The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-17

wanted the murderer to make a statement while
others, more impatient. urged immediate action.
| The murderer declined to say anything, except
that he was the who shot Burton. At this
lqncture the cry went round, Pull him up!'
Hang; Hang HIM Don't let him live
that the Light Guard company of tho
Third Regiment w N. G. had been ordered out
to charge the mob and there was an impression
that the execution would be prevented. No
move of the guard was made The mob seized
the rope and made strong pull, but the ruiiian
freed his hands, and the rope broke before he
was raised from the ground. In less than five
minutes new rope thrown over the heads
OF the crowd, and fell within few feet of the
executioners. This adjusted, his hands and
arms firmly tied, and i'll 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.
Words fail to express the darkness and inten-
sity of the gloom that has settled like pail
over the community, not only because Of the
fearful act Of the assassin. which has taken
away one OF the best and most highly esteemed
young men of Wisconsin, but because of the
| blood curdlng incidents that succeeded. Men
are heard to say that if they could only blot
from their memories the scenes Of the fateful
night they would give years,
The body of the doomed man was left
hanging only few minutes, when it was taken
down lifeless and left in charge of the sheriff
NhV III SFS IHdI lHe remains are inferred
During the hour between 9 and 10 o'clock
when the excitement was at the highest, and
the first rush had been made on the iail door,
The fre bells rang out an alarm, which was
made general, and this, added to the steady roll
OF voices from the direction Of the court-h house.
made the night one of awful features What
citizens at first thought was alarm for help
at the courthouse, a rallying signal by the mob
proved to be a genuine alarm, and the
department was called to extinguish
a burning workshop and storehouse connected
with the Northwestern foundry and machine
shops The fire extinguished and
that part of the crowd who had been drawn from
the scene of the lynching returned again to the
courthouse square. where they remained until
the last act completed.
The body of Mr. Burton removed from the
dug g-store Of Mr. Sporce TO his home during the
evening. One bullet passed through
the head two through the lungs,
and two into the abdomen, any one Of which
would have been fatal. Those who stood near
by when the shooting was done say that the
murderer fired all the charges in rapid success
sion from one revolver and then two more from
second, which he carried with him. Mr.. Bur
ton was engaged in clearing the road and Or
ganzing the first section Of tho head of the pro
cession, and stood with his back to the
sidewalk. The assassin stepped out from the
crowd which lined the walk, and fired a bullet
directly through his back Mr. Barton stag
gered and fell on his face Three shots were
fired while the murderer was standing directly
over him. Mr. Burton never spoke after the
first shot. After emptying his revolver the man
threw the pistol at him, and, kicking him three
time, said: Damn him. he knows why
l shot him." The impression in the crowd when
the shots were fired was that some ono was dis
charging large firecrackers, as fireworks were
to be a part of the political demonstration.
The Associated Press reporter stood within
sixty feet of lhe scene when the murder was
committed, and, with hundreds of Others lid
not know that anything was wrong until
policemen rushed by with the prisoner The
word passed up the column of faring
torchlights, and the effect was at first paralyz-
ing one, rendering action impossible. AS soon
as the reaction set in, the Orilliautly-lighted
multitude turned if moved by machinery
and the preceding description tolls what fol
lowed.
For long time the indemnity of the murderer
was unknown. Dgeni inquiries and sitting
many rumors shows that the man that has paid
the death penalty a man known as 'Scotty,"
but whose true name is Nathaniel Mitchell a
riverman. who has worked in the woods during
the winter and at beef slaughtering, or in some
raft boat during the summer
A well known pilot On the river said that he
knew him we'll; that he was desperate charac-
ter and that he frequently had terrible sprees
he had been both in jail and in the insane asy-
lum. In searching for a motive for the act, the
only plausible theory that is yet arrived at is
that, two years ago when Mr.. Burton was
acting surveyor of customs at this port, this
man was frequently applying for a hospital
certificate, so that he could spend his time at
nOSplsdi AT lne expense OIL bl0 flFefmsn, ana
Mr. Burton told him to go to work and stop
drinking and he would not need the bsneit
of the Marine Hospital Another theory is that
Mitchell thought he was killing another man.
A letter found on his person is addressed to
Nathaniel Mitchell Nielsve, Clarke county
Wis, care of Iipp Hotel camp No 2, dated Feb
p, 1884 at Halifax, and signed Your brother,
VIM Mitchell" The letter is written in a
scholarly manner, and is full of good advice and
family news. 1t conveys the idea that MITCHELL
the man just lynched, is not married.
AT this hour Il A. NJ the city is silent as
the tomb There arc but few stragglers on the
street. and few late idrrs are at the hotel
talking the events of the evening. Not a
man is to be seen about the court
house square The remains of the
murderer are lying stretched out
in the jail, and the oil lamps that flicker
through the windows cast ghaStiy glare over
the green lawn where hundreds Stood few
hours before, to nete out justice to the murder
er of Frank A Burton for whose loss the
whole city is mourning, and whose wife
and little children are stricken with grief at the
awful taking away of the husband and father
Already arrangements are being made for the
funerals The wires have been busy sending
messages to relatives and Intimate friends.