Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-08-24

denly produced end thrown around
the mems necks. Then was uttered
the M 5st horrible language on the part
Of tic moi. They endeavored ty
blows, threats end every means known
to them to induce the wretches to con-
fcss. 81 am innocent, gentlemen"
cried Pettis, in agonized voice. "Harg
me if you viii, but am innocent. "
"You lie, damn you; you know You
did il" 81 know am going to de,
but as God is my judge, l am limo
cent" Thea there was surge in the
small apartment, and tie yof: "Take
them out and hang .hem"
John Montgomery was in the mean
tine whining, IL am limo cent; l don't
know anything" Members of the
MOB were ! ohiny for Cltmenthe,
who could not he found. I he cells
were al openel by the use Of crow
bars, and then it was discovered Il q
Ccmenthe was n t in Jail. Then Pit
It's and M ntgomery were dragged
down stairs and into the jail yard, the
crowd looking as they RI 1grossed fora
good tree. I he trees were all sap
lings, and hat was made, during
Ssh ch a comics sion vas s7ug to he
obtained from Montgomery. The
man still Proclaimed his innocence.
10 tie Courthouse yard" some en-.
| cred, and other v,i es took it up. &c
the Coarc-! olse vsrl accord nelvp O.
cceded tie mob, threat ming and bu-
lying the lr sonsss, On thu If wa. Lee
Pettis repeated every minute, 81 am
innocent, ] I'm Innocent" The ward
was soon reached and the crowd halt
e. under till tree. Some nimhle f.l-
low Gin bed tie tree, md threw the
end Of the rope into the
,orkel lr,n:h. A dozen
hands caught the 10 50 end an John
Monte onery was jerked off his feet
st for tral. I be wretch Sill
loaded his in ,cnce, and lie was
lie upon by a lund:cd voices 10
speak out and tell his tory. 81 lave
no story TO tell l am innoc, mt.
know no more about Il is matter, gen
tlcmen, than you" His voice WIS as
weak as woman's and as pathe tic as
u chilps voice plea ing for mercv.
The flriated crowd hcoted and
yelled at him, saying: "You ;r, a
dead man anyway, and you migl t as
well confess" 81 am innocent," re.
iterated Montgomery. "Up lie goes
them" cried those at the other ,nl of
the rope, and up he did go. The
90 y was pulled up about fo,r feet
from tie ground and KEEP, there fall
inutn.
The hanging man never struggled,
but beng exhaust, d end weak with
fer the men who held tie rore let
| i'm down. TT en- he was called up IN
to Il his guilt. The man could not
speak at once, but laid limp on t e
e ass. After he recovered his br. ath he
finally said, "Gent,men, know am
dying, and | tell you am as innocent
as you are" A cry for A. ID. Bend,
the father of the victim, was tn, n
given by the crowd, and Eir, bur!y
| uAit puSiicO HIS WY w. lie StOOu by
the prisoner and ked him to tell him
if he was not in the schoolhouse OH
the af'ernoon Ct the outrage on his
daughter, but thr, ugh all the man
maintained lis ignorance of the guilty
parties. The cowardlv crowd stco /
on TIE fence an | on the out skirts of
the scething mass yelling for ilnm :
date execution + r an hour those
about talked, bul!ied, sto med and
threatened, Lut tie affect wrutch re-
pcatedly reiterated his in, ence.
Meantime Clcmente had been found,
and was held by the mob on til, ether
Idle of the yard, covering down, with
his lead on his breast and bis neck
drawn in like turtle. lie shook and
shivered, and Wien goaded, chatter,d
out his innocence. Lee Pettis was
held with the rope around his neck
and tortured also. lie loudly and
boldly proclaimed his innocence and
tod the mob 10 so On and hang.
. Mon'g omcry was at out to be swun .
up again, when Bond cut the rope,
and tie rilonor was tax, mt, one side
OF the yard an ! subjected to another
series OF question:. 1t was al in vain.
Tie MN who held the rope had too
much heart to hang the man after his
repeated dcclsrat on and eraduall,
their manner soft nd. A cy OF
"lurn them loose" was generally tax