Omaha daily bee., 1888-08-01
SWUNG HIN FROM A BRIDGE.
Masked Mon Lynch Murderer EN-
mons at Pawnee City.
HE LAYS 1T ALL TO WHISKY.
With the Rope About His Neck He
Delivers an Address on the Evils
of fIntemperance-Ot
State News.
Made HIM Walk the Trestlc.

PAwNEE CITY, Neb., July 31.-tSpecial
Telegram TO THE BEE. Fremont Emmons.
the murderer of Bertha Schultz, is no more.
Last night just before midnight mob came
into town from near Dubois, the home of the
murdered girl composed of hundred men
well organized and armed to the teeth. They
at once surrounded the court house SQUARE,
shutting off every avenue of escape should
such an attempt be made and one of them
commenced the hunt for the murderer.
Search revealed the fact that the Jail was
open. The vgilantos at once conjectured that
the officers of the law were trying to spirit
him away and this proved to be true After
continuing the search until about | o'clock
however Emmons was found in the third
story of the court house under guard of the
officers. With q shout of Here he is
the crowd started for their man.
He tried to defend himself with chair, but
both Emmons and the guards were soon
overpowered and the prisoner taken away
from them. The mob was organized before
reaching town, and every move was like
clockwork The prisoner was taken to the
Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska railroad bridge
in the west part of the city; minister was
called to pray for him. He was then per-
mitted to pray for himself and to make a
short speech. In his prayer he asked God to
forgive him for the murder of Miss Schultz
and to pardon the men who were about to
take his life if they were guilty of any crime.
In his address he reviewed his life for the
past two years. He said he had once been a
christian bat had fallen into evil ways
through drink. He admonished young
men to avoid it as deadly enemy
TO their happiness in life. He said
he had killed Miss Schultz because
she had refused his love and had told things
about him which were untrue. When he had
finished speaking handkerchief was placed
about his face and he was told to move out on
the trestle or he would be pushed. He
said he preferred to jump and when he got
to the edge of the track stopped at the com
mand given and jumped. The jump was
eighteen feet below and left him hanging
about four feet above ground. His neck
was broken instantly and he died without a
struggle. The sheriff cut him down this
morning and n coroner's inquest was held
II was decided that he came to his death at
the hands of parties to the jury unknown.
He left hs watch in the hands Of the
minister for his relatives who live in Kan
sas.
The crime for which Enmons was hung
was committed here last Thursday. Emmons
was second cook at the Exchange hotel and
Bertha Schultz was the laundry girl. He
proposed to her and she rejected him. He
told her he would kill her unless she mar
red him, and sharpened his pocket knife
with the avowed purpose Of carrying out his
threat.
In the evening about Z, as she was rcturn-
ing from visit, Emmons met her in the
yard adjoining the hotel A few words
passed between them, when, with quick
movement, he drew the knife and plunged it
into her breast. She fell to the ground cry
ing: "Hc's killed me! He's killed me
Where is my dear motherl" and died in
about twenty minutes.
Emmons was at once placed under arrest
by the sheriff and taken to jail On the way
there he admitted to the officer that he had
sharpened his knife for the purpose of kill
ing the girl. Miss Schultz was poor but of
good reputation, while Emmons was known
Is n hard character. Her home was near
Dubois, where she had mother living