St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-17
THE BLAIR MURDER.
How the Attempt to Lynch the Muir
derer Was Thwarted.
Especial Telegram to the Globe. !

Especial Telegram TO the Globe.
OwAToNNA, Sept 16.-On the 18th inst.
the Barrett circus exhibited at this place. In
liceman John Blair, an old and respected
citizen, was attacked by one Of the showmen,
who struck Blair on the head with a tent pin
about two and a half feet long by two inches
through. The blow crushed Blair's skull, but
strange to tell with some assistance he got up
and walked home a distance of about hun
dred rods, but died at 4 O'Clock Saturday
morning. post mortem exsminatio was
held on Saturday morning, which revealed
the fact that the blow was received from be-
hind and was so heavy that the entire side
of his head was crushed in and driven for
ward and under ordinary circumstances
would have caused instant death. Mr.. Hugh
hurry, sheriff Of this county, took the early
train on Saturday morning for Rochester,
where Barrett Il Co. were to show that day,
and arrested the party who has been identi-
fed as the man who committed the crime.
Blair was a man well known and very
highly esteemed by the whole COM
munity, and the excitement ran very high
on the streets all day Saturday there was
much talk of making short work of the man
If the sheriff succeeded in bringing him back
to Owatonna.
Word was received before night that hurry
had arrested his man and would be upon the
O'Clock train, and when the train arrived
there was at least 200 men gathered at the
depot with the intention Of relieving the
sheriff Of his charge; but the sheriff had
been advised of the feeling and had hack
ready and unloaded his charge before the
train pulled down to the depot, and drove
in haste to the jail, before the mob
was aware Of what was being done. When
the crowd discovered they had been defeated
they followed double quick to the jail and q
greatly excited crowd at once surrounded
the building with yells and cries Of ''hang
him." Sheriff Murphy was accompanied by
his deputy, Tiffany, and the sheriff from
Olmsted county and two or three other par
ties. He soon came out and talked TO the
crowd in quiet little speech. and succeeded
in convincing them that there
was considerable doubt about the
man who was under arrest being the party
who committed the crime, and that the bet
ter way was TO wait, at least till the party had
committed. After some delsy md much
talk the crowd one By one and in little
groups walked away, and by 10 O'Clock all
was quiet.
Yesterday at p m. the funeral of Police
man Blair was held at the Congregational
church. All the business houses in the city
were closed. The funeral was conducted
under the management Of the G.. A R., Of
which Blair was a member. He had also
been a member Of the OyatOnna cornet band
since its organization. This band and the
German band Of the city were in attendance
at the funeral which was very largely at
tended, the procession Of carriages going to
the cemetary being three-Quarters Of mile
in length Blair was poor, hard working
man and leaves q wife and one son about
six years old, with no means Of support A
petition was circulated yesterday and largely
signed, asking the city council to appropri-
ate $500 from the city treasury 70. the ben e.
st of the widow.