Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-14
TEE TAYLoRsvlLLE AFFAIR.
A Burning Barn saves fhrse Men From
Death at tina Hands Of a Mob
by telegraph

10y ltitgTapnJ
CHICAGO, August 18th Tho f,!losipg
are particulars of :the T.ylorsville affair
last night The crowd remained about
the jail until nine o'clock, impatient
and quiet, waiting for the arrival oil
an organized party. As time went
on, and NO party came. the mob becams i'm.
patient. and some cried, Break the door in
and fetch them out" A few men, pretty well
intoxicated, moved around urging the general
attack, ard finally succeeded in getting the
crowd so worked up that they walked up to
the door OF the jail and boldIy asked for the
prisoners. The door, which had been opened
from within, was closed in their faces and
they fell back. In shor. time they rallied
sufficiently to make an attempt again, and
after many efforts, succeeded in working
their way into the jail They thea pushed
up the 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 half an hours work Pettis and
John Montgomery were pulled out through
an opening in the top of the cell aad handed
over to the mob.
ROPE PROCURED.
A bran new rope was hurriedly produced
and thrown arould the necks Of the men !;
then the most horrible language was used on
the part OF the mob. They endeavored by
blows, threats and every means known to
them to induce the wretches to confess.
81 am ianocent, gentlemen" cried Pettis,
in an agonizing voice. Hang me if you
will, but l am innocent"
You lie, - you you know you did
it."
~ knew am going to die, but as God is
my Judge / am innocent"
Then there was a struggle of the crowd in
the small apartment. and the cry was heard,
Take them out and hang them"
John Montgomery, in the meantime. was
whining: 60 am innocent; don't know
anything"
| The leaders Ct the mob were searching for
| Clements, who could not be found. The cells
were all opened by the use of q crowbar, and
then it was discovered that Clements was not
in the jail. Thsn Hettis and Montgomery
were dragged down stairs and into the jail
yard, the crowd looking. as they progressed,
for good tree. The tress were sill saplings,
and halt was made, during which confes-
sion was sought to be extracted from Mont.
gomery. The men still protested their IT,
| nocence.
ITO THE COURTHOUSE YARD"
Some one cried, and other voices took it up.
| To the Courthouse yard then proceeded tie
mob. threatening and bullying the prisoners
ON their way.
Lee Pettis repeated every minute, 81 am
| innocent am Innocent.
The Courthouse yard was soon reached,
and the crowd halted under tall tree. Some
ninible fellow climbed the tree, and threw
the end of a rope into forked branch a
| lozen hands caught the loose end, and John
| Montgomery was jerked off his feet lust for
a trial The poor wretch still pleaded his
innocence, and he was called upon by . hun
bred voices to speak out aud tell his story.
II have no story to tell. am innocent.
l know no more about this matter, gentle
| men, than you"
as pathetic as child pleading for mercy.
The Infatuated crowd booted and yelled at
| him, saying he was dead man any way. and
| he might as well confess.
81 am innocent" reiterated Montgomery
8" Up he goes taen," cried those ct the
other end of the rope, and up he did go.
His body was pulled up about four feet
from the ground and kept there five minutes.
| The hanging man never struggled but being
exhausted and weak with fear, the man who
held the rope let him down, and he was then
called on to tell his guilt. The man could
not speak at once, but lay down on the grasp.
| After he recovered his breath he finally
said: Gentlemen, know l am dying, and
tell you am as innocent as you are"
THE FATHER APPEARS ON THE SCENE
! The cry for A. d. Bond, father of the VIC
tim, was then given by the crowd, and big,
| burly man pushed his way in. He stood by
the prisoner, and asked him to tell him il he
was not in the schoolhouse on the afternoon
of the outrage, but, through all, the man
maintained his ignorance of the guilty parties.
The cowardly crowd stood on the fence and
on the outskirts of the seethipg mass, yelling
for his immediate execution. Fer an hour
those about talked, bullied, stornled aud
threatened, but the poor, abject wretch re.
peatedly reiterated his innocence.
I Meantime Clements had been found and
YVES held by the mob on the other side of the
yard, covering down, with his head on his
breast, and his neck drawn in like turtle.
He shook and shivered, and when goaded,
Chartered out his innocence. Lee Psttis was
| held with rope around his neck and tor
tured also. He loudly and boldly proclaimed
his innocence, and told the mob to go ON and
hang him. Montgomery was about to be
swung up again, when Bond cut the rope, and
the prisoner was taken to one side of the
yard, and submitted to another series of
| questions.
| THE MOB RELENT.
| 1t was sll in vain. The men who held the
rope had too much heart to hang man after
his repeated declarations. and gradually their
manner softened. The cry of Turn them
loose" was generally taken up, though q
|
yelled themselves hoarse with cries of " Hang
! him." Remember your families" etc.
| A Light in the western part of town drew
the attention away from the prisoners. The
| large barn of G. d. Goodrich was on FIRE, and
q great part of the crowd rushed away to see
that. This had the effect of dampening the
spirits of the rest, and their passion for mid.
night adventure and the thirst for blood be.
| ing satisfied, the prisoners were, after con.
suitation among the leaders, taken back to
| the jail and placed in their cells This move
ment was owing to the efforts of A. ID. Bond,
and John G. brennan, the prosecuting at
torney. The mob are pretty well convinced
Of the innocence of the prisoners, who are
| now safe from violence.
| A REACTION.
TAYLoRsvILLE (Ill.), August 12sb.-The
town is still greatly excited, but reaction
| of public sentiment is rapidly taking place,
and much regret is expressed at the lawless
proceedings of the mob. The opinion is gain.
| ing ground that the men ara not guilty,
and that ar 70 fho, ,o,,st bn,o Ga