Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-04-23

- SA
PfEnRE. Oak, Special Teleo,.-
The Bell murder trial has 80, y
{ higher court where venue Il nav
and cofftinuances are urkpo.s
act OF this drama in real life va.
Q o'clock yesterday morning sa
mob OF twenty-five men ensssss
from the east early THURSDAY
eeeded 70 the Jail, took from
murderer, j. W. Bell, and hume i nsss
pole in 'front.' of the court hon.. I'm I'd
Transaction occupying less thar ns
ntes Some time ago Bell was mses
The murder OF Forrest @. small alesN
on Dec. a, 1854 The evSSauuh1
the accused was chiefly c,ruse
This was strengthened by ~ sasns
OF one Bennett, who cfaims, I'M
been an eyewitness Of the aNst.
lion to this on the 4th % AMI H.. .
shefift's posse to the place wbeya me
Small Was found buried IN AeeA
This fastened the guilt so firmly sara
the further examination was cova nsa
with only as n matter OF form m. ~
was bound over TO await action T. 20
Jury, and Bennett was also boura -
witness in the sun of SOC. OoO IN W
lime public feeling ran high s,s
much almost against Bennett
Bell. Bumors OF anticipated ly,,cs.I
rife, but as nothing was done i grs
the interest in the case wore Of
TIE FATAL NIGHT.
Wednesday night last no unUsn.l
noticeable about the court honsa
Smith held an evening session 81 49,
nearly midnight, and when he left n.
ing there only remained Denn,r
Barck and Turnkey Deringer
o'clock in the morning q sharp ran ,s,.d
on the outside door, accompanied IL
for Jack Barck. The deputy Siberia
by asking what was wanted. Ths
the outside said %We want n.
Barck told them he had no KEYS. hu, N
sheriff had them. The crowd autrss.
told Barck and the turnkey to remss
fectly quiet under penalty Of ds,s
they soon demolished the lock ON \.
side door with a sledge hammer. AN.
10 the Iail, which 10 IN the basemeot }
court house, they smashed the loct
In, and finding Bells cell ths,
destroyed tie lock, and. plas,
moose around the prisoners
commenced dragging him out
BEoGED AND PRAYAp FoR HIg I'm
but to no purpose, after which NJ
screaming @murder" at. 5he top Of NJ
lighting every step Of the way To tn \
lmproyised gallows Residents in n.
borhood were awakened by the nos
viewed tho proceedings through H.
ness. Arriving at the flag pofs. W.
| about fifty feet ifi front of the cont
a bar was nailed at about aftsr
from the ground aud one end Of a.
hemp rope was swung over the Ia, \
a twinkling the alleged murderer ~
ing the penalty OF his crime. MakinrRl
Of the rope fast to the flag pole, the rSl
persed. leaving the body dangling In 4
Upon the first approach of the mobt In
key called up Sheriff Harris BY ters
who was at his residence. as
formed him of what was
on, and a moment after, the M
hearing the telephone bell ring, cut h
Sheriff Harris arrived immediatey 4
ground, where quite a crowd had ass,pl
and cut the body down. Life was nOtd
extinct, but the nan was so far gone b
efforts TO revive him were frIitless
EMMETT NARROWLY EscAPEp
It was the evident inteution Of the n
hang both Bell and Bennett, but ID
tufbsnce created caused them 10 leaY,
escape detection. Both ropes are IN
sion of the sheriff, and are about tsehs
long, one inch iii diameter, and an
new. The knot tied is the regulator \
mans knot, prepared by a skilled
Bennett was nearly paralyzed with ieUi
after passing through the ordeal be "a
ten years older this morning. WRk
generally conceded that Bel was ri
great deal Of indignation Is sTr
over tho commission Of the IND
IL IL regarded as an u
and an insult 20 the our which kn
session here. There was reason TO
that the prisoner would receive a d
trial, and the act of these md
marauders is almost as dark as the dez
was accused of committing.
BELL FEABED LYSCmNG
Your correspondent paid Bell a yist
few hours previous to his death III
feeling very nervous over the rumw :
mob was liable TO enter his CELL on any
and asked the reporter II such sss
prevailed. When told that there WA
piled:
IF they hung me they would hang an hs
man"
1T looks like a clear case against y3
the reporter.
Il admit that IL does, " replied Bell, M
establish my innocence. What part y
played i'll the murder OF Small, l do ns
but / shall prove at the prgp& +
that ON that December day, a. the hsu 4
hed, l was far away from the scene I
crime
Are Won ready 20 go to trial?-
Eyes, any day said Bell i am ANN
settle this mystery: and all ask is ssn
my life"
The coroner's inquest, which was
day, returned q verdict in accordanfz /
the above facts. The grand jury i 4
session, and Bennett was indictedfg |
an accessory TO the crime.
]. H. Bell and f. G. Small were ba
attorneys in the town OF Harold u
Small was nominated by the RepuAa4
Hughes county for prosecuting atoms
made Bell jealous OF him, and he ANAL
|, by the name Of Ferdinand Bennett yp 4
the time an employee of Bells, set 70 VI
remove Small from the town, and u
have a clear field ia the law bushes !
selves. On the 4th OF last Decembsf [
left Harold on his pony for Blunt bs4
lawsuit, aud hearing OF this Bell And y
started after him in a bugC |
they overlook Small, Bell askg /
how much he would take to settle 4
sl6 then pending between them !
told him he would settle il for Just tk}
amount Bell told him he would N
els, and Small said no would never 4
rel with a man over a dollar, saI
asked him 20 get of his pony and N
an agreement While Small was Wrn3
the buggy cushion Bell stepped up \
him and pulled ont " his o~yercoat
small Ratchet and struck Small IN M
of his neck, and buried tho hatches n
IL could not be seen. After pulling
he struck him once or twice nsnI
Bell and Bennett then lifted the eopI
the buggy. After driving around fr
three miles they came TO some breakgI
miles north OF Harold, where thes !
hole about two feet deep with a spas
Bell had il .ae busy, and then chaai
body in. They drove back 10 Harold Il
the next day Bell went 10 Huron, and
thes the idea that Small had ''skipPaI
swore out a warrant for his arrest ont !
Of perjury. Bell and Bennett lef' by
nally, and gradually suspicion bssta
aroused. Bennett was traced 10 falrosAI
the story OF the crime wormed out Of nkI
and Bell were at once arrested and psal
the Jail, whe Q the lynchers found then
The barn and fortv-tnree hwI