Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-05
~ETnJ 49,

4, ,pN|W' OJuet tO Keep w ltucI-
~HinT an4 rell's lpressnce in the
city secret, nu arriving &c Florence, .
little town fifteen miles east OF here,
left the train and drove to town In q
covered carnage. The fact that the
murderer was here soon leaked out. and 8
mob OF hundred citiz ans
soon organized, and early in the evening
marched to the all and
demanded the release OF Wtthereu. A
strong guard had been placed around the
building in anticipation OF an attack, and
| the sherif, feeling confident Of his ability
TO PROTECT HIS PRISONER,
refused the request, and told the mob kny
ATTEMPT to force IN entrance would re
| suit in the death OF number OF them
The mob rallied but did not disband.
Meetings were held and one CT two in
efectual attempts were made to gain en-
trance to the jail. q
A little before this morning Q KNOCK
was heard at the kitchen door which eyn.
nected with the ISL, and the sheriheHho
was then asleep, WAS awakened pT the
guard. The sheriff gave the keys o. the
cells to his little boy, and went to tine
door, and in reply to his quesaAg<
"who IS there" ne received answer, rs
friend who wishes to leave you some ins
formation. An attack is to be made OF
the il."
TIE sheriff opened the door, and be
was almost instantly grabbed by the
throat, tsken into the yard and gagged,
while soma twenty MASKED and armed
men rushed into the j,il, overpowered
the guards ald began 5 search for the
|, keys. Not finding them, they began an
attack upon the steel cage in which With
ersll was confined and literally tore II to
pi> ces.
EWher this began Wiherell broke up
his bedstead and with q huge club stoesa
ready to meet his enemies. When nEsh-
trance was effected ne jumped intds the
midst of the mob,
SHOCKING THIN DOWN "a,
right ard left. S.vsral Of the attacking
party fred upon him and he fell into the
corridor with his right arm and shoM9Ef
shattered. Witnerell got up as soon o.,
he recovered from the shock and sto98
perfectly still until his broken arm WAS
bound fast to his other one. This must
have caused intense pain, though DC
never moved . muscle or showed any
signs Of 1t.
he then quietly marched along with
his csptors through one portion Of the
city until they reached 3 telegraph pole
near the penitentisry, where he was
strung up 10 the cross-bar. After hang
ing a few minutes he was lowered
to the ground and asked II he had any
thing to cay. He only shock his head.
Again 81
| he WAS STRUNG UP ~
and this time TO stay.
The murderer remained as stolcsl as @
block Of wood, and he would not utter .
word. He did not display the least par.
| tcle OF w akness, and when he WAS puilsd
into the sir, not q muscle seeeasd to
| culver. There was rot q movement
visible, and it seemed m Ore like the pull
ing up OF hog than that OF human be-
ing.
The body remained hanging till la:e
this morning, when 1t was cut down by
the coroner.
Witherelllwas about forty years OF age,
and the crimes with which he Is charged
are most brutal. In 1872 Witherell .yTas
herding sheep for man named WISH In
Ebert county, this state. He aud an.
other herder named Wright agreed to
kill Wall and steal the hero. One day afief
this understanding was had Wal ucnme
out 70 the herd, ana Witherep, aascked|
him with Q club and best his brains Qua
The herders then drove the sheep to New
Mexico and sold them Both were CAP
tured, and WithereI WAS sentenced to the
penitentiIry for life, and his accomplice
for eight yesrs. Witherell was pardoned
year ago, after
SERVING FIFTEEN YEARS.
BE immediately went to Irontnn, little
town in the mount. ms OF the southern
part of the state. Last Sept. moer he, in
company with two Swedes named
jansen, started from Ironton to Silverton.i
Witherell arrived there in due time TssB
the horses and wagons, but the SRedes
we're never heard from and 1t is believed
he murdered them and hid the bodies In,
an abandoned mine. TIE murders has
lever been proved. go
Hswent from Silverton TO Pueihgxnd
sold the horses for $500 Herehe be-
came acquainted with Mccain, who own
ed TWO tesms, and employed him to go
to 3 mine he claimed 10 own to hsul ore.
The man started sbout the middle Of
October for this place. The next heard
of Witherell he WAS in Denver with the
.treightitg outfit, hut Mccain could not
be fSand. Witherell was arrested and
seArS was instituted and McCain's
bQaJSQith the bead fulIad buckshot, wss
$50 Buried in the sana few miles from
this Ssy where the two had csmped one
sew sn RiatsrsdiIi somiss.. Joseph