Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-19
JUDGE LYNCH.
Speedy Justice Melted Out in
Washington Territory.
THREE MEN HANGED TO ONE BEAM
yransitory Mania" seizes Upon an
Entire Community.
lspBoAl 81 rn.paRAru TO rnr RnOOaD-usrOsl

SEATTLE January leth.-J ames OuillVaD,
a one armed man, and William Howard were
discovered by squad Of the Committee of
Safety late last night in the hay on the War
ing & Smith wharf, and were given into the
c ,mbined custody of Chief of Police McGraw
and Sheriff Wieclcff, who locked them up in
the County Jail They were searched, and
on one was found a revolver with one cham
her empty, from which experts decided that
cartridge bad been discharged during the
evening.
COMPLETE IDESTIFIcATIoS.
The men, as far as aEe. sizs and general ap-
pcarauce are concerned. answered the de-
scription given of his assailsnts by George
Reynolds, the murdered man, on his death
bed, and also the description given by Rev.
John c. Fair aud Captain Weeks Of the men
who stopped them on the streets on Monday
night and demanded their money or their
lives.
When these facis became known the ex-
oitsment of the commuulty became intense
and about 200 men marched in body TO the
Jail. Thsy were met by the Sheriff and a
deputy and the Chief of Police and one OF
his aids, who parlsyed with tho committee FOR
few minutes but who finally agreed to take
the prisoners before Justice Combs at 8
o'clock in the morning for examination. Be-
fore separating, the committee took the shoes
of Sullivan and Howard. for the purpose Of
comparing them with the tracks known to
have baen made by the murderers. Plaster
Of Paris casts were made of these tracks, and
tine shoes were found to correspond in every
particular.
This morning. the Court assembled in Yes
ler's Hall, Justice Combs presiding, Justice
Cam having seat beside him, and Chief
Justice Greene, Of the Territorial Supreme
Court another. w. FL. White, assisted by
0. Jacobs. conducted the prosecution, and
w. W. Holcomb appeared for the defense.
Rev. Mr.. Fair swere that they were the men
who stopped him on Monday night, and Cap
tain Weeks, 10 the most positive manner,
identified them as the men who assaulted
him, also swearing that tie revolver taken
from Sullivan was the one leveled by Sulii-
van at his Weeks1 head. Histestimony was
strong and unequiyccAl. a brother-in-law
of the murdered man, named Meydenbauer,
identified the two men as having run past
him Immediately after ths fatal shooting, and
as having gone through the muddy alley in
which were found the tracks from which the
tsll-tals casts were made. While their evil
dence was being put in
PREPARATIONS FOR An EXECUTION
Were being made outside by the Com
Initise of Safety. A strong timber was
suspended from the forks of two trees on
Occidental Square, over which was passed
long ropes, with nooses tied in the end, and
under which was left wagon.
Tho Justice finally announced the examina-
ton over, and remanded the prisoners to the
custody Of the Sheriff for Indictment and
trial at the April term of the District Court.
he had hardly uttered the words before
strong men seized every officer in the room
and tightly held thsm, and other men seized
Sullivan and Howard, lifting them up as
though they were small children, and
started on a run for the place sci
for the execution. Nothing could bavt
been NJ quicker, for in less tims thar
it tales % writs l. The unhappy men had
been thfos1 iuss the wagon, Tie nocses wers
tigitsa.d fr7uad their neolls, the wagon va;
drawa froa under. and Sullivan and How.
ara w.rs suspeniei between earth and
heaven. Their struggles were few and short,
and in ten minutes both men were dead,
thcuga their bodies were left hanging for an
hour.
A few minutes after the hanging Judge
Gresue rushed to the spot, and with drawn
knife attempted to cus the ropes that held
the men MP. He was se-z by number oi
citizens, oyerpcwered aad forcibly removed
from the scene.
THIRD VICTIM.
The double execution was no sooner over
than about 400 members Of the Committee Of
Safety marched to the County Jail and de-
msnded the person of Benjamin Payne, there
confined fo1 tie murder of police officer SierE
in October last. The officer in charge refused
20 surrender him, when the committee pro-
oeeded to take him whether or 10. They tore
down she jail fence, and cut and beat down
the three doors between them and the assas-
sin. They soon had him in their hands, and
two minutes later had him at the place OF
execution. A third rope had been thrown
over the beam. and Payne was quickly drawn
up between the other two men. The three
were allowed to hang there half sn hour or
so longer, when ell were removed ts the un-
takers rooms and shortly after buried.
QUICK WORK.
The expedition used by the committee may
be inferred when it is stated that though they
were entire strangers il the place, Sullivan
and Howard were hunted up within twenty
four hours of the murder of Reynolds, and
within two hours OF the organization Of tie
committee, and that within twenty-four hours
of the commission of their crime they had
been tried, hanged aud buried.
These two men made no defense whatever,
and hadn't a thing to say, not even
q denial of the murder in their own behalf.
Iayu6 t1i1tuss h-ASfot OuL kClAe NhS
tre well known for his word to help him q
particle.
EVERYBODY SATISFIED.
The proceedings were thoroughly ORDERLY,
aud we're directed by the business men and
leading citizens of the town, and have the
entire approval Of ali classes. Copgratulatory
messages have been received from Olympia,
Port Townsend, and all the surrounding
places, approving the acts. 1t is certain that
the people Of this community breathe freer,
ano the alarm that oppressed them since the
operations Of the footpads began has entirely
disappeare5.
The Committee If Safety will continue
their organization. and tiey have this even
ing issued rot;ce Il at all persons commit
ting highway robbery in this city will receive
the penalty of death.
The bodies we're taken charge of by the
Coroner, and the verdict of the jury was in
esch esse the same, and is as follows: We,
he Jury, summoned 10 the above case, find
that James Sullivan. William Howard and
Benjamin Payne, came to their deaths by
hanging but from the evidence furnished we
are unable to find by whose hands. We are
satisfied that in their deaths substantial and