The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-10-17
SWIFT RETRIBUTIoN.
The President of Blaine and Lo-
gan Club, in Lacrosse, Wis,
Shot Dead.
THE MURDERER TAKEN FROM
THE JAIL BY A MOB
And Hung to the Nearest Tree
Great Excitement Prevailing.

LACROSSE, Wis, Oct. 16.-F. A. Burton,
PRESIDENT OF the Blaine anu Logan club here
was shot dead by man known as "Scotty," al
oo'clock this evening, while the Republicans
were forming in procession on North street
Seven shots were fired in quick suecessior The
murderer was arrested and hurried to Jail be-
fore the immense crowd could realiZe what
had occurred. As soon as the faet was m ade
known there was intense excitement. and hum
dreds of men, in uniform and carving torches,
hurried TO the court house yard and demanded
that the prisoner be banded over to them.
'Lynch himl Lynch himl" was the general
cry. and at this hours 40 p. m.-hunGreds of
men are besieging the jail. Sheriff Scott,
Chief OF Police Clark and posse of police
are at The jail door, trying to calm the infuri-
ated multitude. No violence has been done
yet, and none may take place. The body OF
Burton was taken to drug Store where an
examination showed that life was extinct.
Every shot took effect. People who stood near
the scare said the man advanced from the
Sidewalk 10 within few feet of his victim,
and fired the first bullet into his hack. when
Burton fell to the pavement. This was fol-
lowed with SIX shots into the PROSTATE man g
body and head. "Scotty" then threw his re-
volver at his victim, and gave him a kick All
this was done in moment, and before anyone
could realize the situation. The motive of the
murder has not yet come to light. Burton was
managing the campaign in this section.
LLATER.I
La CROSSE, Wis Oct. 16.-The mob, finding
they could not prevail upon the authorities to
surrender the prisoner, at 1045 procured
cold chisels and forced open the Jail door rh en-
putting rope around the murderer's neck,
they lynched him.
The officers were not able to stay the mob,
who refused to listen to arguments. From 9 TO
10 O'Clock, the Court House square presented
scene which beggared description. The mob
increased in numbers until the entire space on
three sides of the Jail was dense mass of hu-
manltg, demanding that the murderer be hung
The torches tlared above the sea of heads, ana
wnlte pinmeS moved resoutely about the
square. The best citizens were present. and
watched the fearful scene with blanched faces,
but with no expressions of sympathy. Beams
were procured, and in short time the heavily
barred and bolted doors on the Fourth street
side OF the Jail were battered in by the crowd,
who poured into the first door rooms. The
sheriff and his assistants succeeded in clearing
the room the first and second time but on the
third rush the mob overpowered them and
held their ground. The wooden doors Of the
cooking departments yielded like SO many
plates of glass,
In the meantime, the heavy oaken door
leading to the main stairway ON the west side,
was battered down, and the crowd gained full
possession of the main corridor. Once in the
corridor heavy sledge hammers were used to
break in the heavy iron doors, two in numbs
that intervened between here and tine cell
room. These soon yielded, and search was
made.
The crowd were apprised on the outside and
constant cheers OF encouragement went up.
The crowd had little trouble in finding their
man. He was taken from the cell and dragged
into the yard where he was identified as the
man who did the shooting, and the officers,
when appealed to, declared they had the
right man. When he appeared at the Jail
door there was long peculiar yell that went
through, it making every one for block away
realize that the awful retrbution had bsen
completed. In minute tree was selected, q
rope was speedily thrown over limb aud the
murderer urged to make statement but he
declined to say any thing except that he was
the man who shot Barton.
At this juneture cry went round "Pull
him up" chang him" don't let him live a
minute longer" and the mob seized the rope
and made strong pull, but the rutfian freed
his hands and the rope broke before he was rails
ed from the ground. In less than five minutes
new rope was thrown the crowd. This was
adjusted, his hands and arms firmly tied and
In another moment he was hanging in the air
with his face closely pressed against the limb
OF the tree and the terrible tragedy was over.
The body was left hanging only few minutes
when it was taken down lifeless and left in
charge of the sheriff. The body of Burton was
removed to his home during the evening.