The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-10-23
MOB LAW IN WISCONSIN,
Frank A. Burton, q Prominent Citizen
Of Lacrosse, Shot Dead by q
Cowardly Rufian.

Tia Crosse WIS ! at,cciaI I

Tia Crosse WIS., spcciall
F. A. Burton, President of the Blaine and
Logan Club here, was shot dead by a ruffian
named Nathaniel Mitchell, but generally known
as Scotty. ut o'clock this evening. while the
Main street Seven shots were fired In quick
succession, The murderer was arrested and
hurried to jail before the immense crowd could
realize what had occurred. AS soon rs the fact
was made known there was the most intense
excitement. and hundreds Of men in uniform
and carrying torches hurried to the Court
House yard and demanded that the prisoner
be handed over to them. Sheriff Scout, Chief of
Police Clark, aud posse of police at the iail
door tried to calm the infuriated multitude.
AT 1880 y m. the officers were not able to
stay the mob, which refused to listen TO argn-
ment From O'Clock to 10 the Court House
yard and square presented a scene Of great
FURY. The mob increased In numbers until the
entire space on three sides OF the jail was a
dense mass OF humanity demanding that the
murderer be hung. The torches Of the men
Haired above the sea Of heads. and the white
plumcs moved resolutely about the square,
The best citizens IN the place were present. and
watched the fearful scene with blanched faces,
but with no expression OF sympathy. There
and the walks about the Jail.
Inc excitement grew steadily In force. and
the demand Mt last found leaders with cool
heads, who went mcthodicaly, about taking
the man from prison and lynching him
beams were procured, and In short time the
heavily bolted and barred doors on the Fourth
street side Of the Jail were battered in by the
crowd, who poured into the first floor rooms.
The Sheriff and assistants succeed I'm clearing
the room the first and second time, but on the
third rush the mob ovcrpowered them and held
It's ground. The interior wooden doors OF the
cooking department yielded like 40 many pieces
Of plate glass. In the meantime the heavy oak
door leading to the main stairway On the west
placed In full possession Of the main corridor
While this was going on the crowd became al
most colossal about the place, but aside from
the rush Of the men ut the Jail the best OF order
prevailed. There were no drunken men in the
mob, the whole work being done by resolute
fellows who decided to make the murderer pay
the death penalty before they left the square
Once In the corridor, sledye- hammers were
used to break In the heavy iron DOORS two In
number, that interviewed between there and the
cell-ro0m These soon yielded, and az each
advance was made the crowd on the outside was
appraised. and constant cheers OF encourage
ment went up. The prisoner had been con-
crowd had little trouble in finding him lie was
taken from the cell and dragged into the yard
lie was identified as the man who did The shoot
ing. ana the officers, when appealed to. de-
" hen he appeared from the jail-door, held up
by the men who had him in charge, there was u
long, peculiar yell that went through The trees
blocks away realize without further
assurance that the awful retribution
had been completed. Numerous men were
Sc
IN minute tree was selected. A rope was
thrown to man sitting on the first strong limb
lie quickly attached it, and everything was
made ready for the execution.
AT this point In the proceedings there was .
pause. Among the leaders were some who
wanted the murderer to make statement,
action. The murderer declined to say ANYTHING
except that he was the man who shot Burton
AT this lnncture the cry went round Pull him
longer"
II was understood that the Light Guard Com
pany Of the Third Regiment Wisconsin National
and there was an impression that the execution
would be prevented. The mob seized the rope
and made strong pull but the ruiiian freed
his hands and the rope broke before he was
ntes a new rope was thrown over the heads of
the crowd and fell within a few feet Of the exc
hands and arms firmly tied, and in another mo-
ment he was hanging In the air with his face
closely pressed against the limb Of the tree
The scenes Of the night will probably never
he experienced again in Lacrosse. Words
fail to express the darkness and intensity of
the gloom that has settled like pail over
the community. not only for the fearful
act OF the assassin, which has taken away one
Of the best and most highly esteemed young
men Of Wisconsin, but for the bloody incidents
that succeeded The body of the doomed man
was left hanging only few minutes when 1t
was taken down lifeless and left in charge Of
the Sheriff
When the excitement was at the highest and
the first successful rush had been made on the
jail door the fire bells rang out an alarm which
was made general, and this, added to the steady
roll Of voices from the direction of the Court
House. made the night one OF awful features
What citizens FIRST thought was an alarm for
help ut the courtyard or rallying signal by
the mob proved to be genuine alarm, and the
department was called to extinguish n burning
workshop and storehouse connected with the
Northwestern foundry and machine shops. The
fire was soon extinguishea, and that part Of the
the lynching returned again to the Court House
Square. where they remained until the last act
was completed
The body OF Mr. Burton was taken immediate
ly after the murder to the drug store OF I. IL.
Spence, where an examination showed life to be
extinct, every shot having taken effect. Those
man advanced from the crowd on the sidewalk
to within n few feet of his victim and fired the
FIRST bullet into his back. Mr.. Burton fell to the
pavement, and the murderer followed with six
shots into his body and head. He then threw
the revolver Mt his victim and gave him kick,
saying: That il the son of q - that knows
me and that have been looking for" or words
to that effect. All this was done in moment 9
time and before any one could realize what had
The body of Mr.. Burton was removed from
the drug store 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
In searching for Il motive for the act the only
plausible theory that il vet advanced Is that two
years ago. when Mr.. Burton was acting surveyor
of customs at this port, this man was frequent
~ importuning tor n hospital certificate so that
he could spend his time AT the hospital ut the
expense of the river men. Mr.. Burton told him
to go to work and stop drinking. and he would
not need the benefits of the marine physician.
Another theory Ia that Mitchell thought he was
killing another man.
Mr. Burton was a broker and commission
merchant The motive of the murderer Is not
known. He is said to have been desperate
character. who has followed the river for liv-
After throwing the first revolver at his victim it
WAS found tina, he had another in his pocket, but
he was arrested before he had an opportunity to
use il. The Republicans were to have celebrated
the Ohio victory tonight with parade, fire.
works, and speeches, hut the scene changed to
one Of terrible excitement Of far different
character.
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