The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-07-15
LYNCMLAW IN COLORADO.

DEUS auu browning. SAID Mr.. Hlck-
man, the Receiver of the Land Office
at Lake City, to n Tribune reporter
yesterday. "Nou will remember the
cause. Sheriff Campbell attempted to
arrest the two men, you know, while
they were in the act of stealing some
furniture from a house. He was sho,
and killed instantly-an assistant, who
was with him, identifying the faces OF
the murderers by the light Of Il match
which was struck when the demand
for surrender was made. The murder
was committed on the Goth Of last
month the day we were to have celebra-
ted the Odd Fellows anniversary. The
Sheriff was the founder Of our lodge
and instead Of 4 celebration we had a
funeral. n better fellow than Camp
bell never lived. Tho murtlerers were
two keepers of dance hall. They were
arrested that morning and put in jail.
Campbell's two brothers, who were
mining at Pitkin, eighty-tivc miles
away, were tclesraphcd to como to
Lake City to attend the funeral. That
afternoon, the 27th, Il rumor was circu-
lated in the streets that there would
be a prayer meeting at the house Of the
dead Sheriff at II o'clock. had not
the slightest suspension of the intention,
and was among the hundred men or
more who consregated near the prc1li-
ses. l was not there long before had
learned the purpose of tho advertise
ment, and was not slow in washing my
hands of the affair. The men had met
TO lynch the murdcrers. Tho plan
was given out boldly, and rs boldly,
executed, as the next day. received,
when 1 arose, tho Information before |
had reached the breakfast table, that |
tho lifeless bodies of the two men were !
from a crossbcam of the Gunni- |
son Rrivcr bridge, below the city"
"Did you hear how tho vigilantes !
stFrom the gossip which was circu- !
lated after the excitement and prccau-
ton had died out. I believe that at |
least one hundred men We're in the |
lynching party. l will tell you the
occurance as l framed it from mixed !
From the prayer meeting the
vigilantes went to the Jail. The guards,
offered no resistance, and
Belts and Browning were taken out.
Their hands were first bound to their
sides. Some Of the representative
church members of the community are
said to have been in the throng which
demanded the eye for an eye and the
Tooth for Il tooth. do not know how
rue that was. Well, while tho men |
we're being bound one OF them asked if
here was not 4 friend in the crowd. a |
'oung gambler, who had been Il frc-
lucnter OF the dan &C hall, and friend to
he doomed men, shouted that he was
friend, and made Il break toward tho
prisoners. Somebody placed the cold
nuzzle of a pistol against the side of
lis head and told him to skip tho town
nstanter. l believe that tho incident
vas a true bill, because tho courage
'us youth was not seen in the city un-
il a week later. Everything was done
luietly, dispassionately. The two men
we're marched down the Gunnison road
lftcr midnight. Neither of thcm weak
med, even when the bridge was reached
md the cruel nooscs were placed about
heir necks. An effort was made to
ave Browning, many insisting that lie
lid not fro the fatal shot, and should
Tot be lynchcd for completely In the
murder. Browning would havo been
urned loose had it not tbccn for the fact
hat he said he would DO revcngcd upon
he witness of tho murder. When he
made this threat he was deemed IL bet
er man dead than alive, as crybody
Knew that, although u quiet mau, he
vas desperate. Just as the hanging
zee was being ended, and, i understood
t, while the ropes were being arranged
or the pulling, the two Campbell broth
RS arrived at the sceine, having rode
he eighty-five miles by blackboard and
n the saddle that day. The murder
RS were asked if they had aught to
Iay, and both coolly replied that they
1ad not. They were hanged to beam
" Hhich crosses above from truss to truss