Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-08-24
LYNCH LAW.

The Attempt to ExtorG CONCESSION IRON
the Men Charged with the Recent Hor
ribIe Outrage Near TaylorviAe, Ill.,
The HaIf-Hanged Men Persist in Theil
Declarations of Innocence, and are Re
turned to Jail.
A Taylorville Qll.) special to the Chicago
Herald of the 18th gives the following particu
lars OF the recent attempted lynching at thai
place of the parties charged with the terrible
outrage perpetrated upon the person of Miss
Bond in June last:
Mr.. Bond, alone, to-day is credited with hav'
ing saved the men, 1t is openly stated that nc
attention would have been paid to the appeals
of States Attorney Brennan but for him. The
prisoners were cheerful this morning in Jail,
and talked with several about the affair. Pet
tbs maintained his usual taciturnity, and could
not be encouraged to conversation. Mont.
gomery said he felt when up in the air that 1t
was easy to die, and that he felt just as if in a
dream. To-day he complained of soreness in
his neck, which was somewhat scratched, but
otherwise he was all right. All three are conf
dent they will clear themselves on the trial. No
further violence is apprehended.
The action of the mob last night was a sur
prise to many, for up to nine O'Clock the
streets were more deserted than they had
been during any night Since the investigation
began. There was an uneasy feeling among
those who realized the full significance of the
muttcrings of the attendants ut court that
trouble was in store, and when, about nine
O'Clock, q mob began to gather in front of the
Jail it was evident that the hour had arrived
for putting the threats into execution.
AS time Went on the mob became
impatient, and some of them cried:
BREAK the door in and fetch them out" A
few of the men who were pretty well intoxi-
Gated moved around urging general attack,
n lad in trsffi fha on
worked up that they walked up to the door of
the Jail and boldly asked for the prisoners.
The door, which had been opened from within,
was closed in their faces, and they fell back.
In ort time they rallied sufficiently to
make the attempt again, and after many eff
forts they succeeded in making their way to
the Jail. They then pushed up stairs to where
the cells were. The Sheriff had abandoned the
jail to the mob, who now went to work to get
the prisoners out After a half hours work
Pettis and John Montgomery were pulled out
through an opening in top of the cell and
handed over to the mob. A brandnew rope
was suddenly produced and thrown around
the necks of the men. Then ensued the most
horrible language on ths part of the mob.
They endeavored by blows, threats and every
means known to them to induce the wretches
to confess. am innocent, gentlemen" cried
Pettis, in an agonized voice. Hang me If
you will, but am innocent" "You lie,
curse you, you know you did it." ~
know l am going to die, but as God
Is my judge I am innocent" Then there
was surge of the crowd in the small apart
ment, and cry of "Take them out and hang
them" John Montgomery in the meantime
was whining: II am innocent: don't know
anything" The workers of the mob were
searching for Clement, who could not be
found. The cells were all opened by the use
of a crowbar, and then it was discovered that
Clement was not in the Jail. Then Pcttis and
Montgomery were dragged down stairs and
into the Jail yard, the crowd looking as they
for a good tree. The trees were all
saplings, and a halt was made, during which a
confession was sought to be extracted from
Montgomery. The man still protested his
innocence. ITO the courthouse yardv'
some one cried, and other voices took it up.
To the courthouse yard then proceeded the
mob, threatening and bullying the prisoners
on their way. Lee Pettis repeated every min
ute: II am innocent. am innocent
The courthouse yard was soon reached and
the crowd halted under tall tree. Some MINI
BILE fellow climbed the tree and threw the end
Of the rope into forked branch. A dozen
hands caught the loose end, and John Mont
gomery was jerked off his feet just for a trial.
The poor wretch still pleaded innocence, and
be was called upon by a hundred voices to
speak out and tell his story.
II have no story to tell. am innocent l
know no more about this matter, gentlemen,
than you"
His voice was as weak as a woman's and as
pathetic as child's pleading for mercy. The
Infatuated crowd hooted and yelled at him,
saying :" he was a dead man anyway, and he
might as we'll confess"
~ am innocent" reiterated Montgomery.
up he COS. them or ed those at the other
end of the rope, and up he did go. The body
was pulled up about four feet from the ground
and kept there for a full minute. The hanging
man never struggled, but, being exhausted
and weak with fear, the men who held the
rope let him Gown then, and he was called on
to tell his guilt. The man could not speak at
first but laid limp on the grass.
After he recovered breath he finally said
!. Gentlemen, know am dying. and tell you
A cry for A. D. Bond. the father of the
victim, was then given by the crowd, and big
burly man pushed his way in: He stood be
was not in the schooihouse the afternoon of
the outrage, but through all the man main
tanned his Ignorance of the guilty parties.
On the outskirts OF the seethng mass
Of people yelling for the immediate ex-
eeution of the man, and with him the others.
For an hour those about the man talked,
pulled, stormed and threatened, but the poor,
abject wretch repeatedly reiterated his in j
Prosecuting Attorney Brennan made a weak
appeal for law and order, but he was hooted
Town.
In the meantime Clement had been found
ind was neld by the mob on the other side of
he yard. Covering down with his head on his
)reast, his neck drawn in like a turtles. he
shook and shivered, and, when goaded, chas-
cred out his innocence.
Lee Pettis was held with rope around his
neck and tortured also. He loudly and boldly
proclaimed his innocence, and told the mob to
70 on and hang him.
Montgomery was about to be swung up
again when Mr.. Bond cut the rope, and the !
prisoner was taken to one side of the yard and
to another series of questions. 1t
vas all in vain. The men who held the rope
lad too much heart to hang the man after his
'epeated declarations, and gradually their |
manner softened.
cry of Turn them loose" was yelled |
Town. but after a few minutes the cry was re- |
oeated, and generally taken up. A fringe of
men on the outskirts of the crowd yelled |
themselves hoarse with cries of Hang him.
Remember your families!' "Hang hiu1!
tic. Fortunately for the men who stood SO |
close to the brink of eternity, at this moment i
fire broke out in a large barn owned by &. |
D. Goodrich, situated in the western part of |
he town. The light in the sky attracted tbt |
attention of the crowd, and large number |
.ushed to see the flames. This had the effect |
IF dampeninr the spirits of those who re-
NAMED, and, after brief consultation amoog
he leaders, the prisoners, as stated in these !
dispatches were returned to JAIL
SPRINGFIELD, ILL.,, August IL.
y1 II, fhr oil ,ir,rxf