Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-08
TIE IrxcHrsss IN nexrlxA.
Many of the Victims Supposed 20 be
Fugitives frsm the Gear d'AIene
HtWR&


Hines-
EAGLE CRY, Idahol Sept 3.-The
men who are being lynched a. cattle
thieves In this and Montana Terri
tories are for the most part fugitives
from the CRur d Alene mines. When
the great break up Of the gold swim
die occurred hundreds of desperate
fellows scattered in all directions.
They were without money and were
compelled 10 steal or siarve From
accounts received here il is thought
great injustice has been done 10 many
of them. for they were not all hard
ened offenders. though they have
been treated as such.
The comparatively few men nov
in the C9ur q Alene district who have
enough food 20 satisfy hunger have 8
good deal Of sympathy for these refn
gees Many OF them have been driv-
en- out of this eauip because self-pres-
ervaiion demanded it, but ia the
co1ntry where they row have scatter
ed they might have obtained assist
ance There are . good many Of
these back door callers here now.
They are afraid to start out for the
settlements, for they have no means.
aud they have heard so many reports
Of the hangings that they think they
could not escape. Under the circum-
stances the miners here have not the
heart to drive any more of them
away. but something will have TO be
done before winter sets In II is =
frontier tradition that a beat can eat
twice - much a. an ordinary man,
and where provisions are as high IS
they are here il amounts 10 = severe
taX 10 be compelled TO feed many OF
them. An effort viii DC made after
while TO give them safe conduct
TO the railroad and get them cut of
harms way IL has come 10 that pass
that any man who appears Ia be out
al the elbows. aud has no money. Is
likely 10 be- hanged as horse thief,
whether there is any evidence other
than his poverty against him or not
One Of the owners of mining prop
erty here, who has just returned from
a trip down the Northern Pacific road
in Montana, .reports that the lynch
ings which have taken place in that
Territory are for the most part down-
right murders. 4 few notorious
horse thieves have been despatched.
bat the cowboys. In their eagerneSs
for excitement. and taking advantage
of the license given them. have killed
many men who were simply trying
To get back 10 civilization without
money No one denies that they may
have been guilty of some depIeda-
tons, because they were without sup
plies. and they had 10 help themselves
or starve
The misery caused BY the senseless
gold craze. of which this town was
The center, seems almost without end
Thousands lost All their mosey aud
much valuable time, and only got
away after experiencing ha-dShipS Of
Incredible severity, while hundreds.
not even so fortunate rs they, have
been hunted through the wiids of
Montana by mau-slayers, like So many
wild beasts. Ii is known that forty
or fifty Of these wretehes have been
driven over tke line into the Canadian
northwest, where, unless they come
In contact with some outpost of civil
cation they are certain 10 perish be
fore long. In all the accounts of the
wholesale lynchiags that have taken
place the names Of very few victims
have been given. II has been pre-
tended that the cowboys were too busy
10 make any record, and by hereSsy
il has been recorded that this gang
has been exterminated. No doubt
now exists that the majority Of these
victims were hroksn-down advenluF-
ers seeking 10 make their Way back
~ the STATES Many missiag man
may thus be accounted for.