The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-04-24
IxNoHrua Ar r1rRRn, DAKOTA.

and continuances are unknown. The last
act of this drama in real life was enacted Mt
Q o'clock yesterday morning. A masked
mob of twenty-five men entered the town
from the east early Thursday morning, pro-
ceeded to the Jail, took from thence the
murderer, j.. W. Bell, and hung him to a flag
mole in front of the court house. the whole
transaction occupying less than fifteen min
utes. Some time ago Bell was arrested for
the murder Of Forrest G. Small, near Harold
on Dec. f.. 1854. The evidence against
the accused was chiefly circumstantiaL
This was strengthened by the confession
of one Bennett, who claimed to have
been an eyewitness of the affair. In add.
ton to this on the 4th of April Bennett led a
sheriff's posse to the place where the body of
Small was found buried in a grain field.
This fastened the guilt SO firmly on Bell that
the further examination was gone through
with only as q matter of form. The accused
was bound over to await action by the grand
fury, and Bennett was also bound over as a
witness in the sum of 500, 600. In the mean
time public feeling ran high, directed as
much almost against Bennett as against
Bell Rumors of anticipated lynching were
rife, out ar nothing was done q great deal Of
the interest in the case wore of.
THE FATAL NIGHT.
Wednesday night last no unusual stir was
noticeable about the court house. Judge
Smith held an evening session Of court until
nearly midnight, and when he left the build
ing there only remained Deputy Sheriff
Barck and Turnkey Deringer. About 2
o'clock in the morning a 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 keys"
Parck told them he had NO KEYS. but that the
sheriff had them. Tn crowd1outside then
told Barck and the turnkey to remain per-
fectly quiet under penalty of death, and
they soon demolished the lock on the out
side door with a sledge hammer. Advancing
to the jail, which is in the basement of the
court house, they smashed the lock, went
In, and finding Bells cell they soon
destroyed the lock, and, placing a
moose around the prisoners neck,
commenced dragging him out Bell
BEGGED N PRAYAD FOR bis LIFE,
but to no purpose, after which he began
screaming murder" at. the top of his voice,
fighting every step of the way to the hastily
improvised 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 ia
about fifty feet in front Of the court house,
O cross bar was nailed at about fifteen feet
from the ground and one end of the inch
hemp rope was swung over the bar, and in
a twinkling the alleged murderer Vas pay
ing the penalty of his crime. Making the 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 moi the turn
key called up Sheriff Harris by telephone,
who was at his residence, and in
formed him of what was going
on, and a moment after, the lynchers
hearing the telephone bell ring, cut the wire.
Sheriff Harris arrived immediately on the
ground, where quite a crowd had assembled,
and cut the body down Life was not quite
ovtinnf huf fhn man VUqG S0 fay roma that all
efforts to revive him were fruitless.
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 are In possess
sion of the sheriff, aud are about twelve feet
long, one inch in diameter, and are brand
new. The knot tied is the regulation hang
mans knot, prepared by a skilled hand
Bennett was nearly paralyzed with fear, and
after passing through the ordeal he appears
ten years older this morning. While IL Is
generally conceded that Bel was guilty, q
great deal of indignation is expressed
over the commission of the lynching:
1t Is regarded as an outrage
and an insult to the court which is now In
session here. There was reason to expect
that the prisoner would receive a speedy
trial, and the act of these midnight
marauders is almost as dark as the deed Bell
was accused Of committing.
BELL FEARED LYNCHTNG.
Your correspondent paid Bell a visit only q
few hours previous to his death. he was
feeling very nervous over the rninnr that a
mob was liable to enter his cell on any night,
and asked the reporter If such sentiment
prevailed. When told that there was, ne re-
piled:
If they hung me they would hang an innocent
man."
1T looks like a clear case against you." said
J0n rpn0TtHT. 4&A
4 admit that it does replied Bell, but / can
establish my innocence. What part Bennett
played in the murder OF Small, do not know.
but / shall prove at the proper time
that on that December day, at the hour speci.
fed. / was far away from the scene OF the
crime
Are you ready to 90 to trial?"
Yes, any day" said Bell. Il am anxious to
settle this mystery; and all / ask Is q chance Ioi
my life
day, returned a verdict In accordance with
the above facts. The grand jury Is now IN
session, and Bennett was indicted Tor being
an accessory to the crime.
j. II. Bell and +. G.. Small were both young
attorneys in the town of Harold. Last fall
Small was nominated by the RepnDicans q
Hughes county for prosecuting. attorney. Inns
made Bell jealous OF him, and he and a fellow
by the name of Ferdinand Bennett, who was at
the time an employee of Bells, set to work 70
remove Small from the town, and thereby
have a clear field In the law business them,
selves. On the 4th of last December Small
left Harold on his pony for Blunt to attend 2
started after him in q buggy. When
they overlook Small, Bell asked him
how much he would take to settle o suit for
ZIG then pending between them. Small
told him he would settle it for Just tne exsci
amount Bell told him he wac:id give him
VIC, and Small said he would never guar,
rel with q man over q dollar, and Bel
asked him to get of his pony and write out
an agreement While Small was writing on
the buggy cushion Bell stepped mp behind
him and pulled out Of his oyercoat pocket 2
small Ratchet and struck Small In the back
of his neck. and buried the Ratchet so that
It could not be seen. After pulling 1t ont
hs struck him once or twice more ana
Bell and Bennett then lifted the corpse into