The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-04-24

omtGn n6l0 IN evening session OF court until
nearly midnight, and when he left the build.
Barck and Turnkey Deringer About 2
O'Clock In the morning . sharp rap was heard
on the outside door, accompanied BY Q call
for Jack Barck. The deputy sheriff replied
BY asking what was wanted. The man on
the outside said: @We want the keyas
sheriff had them. The crowd outside then
told Barck and the turnkey to remain par
fectly quiet under penalty Of death. and
they soon demolished the lock on the out
side door with sledge hammer. Advancing
to the Jail, which 10 In the basement Of the
In, and finding Bells cell they soon
moose around the priscner's neck,
commenced dragging him out Bell
BEGGED AND PRAYAD FOE ms LIE,
but to no purpose. after which he began
:creaming smurder" at: the top Of hi. volos,
!inprovised gallows Residents in the neigh.
borhood Were awakened by the noise and
viewed the proceedings through the dark.
ness Arriving at the flag pole, which Il
about fifty feet In front Of the court house,
cross bar was nailed at about fifteen feet
from the ground and one end Of the inch
twinkling the alleged murderer was pay.
Ing the penalty Of his crime Making tho end
of the rope fast to the flag pole, the mob dis.
persed. leaving the body dangling in the air.
Upon the first approach of the mob the turn.
key called up Sheriff Harris by telephone,
formed him of what was going
on, and moment after, the lynchers
hearing the telephone bell ring, cut the wire.
Sheriff Harris arrived Immediately on the
ground, where quite crowd had assembled
and cut the body down Life was not quite
extinct, but the man was so far gone that all
efforts to revive him were fruitlesa
BENNETT NARROWLY ESCAPED.
1t was the evident intention Of the mob to
hang both Bell and Bennett, but the dis.
turbance created caused them to leave, and
escape detection. Both ropes arc In posses.
sion of the sheriff, and are about twelve feet
new. The knot tied is the regulation hang.
mans knot prepared by q skilled hand
Bennett was nearly parslyzed with fear, and
after passing through the ordeal he appears
ten years older this morning. While It is
generally conceded that Bell was guilty, Q
grss great +Ss deal Of Indignation ls expressed
and an insult to the court which is now n
session here. There was reason to expect
that the prisoner would receive q speedy
trial, and the act Of these midnight
marauders is almost n dark as tho deed Boil
BELL FEARED LYNCHMo
Your correspondent paid Bell q visit only Q
few hours previous to his death. He was
feeling very nervous over the ruinor that q
mob was liable to enter his cell on any night,
and asked the reporter II such sentiment
prevailed. When told that there was, he 70.
piled:
IF they hung me they would hang an tnuoosnt
man."
"It looks like clear case against you,. said
4 admit that IT does" replied Bell. -but can
establish my Innocence. What part Bennett
played In tho murder Of Small I do not know,
but I shall prove at the proper timi
fled. was far away from the scene Of the
crime
Are you ready to 60 to trial2.
settle this mystery: and % ali ask Is chsnos ,o9 %
my life"
The coroner's inquest. which was held to.
day, returned verdict In accordance with
the above facts. The grand jury is now ia
an accessory to the crime.
attorneys in the town of Harold. Last fall
Small was nominated by the Republicans Of
Hughes county for prosecuting attorney. ThiA
made Bell jealous OF him, and he and 1 follow
BY the name of Ferdinand Bennett, who Was at
the time an employe Of Bells, set to work to
IouON0 CLubu 1IOEl tu0 UOWu, 8uO t0of0Dy
have q clear field in the law business them
selves On the 4th Of last December Small
left Harold on his pony for Blunt to attend .
lawsuit, aud hearing OF this Bell and Bennett
started after him in q buggy. Whom
they overlook Small, Bell asked him
how much he would take to settle suit for
ZIG then pending between them. Small
told him be would settle it for just the exact
amount Bell told him he would give hin
t15, and Small said he would never quar-
rel with . man over . dollar, and Bell
asked him to get OF his pony and write ont
an agreement While Small was writing on
the buggy cushion Boil stepped up behind
him and pulled out Of his o1srcoaf pocket 4
small hatchet and struck Small in the back
Of his neck, and buried tho hatchet 20 that
it could not be seen After pulling II out
he struck him once or twics more and
Bell and Bennett then lifted the corpse into
the buggy. After driving around for two or
three miles they came to some breaking four
miles north Of Harold, where they dug .
hole about two feet deep with Q spade which
Bell had in the buggy, and then chucked the
body in. They drove back to Harold and on
the next day Bell went to Huron, and to fur.
ther the idea that Small had 'skipped," he
swore out warrant for his arrest on charge
Of perjury. Bell and Bennett left Harold a.
nslly, and gradually suspicion bsgsn to b
aroused. Bennett was traced to Fairbank and
the story Of the crime wormed out Of him. 81
and Bell were ct once arrested and placed in
the jail, where the lynchers found them