The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-02-27
RlDDLED WITH LEAD,

Enc swift Vengeance Melted Out 70 Tor.
aan earker, Train wreckcr-put !,
Serribls Torture-Taken From jan ana
MADE to Stand up Before THIRTY I've
Loaded Rides.
NEW ORLEANS, January 2.-Justice
swift and terrible has overtaken Jordan
Parker, the train-wrecker, who took
tue lives of Robert Turner, the en-
glneer, and his fireman, William Con-
way. The whole terrible story has
been obtained by the New Orleans Pic
ayune.
1t was on Monday night, December
", that the locomotive of the north
bound "cannon-ball' train flew down
from the track in a curve about a mile
north of Purvis Station, ninety-iye
miles from the city. With rare hero
Ism and in%trepidity, Robert Turner. the
sell -sacriticing hero, turned on the mir
and shut off the steam even at the in.
stant when the ponderous machinery
was flying through the air. Thus he
was found in death, aud beside him Law
his faithful fireman, Conway. The lives
OF perhaps a hundred people were thus
spared, Tor the train had not run over
n hundred and fifty feet after striking
the obstruction. So widespread and in
tensely bitter vas the feeling against the
monster who c~ou.dconceive and execute
80 inferEsi ascheme that unusual efforts
We're Iiade to find ous the perpetrator.
Detectives We're employed by the rail
road company, and it fell to the lot Of
Detective Hewlett, of Meridian, Miss,
to be successful. In company with
Station Foreman d. e. Arlington, he,
on last Thursday night. proceeded to
the humble house of Jordan Parker,
just a few yards above where the wreck
occurred, and about a mile north of
Puryis Station. They found the old
man at home, and placed him under ar
rest without any trouble. The old
mans wife and children entered
a protest, 1t is true, but only q mild one.
Parker was detained in custody Mt Pur-
Wis until the arrival of a train bound
south, when he was placed aboard and
conveyed to Poplarville, where he was
to undergo preliminary examination
before Justice of the Peace L. J. Hardy,
of Marion County, Miss. His wife and
little son, about ten years old, followed,
and on Friday, oil arrangements beng
perfected, and the witnesses being on
hand. the trial commenced.
Like wlldfre the news of Parker's ar
rest few along the line of the railroad,
both by train d by telegraph, and
when the prisoner was brought into
court quite a crowd was present. the
evidence was by no G conclusive,
but Judge Hardy sent the case to the
County Court, which holds its session
at Columbia, about forty miles west
of Po%plarville, and the officers had ar
ranged to escort him thither on Sun
day.
While the processes of the law were
thus being duly observed, another and
sterner, more unyielding and terrible
Judge was making preparations to try
the se-on from whom there
was no appeal, and whose convic.
ton fell like the thunderclap, and
whose sentence followed as Swift.
ly as the light, the dreaded Judge
Lynch. No witness was summoned be
fore his tribunal, no lawyer pleaded
for the accused or against him, and moi
long after the Justic of tie Peace hac
ordered the accused to appear for tria
at Columbia he had been condemned tx
death. OF executioners of the fiat Their,
were many, and of all these thirty-tiv'
determined men were selected and thu
same evening they boarded a south
bound special train for Pop~laryille. A
2:19 o'clock Saturday morning they ar
rived there and straightway proceeded
to the jail at Poplaryille. They wer'
armed with axes, crowbars, hatchets
double barreled shotguns and reyolvers
and without order or words marche'
away from the depot. They secured
piece of railroad iron and with q "yo
heave, ho," they battered the impro
vised ram against the door and it he,
from its fastenings.
Crouched in q far corner of the roor
like a tiger at bay, was old Parker. Hi
Jet black eyes were flashing fire an
no tremor of fear shook his sturd
frame, so INJURED to hardship and expo
sure. His son was by his side. but nel
ther of them spoke, doubtless surprise
by the suddenness and fury Of the Al
tack. Not longdid the old man renal
thus, however, for rs the bearded face
of the men appeared at the opening, a
of them %ferocious in their aspect, b.
limbs trembled, for we'll he knew wht
their purpose was. At 8 o'clock-nt
quite an hour after the special freigl
train in which the party came had lie
the depot-another south-bound freigl
train drew into the depot, and the pri!
oners and their captors boarded the CT
boose. Parker whined, begged an
threatened them, all the time stoutly PIT
t~estinghis innocence but to no avail. TI
men were convinced of his guilt, and I'll
blood of their dead comrade was or,
ing from the ground. The train star
ed. and then the men, having secure
Parker in such a way that he could n
escape, released the boy and question:
him. They promised their question
bv informing him that they were goir
to kill his father and desired him
tell the truth. They did not, und
the circumstances, propose to harm
hair of the boys head they only broug
him with them to hear his stor
Whether he lied or did not lie was il
material, for oil he conld say or I
would not prevent them from carryil
out the decision of Judge Lynch, WI
had duly tried and convicted his fathe
The boy then made cle'
breast Of it and said his fat
er had certainly wrecked t
train. He had often Threatened to
SO, bus his mother dissnaded him a
pointed out the danger he would inc
Aso effectually that he changed his mir
Or last Monday he said his father re
erdted tho ~oft-repeated threat and aga
did his mother try to dissuade him, b
TO no avail. Then the boy asked his