The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-08-13
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
Marrow Escape OF the Inno.
cent.

Chicago, l2.-FolloWinR Is the inter-
estinR story Of the Taylorsville affair:
The crowd remained about the Jail until
Q O'Clock, impatient to quit waiting for
the arrival Of the organized party, As
the time went on ard no party came.
the mob became impatient, aud some
cried "Break the door in and fetch thsm
outl" A few men pretty we'll intoxi-
Gated moved around, Urging q general
attack, and finally succeeded in getting
the crowd so worked up, that they
walked up TO the door Of the jail and
boldly asked for the prisoners. Toe
door which had been opened from
within was closed in their faces, and
and trey fell back. In q short time
they rallied sufficiently to make the
attempt again. and afer many
efforts, succeeded in working their
way into the jail. They then
pushed up sta;rs TO where the calls were.
The sheriff had abandoned the jail 10 the
mob, who now went 10 work to get the
prisoners out. After half an hours work
Pstiis and John Montgomery were
pulled out through an opening In the top
of the cell and handed over to the mob.
A bran new rope was suddenly produced
and thrown around the necks OF the men.
Then there Was the most horrible Lam
guage on the part Of the mob. They en-
deaVored by blows, threats and every
wretches to confess.
II am innocent, gentlemen" cried
Pettis, In an ngOnizing voice. Hang
me if you will, but am innocent"
You lie, damn you'll You know you
did it,"
II know / am going to die, but As God
ls my judge, am innocent"
Then there was q surge of the crowd
10 the small apartment, and the cry
'TAks them out and hang them" John
Montgomery in the me2ntime, was
whining Il am innocent. don't know
anything. 1.-THE workers Of the mob. we're
searching for Clement, awho could not
be FOUND. The cells were sll opened by
the use Of q crowber, and then it was
discovered that CLEMENT was not in the
Jail. Then Pettia and Montgomery were
dragged down stairs and into the jail yard,
the crowd loos ing rs taty progressed for
a,good tree. The trees were ell sAplings.
A halter was made, during which con-
fession was sought 70 be extracted from
Montgomery. The man still protested
his innocence. ITO the court house yard"
some one cried, and other voices took it
up. To the court house yard then pro-
ceeded the mob, threatening and bullying
the prisoners on their way. Lee Pettis
repeated every minute, lam innocent. l
am innocent" The court house yard
wA5 soon reached and the crowd halted
under tall tree. Some nimble fellow
| climbed the tree and threw the end Of
the rope into forked branch. A dozen
hands caught the loose end and John
Montgomery was jerked of bis feet juet
for trial. The poor wretch still pleaded
innocence, and be was called upon by a
hundred voices to speak out and tell his
story. ''I have no story to tell. l am
innocent. know no more about this mat
ter, gentlemen, than you" His voice
was weak ss woman's, and pathetic IS
child's pleading for mercy. The infu-
rated crowd hooted and yelled at him,
| saying be was dead man any way, and
he might as we'll confess. az am inno-
cent" reiterated Montgomery. sup he
| goes, then" cried those at the other end
Of the rope. and up he did go. The body
| was pulled up bout four feet from tie
ground, and kept there q full minute.
The hanging man never struggled, bat
was exhausted and weak with fear, the
men who held the rope let him down then
and he was called on to tell his guilt, the
\ man could not speak at oDce but laid
limp on the grass. After he recovered
his breath he fasily said "Gentlemen, I
know am dying and l tell you l am as
innocent as you are"
The cry for A. D Bond, father OF the
victim, was then given Sy the crowd, and
q big curly man pushed mis- way in. He
stood By the prisoner and asked him to
tell him If be was not in the school house
on the afternoon Of the outrage, but
through all the man maintained his ig
norance OF the guilty parties. a cowardly
crowd stood on the fence aud on the
outskirts of the seething mass yelling
for immediate execution. For Rn hour
those about talked, bullied. stormei and
threatened, butSthe poor, abiect wretch
repeatedly reiterated his innocence;
meantime Clement had been fonnd and
was held by the mob on the other side oil
the yard covering down with his head on
his breast, his neck drawn in like q tur-
tie. He shook and shivered and RheE
goAded chattered out bis innocence. Lee
Pettis was held with rope around his
neck aud tortured also. He loudly aud
boldly proclaimed his innocence; and
told the mob to go on and hang
and was about TO swing again when
Bond cut the rope, and the prisoner was
taken TO one side of TIE yard and submit.
ted to another series of questions. It
was all in vain. The men who held the
rope had too much heart 70 hang tht
man after his repeated declarations, and
gradually their manner soitened. The
cry of Turn them loose" WAS general 2
taken up. A crowd of men on the out
skirts Z the crowd yelled themselves
hoarse with cries Of Hang him." Re
member your families" Hang him, .
etc. A light in the western part of the
town drew attention away from the pris-
oners. A large barn Of q D. Goodrich
WAS on FIRE, and great part OF the crowd
rushed swhy 70 see IT, This hsd toe
Effect Of campening the spirits ofthe rest
and ta,ir passion for the midnight %
venture and thirtt for blood being saLis
fed; the prisoners were, after cSnsplta
ton among the leaders, taken back I,
ii =ii aad Blsced ia ihei. ceils. This q. ov p
ment was owing u the efforts Of A. D
Bond aud john y. Brennan, the prizs
cuuiI g? attorney. The mob ara wei
convinced OF the Innocence OF the prison
ers, who are now pretty safe from vic
lsuce.
| TaylOrsvilIe, ILL.,, I2.-The town i
still g eRtly excited, and q reaction O,
public tent IN Mt is rspii taking place,
and much regret Is expressed at the law
less pr-cr+dlngs OF the mob. Tn