The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-11-22
HANGED BY A MOB.
BUT AFTERWARD CUT DOWN BY THE
OFFICERS.
Effect of the Hanging-His Memory Gone
and Reason DethrOned-The Crime
He Suffered for Perpe-
trating.

OMAHA, NOV 22.-Joseph Cook, the muir
derer Of Leonard Rail, who was hanged al
Blue Hill, Neb, Monday afternoon by mob,
and afterward cut down and revived by the
sheriff, is now in Jail in Red Cloud, under
the care Of physicians. The effect of his
hanging is rather singular. Besides his bod
lily injuries he is completely deranged, and
his mental balance will not likely be restored
He presents pitiable appearance, his neck
being swollen to an abnormal size, the mark
of the lynchers' rope being plainly viSi
bic in blue and black coiorings. One of his
ears is severely cut, and his body is covered
with bruises and cuts, for it is understood
that the Infatuated crowd beat and bu.feted
their victim while travelling from the court
house to the windmill gallows, distance OF
nearly mile His animation is entirely re.
stored, and at present there does not seem tC
be any sign of internal hemorrhaGe, but
danger is not pasSei by any means
Cook does not remember anything of the at
tempted lynching, and when he looked i'll q
mirror and saw the bruises on his neck he asked
n deputy sheriff how they came there He was
told that he had fallen but in no way does
he show any sign OF knowing tho terrible
ordeal through which he has passed. His
conversation is incohcrent and wandering,
and the physicians are of the opinion that be
will never regain his reason. In fact, there
nre many people who are familiar with the
facts who say that Cook never was in his
right mind The circumstances of the
case are somewhat peculiar and
might be twisted by legal skill into
insanity for defense, especially taking into
consideration his conduct after the murder
was committed. 1t is said on creditable
authority that when he drove the murdered
mans team away, being headed fer the
Kansas line, he showed no undue haste, and
told his real name and the place from where
he had come and where he was going The
sheriff of Webster county and a deputy
United States marshal traced him TO
Ottawa, Kan, thence to Beattie where
they finally lost sight of the trail
Shortly afterward o dispatch from St
Joseph, Mo, announced his arrest there
While being taken from Red Cloud to Blue
Hill for trial he remarked to the officer in
charge of him that at was damn fine day
to be hung" and used rather queer expires
sions considering the position in which he
was placed 1t is said that Cook is a son of
the postmaster at Guilford, Mo- and is very
hISuIy CoHHctJeu. Tie is between ~ ana ~
ears of age, and is entirely devoid of all iii
ications of Il bold, bad man" The facts of
the murder of Leonard Rail-. which occurred
Nov l, are as follows: Cook had been en-
plOyed husking corn, and when his time was
up his employer mitchell up his team to carry
Cook to Blue Spring. Before starting the
latter remarked TO Rail- that he ought to
bring along some money so as to "set 'em
up" when town was reached. Cook knew all
the time that Rail had between $50 and S7U
in the house Whilo the farmer went in
side to get some change, Cook went
| INTO the kitchen and borrowed a
hatchet, saying he wished to fix
the wagon. This be had with him in the
wagon, and with it the murder was com,
mittel. Rail- only TOOK 10 cents with him.
| and that sum was all that the assassin
| realized. Whom Rail did not return home
! that night or next day his wife became very
much worried, ana neighborS BANDED
| together for n search, WHICH resulted in find
| ing his body near straw stack, with the
| head terrible mutilated. An undercurrent
of feeling is still strong against tho prisoner
and there are very few in Blue Hill who
desire to seo anything in Cooks favor.