The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-11-07
MURDER IN CEDAR COUNTY.
A Deputy Sheriff KILLED, His Murderer Be-
ing Hung by a Mob.

A Sioux City dispatch says: Editor
Kroesen, of the Colerdge (Neb.l Sentinel, was
in town to-day, and gave detailed account OF
the murder and lynching near st. Helena,
Neb., Friday night. The man who was
lynchcd worked for Sheriff Asbre during the
during the summer, and on account of some
difficulty was discharged. He returned last
week, and set fire TO some haystacks on the
sheriff's farm. Deputy Sheriff Phillips got
track Of the man Friday evening in the Bow
valley south of st. Helena. There was run
ming fight, both the officer and the incendiary
emptying their revolvers. A family came out
from their home beside the road to see the
fight, and the incendiary sought refuge in the
house thus vacated. Phillips followed close
after, knowing that the man had fired six
shots, and naturally supposed that his revolt
yer was empty But the man had quickly
slipped three cartridges into his pistol and be-
gan shooting as Phillips came in at the door.
Two bullets went over Phillips shoulder. The
third penetrated the lower part of the side and
is supposed to have lodged somewhere in the
bowels. The bullet has not yet been
found. Phillips, who was supposed to
be dying on Saturday, was lightly
better on Sunday, and there was hope for re-
covery. The murderous incendiary,. directly
after he had shot the officer, was Knocked
was with the deputy and dragged out by the
crowd, they beating him while he was down.
He was then taken to the Jail yard at st.
Helena, where he was hanged to post and
left swinging until dead. His name could
not be learned. The only thing known is that
he was a foreigner and pretty tough char
acter.
Phillips was postmaster at Coleridge, pro-
prietor of the Coleridge house, and an old set
tier with hosts of friends.
Tbo 70 oil 10.
lynching of jameson, alias McBeath on May
II, 1874, On October 10, of the previous year,
Henry Locke, single man, who lived alone on
his farm north of st. Helens, was found muir
dered. He had evidently been killed with his
own AK. On May ., following, John McDon-
aid, then deputy sheriff. arrested man who
was working on a farm near Omaha under the
name of John McBeath. 1t was understood
then that his trial there would be in Judge
Lynch's court. On the night he was crossed
from Yankton to Cedar county he took some
poison which he had secreted on his person,
but it was overdose and only made him
sick. AT st. Helena, on may 18th, the citizens
quietly but decidedly took the prisoner from
the sheriff. He asked that priest be sent for,
and men went several miles to the home of a
priest and brought him. A vote was taken and
every citizen voted for hanging. After receiy-
ing the last services of the reverend clergyman,
McBeath made confession. He had killed a
nan in Kentucky, but that was an accident.
under the name of Jameson he had
illed a man at Fort Buford; came down the
liver on the steamer Peninah; left the boat a
little above Yankton, and tramping across the
country had stopped for the night at Locke's
,abn. Locke had entertained him, and the
ollowing morning as the two were walking,
locke carrying an axe to cut some wood in the
imber, he had taken the axe and killed Locke.
The only plumber he got from his victim was
IN old watch and S1.50 in money. After his
Confession McBeath was placed in wagon,
lriven under tree, the rope adjusted on his
leck, and the wagon driven on. When neces-
airy the st. Helena people are addicted to brief
erms of Judge Lynch's court.