St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-17

my anu nung from the HagStat OF the court
house in eXpiation of the murder of his law
partner, f. G. Small. Although not uneX-
pected the affair has created the profound
est sensation in this city, and while the
swift punishment melted out to the culprit
is condemned, it is generally conceded that
it was richly merited.
The crime for which Bell was sent to his
account consisted in the cOld-blooded and
atrocious murder of Forest G. Small, a
lawyer. formerly of Sterling, H., Dec. 4
last The mob gained easy access to the
Jail because the locks and bars were worth
less. No such movement being anticipated
there was no guard in the jail
and the jailer and deputy who slept IN
the building were corraled in their room.
The lyncherS did not take more than fifteen
minutes, at the end of which time the
sheriff arrived from his hotel and cut down
the victim, the mob dispensing at his APP
proach.
The affair was badly managed and bun
gled and so hastily was it done that
his arms were not even pinioned. While
the lynching was in progress the dread
silence was broken by the ringing of the
telephone, and fearing that the work would
not be accomplished several of the mob
sought to expedite the job by pulling his
body. which dangled about two feet from
the ground. When cut down.
BELL WAS STILL ALIVE.
and his pulse continued to beat for several
minutes. The mob started in Harold and
received accessions in Blunt, leaving the
latter place at dark in all manner of vehi-
cles, the last of them arriving an hour too
lgte to participate. Deputy Sheriff Chase
Iaft blunt holt hOur in advance
But, LOSING HIS WAY
on a piece of burnt prairie, only got to the
sheriff when the crowd arrived at the jail
and too late to raise posse. When seized
Bell cried murder" three times be-
fore his voice was Stihed and once more
when the rope was put over his head.
There was no attempt to harm the confess
ing accomplice, Bennett, who was in jail
when they came through. They came pro-
vided with two ropes already prepared.
The district court is in session and the case
was before the grand jury, with prOba-
bility of Indictment to-day, but the term
being necessarily short it was feared the
case would have to be continued, and that
BELL WOULD ESCAPE JUSTICE.
The proofs of his guilt and of the enor-
nifty of the crime have accumulated since
the discovery of Smalfs body, and each
new detail of atrOeity in the conception
and commission of the crime increased
the popular Indignation. Had not
the town been alarmed by telephone at
every public place, Bennett, the accessory,
would undoubtedly have suffered, but in
twenty minutes over two hundred people
were on the ground from the hotels. When
one of Bells counsel undertook to start
81, limit fo, Ioct inor Hor-
rold mob took possession of the stable
where his rig is kept and
REFUSED TO LET 1T GO OUT.
They waited till the telegraph office was
closed and the operator was off duty before
allowing their purpose to be known in
Blunt, which was made the rendezvous, and
secured all the vehicles they could to pre-
clude pursuit Not one of the mob has
when they left Blunt nor had they any dis
guise of any kind till they came here.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Bell suffered was
committed on the 4th of last December. j.
II. Bell and his victim, F. g. Small, were
both practicing attorneys in the town OF
Harold. Small was very popular, and last
fall he received the Republican nomination
This created jealousy between
the men, and Bell concocted a
scheme to remove Small from the
law business of the district In order TO
carry out his scheme he took into his conf
dence one Ferdinand Bennett, at that time
in his employ. On the 4th of last Deem
Der Small left Harold on his pony for
Blunt to attend lawsuit and hearing of
this Bell and Bennett started after him in
a buggy When they overlook Small Bell
asked him how much he would take to set
tie a suit for SO then pending between
them. Small told him he would settle it
for just the exact amount. Bell told him
he would give him SIS and Small said he
would never quarrel with man over a dol
lar and Bell asked him to get off his pony
and write out an agreement. While Small
was writing on the buggy cushion Bell
stepped up behind him and pulled out
Of his Oyercoat pocket small
Ratchet and struck Small in the back
of his neck, and buried the Ratchet so that
it could not be seen. After pulling it out
he struck him once or twice 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 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 further the idea that Small
had skipped" he swOre out a warrant for
his arrest ON a charge of perjury. Bell and
Bennett left Harold finally, and gradually
suspicious began to be aroused. Bennett
was traced to Fairbank and the story Of the
crime wormed out of him. He and Bell
were at once arrested and placed in the Jail,
where the lynchers found them.