Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-08-29
CRIME RECORD.
Dr.. Lynch of Sturgis Shot and the
Murderer Lynched.
A Killing al Spearflsh.
DASTARDI.Y DEED.

dast; rdly dead known to the crimina
annals Of the Hills. occurred at Sturyis
at i o'clock Saturday night, by whicl
DIR. ii. +, Lynch, a pioneer to this local
| ity, and one of the best known men il
| Lawrence county, was instantly killed
THE ALARMING sH t.
From NJ V. Castner. one of the frs
to reach the locality, we CLEAN the fol
lowing:
At about II O'clock I was standing OF
the corner with p. K. Sparks and Watch
man Soutcr, when we heard the ropor
of pistol in the direction OF DR.
Lynch's. We FASTENED to the locality
found the store door open and mum
Der of persons inside. We entered and
found the doctor seated in chair. his
head resting back upon the counter
dead. Souter promptly cleared the room
OF all but two or three persons, sent for
a doctor and locked the door. Doctor
Pratt speedily arrived, and upon OK.
animation, found a bullet hole through
the right arm opposite the nipple, and
upon the right side, from whence doubt
less, the ball traversed the body, lodging
in the heart Death must have been
instantaneous. When shot the doctor
was seated in his shirt sleeves, about
twenty feet from, and his right side to-
wards, the door, reading the Chicago
Times; and from the fact that the paper
was in his hama and his glasses on it
would appear that he had no intimation
of the presence or approach Of his as
sassin. Among those present when we
arrived were couple of coored women.
living in an adjoining building, who
stated that they were in bed when the
shot alarmed them. Hastily rising and
dressing they rushed to the store as the
doctor was gasping his last They heard
him calling to Fraser tone of the wo.
mem for help, but he was dead before
they reached his side. They saw no
other person leaving or in the store.
The shirt Of the deceased was not pow.
derburned.
Coroner Wright concluded an inquest
during Monday afternoon with verdic,
from the jury that deceased came 10 his
death by a pistol shot inflicted Will.
fclonious intent by Ross HALLS. corporal
Company A, Twenty-iifth infantry.
IYNCHED.
Early Monlay the better class of citi-
zens of Stnrgi3 who had determined to
umcarth the mystery surrounding the
death Of Dr. Lynch, became satisfied
that HALLS was the guilty party, aud
they at once resolved that he sheuld
speedily suffer for his great offensc
They fland the man ni,h whom he had
exchanged clothing, and to whom he
had repeatedly declared an intention oi
killing the doctor they found the party
from whom he had pur based ammuni
ton, and the, found the deadly weapon
with which the unproyokcl crime was
committed. The facts were laid before
the coroner's jury, and with the verde,
of the latter to, In Il measure, justify
them, they proceeded with their self
imposed mission. HALLS rested in tho
calaboose, under the guardianship o
John Mcdonald and Norman McCauley
when, at about 9 o'clock, two score O
masked men qu city drew near, and ir
a manner SO cautious that not soul ab
sent from the building was aware Of the
event Gas they say obtained custody o
the prisoner, and as silently retired tt
Fiddler's Tree, rear Of the Catholic
church, where, with little ceremony ant
delay the guilty wretch was suspended
'twixt heaven and earth. The identity
of the mute band Of cxccu;ioners, il
place of abode and aught else pertainin,
to it, was not divulged and never will
be known. Like a phantom cortege j
appeared, and, performing it's work
vanished from sight. Two hours latte
, detachment of the Twenty-fifth infan
try under command Of Captain Jackson
arrived at the calaboose to protect IIalli
from violence The situation was thel
disclosed, and all Sturgis was startled {?
by the announcement.
| At Fort Meade it aroused great indie
nation and mutterings Of vengeanc
against the town and people, among tn
comrades Of the assassin. To. proven
trouble, General Sturgis ordered
strong detail of the seventh cavalry t.
the threatened town. and none too sool
for scarcely had the detachment starte'
ere a mob of colored soldiers was en-
countered and turned back The caval
rymen patroled the streets until day
light, as did, also, many a well-arme
citizen; and thus disaster was avertec
LAW AND ORDER COMMITTEE.
At a meeting Of the committee yestei
day. it was decided, among other things
to order Badly Ford to leave town. Til
hat was passed round and Sl3 collected
Baldy was met OH the street and not
fed that lie mns' leave town With
fifteen minutes that certain Clrriag