Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-10-23
AFOUL MURDER.
The President of Blaine Club Shot
Down in Gold Blood-His Slayer
Lynohed by Infuriated
Comrades.

LACROSSE, Wis, October 16.-F. A. Bur-
ton, President of the Blaine and Logan Club
here, was shot dead by rufiian known as
"Scotty" at 8 o'clock this evening while
the Republicans were forming in process
sion on 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 as the fact became
known there was 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 Lynch him lynch him !"
was the general cry, and at this moment
(8:40 p. M there are hundreds of men be-
seiging the jail Sheriff Scott, Chief of
Police Clark and posse of police are at
the Jail door trying to calm the lnfuriated
multitude. No violence has been done
yet, and none may take place.
The body of Burton was taken to the
drug store of T. H. Spence, where an ex-
animation showed that life was extinct,
every shot having taken effect. Those
who stood near the scene OF the murder
say that the pan advanced from the crowd
on the sidewalk to within a few feet of
his victim and fired the first bullet into
his back Burton fell to the pavement,
and the murderer followed with six shots
into his body and head. He then threw
his revolver at his victim and gave him
kick, saying 'NThat is the son of b. that
knows me and that / have been looking
for" or words to that effect. All this was
done in a moments time and before any
could realize what had happened. The
motive of the murderer is not known. He
is said to be desperate character who
has followed the river for living, and has
served term in States prison. After
throwing one revolver at his victim it was
found that he had another in his pocket,
but he was arrested before he had an op-
portunity to use it.
The Republicans were to have celebrated
the Ohio victory tonight with parade
and fireworks and speeches, but the scene
has changed as if by magic to one of
terrible excitement of far different char
ac.er. Threats are deep and determined,
and the city is being greatly aroused. If
the crowd had Il responsible, cool-headed
leader the murderer would swing in an
hour.
1890 p. m.-The officers were unable to
stay the mob, who refused to listen to
From 8 to 10 o'clock the
court house yard presented scene which |
beggars description. The mob increased
in numbers until the entire space on three
sides of the Jail was dense mass of
humanity demanding that the murderer |
be hanged. The torches of the men tlared
above the sea of heads and white plumes |
moved resolutely about the square. The
best citizens of the place were present and
watched the fearful scene with blanched
faces, with no expression of sympathy.
There were hundreds of women on the
and walks about the Jail.
At last leaders were found with cool
heads, who went methOdically about TAX
ing the murderer 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, and the crowd poured
into the first floor rooms. The sheriff and
his assistants succeeded in clearing the
rooms the first and second time, but on
the third rush the mob overpowered them
and held their ground. The interior
wooden doors yielded like so many plates
Of glass. In the meantime the heavy oak
door leading to the main stairway on the
west side was battered down, and the
crowd was in full pOssion of the mail cor
ridor. While this was going on the crowd
became almost colossal about the place,
but aside from the rush Of the men at the
all the best of order prevailed. There
were no drunken men in the crowd, the
whole work being done by resOlute fellows
who decided to make the murder pay the
death penalty before they left the square.
Once in the corridors sledge hammers were
used to break in the heavy iron doors, two
ID number, that INTERVIEWED between them
and the cell room. These soon yielded,
and as each advance was made the crowd
on the outside were apprised of 1t, and
constant cheers of encouragement went
up. The prisoner had been confined in
cell No. on the lower corridor, and the
crowd had little trouble in finding their
man. He was taken from the cell and
dragged into the yard. He was identified
as the man who did the shooting, and the
officers, when appealed to, declared that
they had the fight man. When he ap-
peared from the Jail door held up by the
men who had him in charge there was a
long peculiar yell that went through the
trees and streets, making every one for
blocks away realize without any further
assurance that retribution was about to
be completed. Numerous men were seen
to branches of trees, and in
minute one was selected, the end of
a rope thrown to a man sitting on
the first strong limb and quickly attached,
and everything was made ready for the
execution. At this point of the proceed
ings there was pause among the leaders.
There were some who wanted the murder
er to make statement, while others more
impetuous urged immediate action. The
declined to say anything except
that he was the man who shot Burton.
At this juncture the cry went round, "Pull
him up" Hang him." Don't let him
live q minute longer" 1t was understood
that the Light Guard Company, Sd Regi-
ment, w. N. G., had been ordered out to
charge on the mob and there was an i'm
pressien that the execution would be pre-
vented but no rally of the guard was made.
The mob seized the rope and made strong
pull. but the ruffian freed his hands and
the rope broke before he was raised from
the ground In less than five minutes
new rope was thrown over the heads of
the crowd and fell within few feet of the
This was adjusted, his hands
and arms firmly tied, and in another mo-
ment he was hanged in the air, with his
face closely pressed against the limb OF the
tree, and the terrible tragedy was over.
Burton was one of the most promising men
in Wisconsin.
The Jail doors were battered down at
l045 and the murderer was lynched. The
body was left hanging only few minutes,
was taken down lifeless and left in charge
Of the Sheriff.