The Dillon tribune., 1883-03-10
JEsSRANG JERKED.

JESSRANG JERKED.
THE MURDERER AND CREMAIoh OF
DAVIDSON
HING by Masked Vigilantes In the ne"-
verhead County Jail.
Dillon was greatly excited on Wednes-
day morning when it was publicly mace
known that the vengeance Of the Vigi'antes
had been wreaked on the prisoner, jess.
rang. On Tuesday night between II and
y O'clock John A. Jessrang, the prisoner
confined in the county Jail and indicted Tor
the murder of V. H. Davidson, was Jerked
into eternity by band Of Vigilantes.
On last Saturday the people of Glendale
were aroused and intensely excited by the
bringing into that town Of portions OF the
remains of the murdered Davidson. "A
nartv had visited the scene of the murder
and cremation and found, buried in the
snow, parts of the body. The hips and
lower part of the body, about nine inches
of the backbone, the heart and part OF
the kidneys were found. 1t was fearful
ly cold night when the murder was CON-
mitted, and the murderer did not have time,
it is supposed, to burn the body of his VIC
tim up before daylight dawned by fire
made out of willows, and what remained
of the foully murdered Davidson was shov-
ed under the show, which is deep at the
place of cremation. The excitement on
the exhibition Of these parts Of the body of
Davidson grew greater in Glendale. The
sequel to that excitement, presumably, end
ed in the county Jail BY midnight execu-
tion-the swinging up of Jessrang.
On Tuesday night, the 9th, between 8
and 9 o'clock, quite number of men rode
into Dillon, coming from the north. The
men came riding in in y az no partic-
ular suspicion was attached t. their mo-
tons, except ...~ It appeared an unusual
thing for SO many men to come into town
on horseback at that hour Of night.
About the hour of II o'clock that night
Vigilantes, supposedly to the number of
fifteen to twenty, scaled the high fence
surrounding the Jail by way of the shed,
and entered the kitchen where Deputy Mi
kus was sleeping. Two Vieilantes-or
lynchers-stood up over Deputy Mikus
with drawn revolvers to keep him quiet,
while the rest proceeded to the work Of
hanging Jessrang. Having secured the Jail
keys from Mikus' pockets execution exer
ercises commenced. The two other pris-
oners in the Jail were guarded in their cell,
and these men say the hanging was done
without undue confusion. The Vigilantes
experienced some difficulty in unlocking
Jessrang's cell, but finally the right key
in the bunch was found and they got at
their man. They worked almost noiseless-
ly and did the job quickly. A rope was
put around Jess:ang's neck and passed over
an iron bar over the door of the doomed
mans cell. Jessrang was drawn up and
left hanging, and he passed into the eternal
custody of his God without a prayer for
the forgiveness of the horrible crime for
which he was lynched. The Vigilantes,
still masked, remained in the Jail for a time
and having commanded Deputy Mikus to
remain quiet and give no alarm Tor one
hour, they departed, but not until the VIC
tim of their vengeance was dead and be-
yond the resurrecting power of mortal
man. Half an hour after the lvnchers had
left, Deputy Mikus Weakened up Sheriff
Reinhardt and reported the lynching.
The death of Jessrang having been pro-
duced by unlawful violence, in accordance
with the law Coroner Hirsch,nan sum-
moned jury, who investigated the case
and returned the following verdict:
VERDICT OF THE CoRoNER's JURY.
THE TERRITORY MONTANA
County of Beaverhead.
An inquisition held at the Dillon Jail, in
the county of Beaverhead, on the 9TH day
of March, A. d. 1883, before me, Charles
Hirschman, Coroner of Beaverhead Coun.
ty, upon the body of John A. Jessrang,
there lying dead, by the jurors whose
names are hereunto subscribed-the said
jurors, upon their oaths, do say that the
said John A. Jessrang came to his death by
being unlawtully hung by mob Of mask
ed men between the hours Of IL and II
o'clock, p. m, of March 9th, 1883, in the
door of his cell in the county Jail of Bea-
verhead County, Montana.
CHAS L. Thomson,
ALVIN NJ. BALDWIN,
GEORGE SEARS,
CHAs MORTON,
CHAS. E. cox,
GOODWIN T. PAUL.
After the Coroner's jury had concluded
the investigation the body of Jessrang was
placed in coffin. Rev. Mr.. Drummond,
in the presence Of the jury and few 9TH
ers read portion of the Episcopal burial
service and made few appropriate re-
marks. Coroner Hirschman took charge
of the remains, and in the potter's field
adjoining Dillon John A. Jessrang sleeps
the sleep that knows no waking.
GRAND JURY REPORT