Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-06-13
SPEEDY VENGEANCE.
The Barber Brothers Lynched by
an lnfuriated Mob.

DEs MONIES, Iowa, June 8, 1888.
The notorious Barber Brothers were
taken from the Waverly jail last night
about quarter to twelve O'Clock by a
large of nen and led to grave short
distance away and lynched. The mob
which beseiged the Jail numbered about
two hundred. They first appeard at
the jail abolt nine O'Clock and were
preceded by man carrying rope,
who demanded the surrender of the
bandits. The lynchers, led by a
brother of Deputy Sheriff Shepherd,
whose brother was killed by the Bar
ber brothers at West Union last fall,
then summarily demanded the keys.
The Sheriff refused to deliver them,
and moment later the Jail was attack
ed
DRAGGED OUT TO DIE.
The officers did all they could to re-
sist without resorting to violence, but
the mob was persistent. The crowd
gained admission to the Court House
and finally battered down the Jail. door
with sledges, crowbars and others
weapons After an hours desperate
effort the mob was victorious. A rush
was made and the outlaws were quick
ly secured. Ike Barber resisted des-
perately, fighting hard with his fists,
but was soon overcome by some of the
very men who captured him on Crane
Greek last Tuesday Kicks and cuffs
were freely bestowed upon the murder
ers as they were dragged forth from
the cells through the Court House to
the square and to the front steps of the
enclosure with ropes around their
necks. They were escorted by the
mob, uttering fiendish yells which
aroused the whole town and brought
out all the residents in the neighbor-
hood. When they reached the enclo-
sure they were asked what they had to
say for themselves.
HANGED IN A GROVE.
Ike made few remarks, in effect
that they had killed only two men
Shepherd, Fayette county, last fall,
and Karsting last week, during an at
tempt at capture. Bill said he never
killed any one, unless it was in the
affray on Crane Greek. Bill then gave
silk handkerchief and q gold pen to a
bystander to send to his little girl, and
hoped they would hang him dead and
not allow the people to cut up his body.
Ike also said, in answer to an inquiry
as to what should be done with his
body, BURY it and don't cause
my family expense in provid-
ing funeral" Just before
Ike made his speech he asked for a
chew of tobacco. The crowd then
moved to Murphy's Grove, nearly half
mile southeast of the Jail, when the
doomed men were to die The ropes
were scarcely adjusted and Ike and
William were deliberately launched in
to eternity. The victims died of
strangulation. Their hands were tied
behind them, and a citizen held a
watch and noted the time elapsing un-
til their pulse stopped beating. The
crowd then dispersed to their homes
and the bodies of the BARRIERS were left
swinging in the grove. No effort was
made on the part of the citizens to con-
ceal their identity. The universal idea
with the people seemed to be that they
were executing righteous judgment
There were many present from a radius
Of forty miles, including most of the
male inhabitants of the town of Waver-
ly, and those who are prominent in
church, city, county and State affairs !;
the relatives, friends and neighbors of
the murdered Shepherd and Karsting,
the wounded Jarvis and Tegtmeier, as
well as those who had no personal in
terest except to see that speedy
vengeance was inflicted upon the
murderers. The prevailing sentiment
is that an outraged community has
been avenged and that terrible warn
ing has been given to evil doers to
avoid that locality. The scene was
terrible in it's impressiveness, and will
never be forgotten by those who par
ticipated in or witnessed it.