then proceeded to kick and pound
him till he killed him. None OF the men con-
cerned in last nights tragedy are known, and
no one seems to want to know who they are