Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-10
NHCKTIES.
The Last Of a Notorious Desperate
Gang Pays the Penalty Of His
Crimes on the GalIows.
Career o. -Four Archers, All OF Whom
Die Violent Deaths, Three ON
Tree and One on the tiallovs.

ssnled nooA Of The Archer.


SHOALS, lNp., July 9.--Sam Archer,
the last OF the notorious gang OF despera-
does who terrorzod this community aud
committed bloody murders, was hanged
to-day.
HISTORY or TiiE CRIME
sam Archer was convicted OF murder
10 the flrst degree last January, being
charged With completely in the brutal
murder Of Samuel A. Branon on the lth
OF July, 1882. An abstract Of the crime,
as related Ia Lynoh's confession, Is as FOL
lows; On the 3D. OF Juy Y, 1852, Sam
Morley and Matt Archer rot into a ditll-
Guilty, resulting In the fatal shooting OF
Archer by Morley This epraged the
! older Archers, as they were called, very
much. and they determined to punish
Morley at the tlrst opportunity. TO ac.
complish this end they organized them.
selves into a gang OF six, VIZ, Tom, Mart,
John and Sam Archer, John u. Lynch
and Dave Crane. Mart was chosen cap
tain and adviser. The work of tcrretlng
ont the hiding place OF Morley then
began. Branch's house was guarded
constantly as suspicion rested upon him
as the one wh1 was aiding Morley to
escape, and the Archers resolved TO kill
Branch II he refused 20 reveal Morleys
hiding place.
They met on the afternoon OF July IL,
1889. They seized Branch, took him 20
the Salt Petre cave In Orange county,
where he was shot to death by the gang.
Meanwhile 8 arch was being made after
Branchby HIS friends, which Of course was
frntloss. Themurderers became alarmed
lest the cave might be visited and the So
crot revealed, On the 18th OF the same
month the cave was visited by nrnnch's
murdereis, box was provided and she
remains Of Branch rolled Into H. IL was
deposited on large ush.hcap, whore
the whole was thoroughly saturated with
oil aud the torch applied. Little informa-
tlon concerning the fate OF the missing
man could be learned until tho deserted
wife OF John Archer, who had taken
refuge in the county poor asylum, gave
sufficient evidence concerning the deed 10
Cause the arrest Of the older Archers for
murder. They remained in jau only
short time, until mob threatened
them, when they were fastened
OF 10 Devisse county for safety.
The prisoners were there but a short
time when they expressed desire to re-.
turn to the Shoals, which was granted.
Tho excitement over the appearance Of
t.o ihoo hhu hViucWhhl huhltu WHICH, tnc
| JncheTs mado their last and succossiul
attack. On March 0, 1856, they marched
quietly and unmolcsted into town, theree
to the jail, wnero the work Of battering
down the doors began, which occupied
but few moments. After gaming pos
session OF the prisoners they marched
them into the courtyard and left the trio
swinging to the limbs OF small maple
tree. This ended the daring career OF
Mart, Thomas and John Archer father
son and brother. Only n week later the
last OF the gang, Sam Archer, was ar
rested In Fountain county and was kept
in the state prison until the January term
OF court, when he was brought TO Shoals
county under military escort Of forty
men, who closely guarded his life until
sentence was passed upon him