The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1882-04-12
THREE MEN LYNCHED.
How Washington Territory ViGilants Den
Out Swift Justice TO Murderers.

George b. Reynolds was murdered in the
street of Seattle, W. T. on his way home by
two men, and it was determined that his
death should be avenged. The fire bell tap
ped three times three, 200.men met at the
engine house, Vigilance Committee was
formed, and its members told off in squads
to aid the police in finding the murderers.
About $50 O'Clock two men were found an
swering the description of those who had
committed the murder. They were taken
before Justice Coombs and thence to jail.
Members of the committee went to the jail
and demanded the prisoners The officers
promised that the men should be taken out
of the Jail in the morning and brought to
open trial At 8 o'clock Yesler's Hall was
filed to its utmost capacity. When the
prisoners were brought in there was perfect
silence. The prisoners gave the names of
Howard and Sullivan. Twenty-eight wit
nesses were examined, The testimony was
absolutely conclusive, and they were proved
beyond possibility of doubt to be the men
who murdered Reynolds. The examination
While this was taking place within the
hall preparations were making with the
Vigihntes for final action. At Occidental
square large scantling was placed in the
forks of two shade trees, about eighteen feet
apart, the scantling being about fourteen
feet from the ground. When the evidence
was all in, the prisoners, by their attorney,
"a
sad they had nothing to say. The Judge
said L now remand the prisoners, and
-" No other words were heard. A
wild shout arose, the officers were seized,
the prisoners grasped by as many resolute
men as could get about them. Resistance
was useless, they were hurried through the
alley back of the pavilion to Occidental
square, where the rude gallows stood. One
of the men made some resistance in the alley,
but in twinkling he was thrown upon the
ground, and in another moment both men
were underneath the bar; rope, already
prepared, was about the neck of each, the
other end being thrown over the timber,
and in one minute from the time Judge
Ooombs remanded the prisoners to the Gus
tody of the officers they were suspended
Neither man said word
Last October one Benjamin Payne shot
David Sires, q special police officer, in cold
blood. Lynching was then talked of strong
ly. He has since that time been kept in the
county jail here. At about o'clock the fire
bell again gave three times three taps, calling
the committee together again. About ave-
hundred men went to the jail, tore down the
tall fencing on the out side, and gained adj
mission to the yard. The bolt was chopped
out of the door casing, and the first door of
the jail swung open. The second was hard
or to conquer but it yielded to the repeated
blows of the sledges But one door yet
remained and it required hard labor to get it
open. 1t was literally battered to pieces,
and gave admission to the determined men
without. Where's Payne" was the word
first spoken. The prisoners who were in
the corridor where Payne also was, pointed
him ont, and he was seized. The commit
tee brought him down to the square. When
his eyes rested on the CHASTITY spectacle Of
two forms suspended from the scantling,
with blackened faces and protruding tongues,
he gave no sign of fear, except that his face
was perfectly colorless. When the rope
was about his neck and his hands tied,
some one cried out from the crowd Of 500 on
1000 men standing about. Did you fire
the shot that killed Officer Sires ~ Payne
cried out. If you hang me you will hang
an innocent man, He said nothing further
that could be heard, for several hundred
raised a shout that drowned all else, and his
body took its place between the mmderers
OF Reynolds. The three forms hung motion
less for about forty minutes, when they
were cut down and taken to the undertaking
establishment.
The verdict of the jury summoned by
Acting Coroner COMBS was brief and to the
point In each case the jury returned the
following: ess
We, the jury summoned in the above
case, find that QRere his name) came to his
death by hanging, but from the evidence
furnished We are unable to find by whose
hands, We are satisfied that in his death
substantial and speedy Justice has been
subserved San Francisco Chronicle.