The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-24
wRONGED BY a MOB.
An Innocent Man and Woman Treated
as Murderers.

an innocent Man and woman treated
as Murderers.
KANSAS CITY, Mo, Sept. 23.-A special
to the Times from Eldorado, Kan, says:
THE details of the mob trial under lynch
law of Alonzo Edwards and mis- wife, Mary,
at Rosalia, Kan, are Of the most revolving
character, and reveal a story of lnhuman
treatment seldom met with, even in the
administration Of border justice MIR. aud
Mrs. Edwards and Henry Bloomer and
wife were engaged as farm hands on the
farm Of George Dudley, ten miles from
Rosala Last Tuesday Mrs. Edwards was
left In charge of the house while the rest OF
the farm hands were sent 60 the fields to
work. TO her was entrusted the care of
the three-year-old child of Mr.. and Mrs.
Boomer
THE CHILD MISSING.
when the party returned to the house
for supper the child was missing. A search
was instituted, but no trace of the child
could be found. All day Wednesday
and Thursday the search was kept
no unsuccessfully. BY this time the
whole couny had been aroused. and
fully LOCO men, women and children had
joined the party. Thursday night crowd
was organized in definite manner and
placed four feet apart. The whole country
was then tramped over for fully two miles
In every direction.
SUSPICIOUS INDIFFERENCE.
During all this time MIR. aud Mrs. Ell
wards displayed an Indifference to the
Child's fate that aroused suspicion, and they
were questioned closely and their answers
seemed to be indefinite to the excited peo-
pie, and they were taken In charge by the
s,sat. i
mob divided itself into two parties. One
took charge of Edwards and the other was
given his wife
MRS. EDWARDS ooNFEssEs.
'Mrs. Edwards is large woman and
en- otional character, aud when commanded
to confess the crime under penalty of being
hanged IL she did not, she hnally said she
bad killed the missing child. She had thrown
a stick of frewood, she said, at a rat in the
kitchen aud hit the child by mistake, kill
Ing 1t instantly, and had thrown the body
into the creek.
THE CORPSE NOT FOUND.
"She was told TO lead the party to the
place where the body had been placed. She
went to place about half q milo from the
house aud indicated il as the right place.
The creek was dragged, but Mrs. Edwards
statement could not be verified She wal
taken TO the nearest tree and rope wa
placed around her neck. She was told the
fate that awaited her if she did not tell
where the body Of the child was TO be
found. She repeated her former asser-
ton.
SUSPENDED IN THE AIR.
"Then she was given an opportunity to
offer prayer, and was then drawn up from
the ground. She was allowed to remain
suspended In the air for q minuts
until her face became black,
She was then lowered TO the ground uncon-
scious. When she recovered she was asked
if she was ready to tell the
truth. II you are not, the
leader said, You will be hanged the next
time until you are dead and your husband
will be buraed at the stake.
too badly frightened to speak,
and assuming the silence to be voluntary
the mob again fastened the rose about her
neck aud She was again suspened in the air.
This time she was permitted to remain
longer, and when cut down she was more
dead than alive.
BLooMER INTERCEDRs
'The mob was about TO hang her the
third time, When Bloomer, father OF the
missing child, persuaded the mob to desist,
only, However, because IL Mrs. Edwards'life
was taken the body Of tho child
could never he found. Mrs.
Edwards was then taken TO tho house aud
guarded II the meantime, that part of
the mob which had Edwards in charge, at
tempted to extort q confession from him.
He protested bis innocence. He, too, was
hanged from a tree, and cut down.
Still he maintained that he was innocent.
Again he was strung up, and again cut
down. He could not besmade to confess.
Friday night the prisoners were PLACED In
the jail here. From then till this
morning a mob Of from 800
to 1900 has continually surrounded
the Jail clemoring for the lives Of the O.
oused. The sheriff barricadsd the doors,
and arming himself and the jailers kept the
mob at bay. Early this mofniag the miss
ing child was found alive and we'll
sising on tho doorstep Of q farmer
near Rosalla. Where it had been all the
time is mystery. 1t was unable to speak
plainly and can give no account of itself.
Il is supposed that 1t wAs kidnaped and
returned when 1t was found what
excitement its disappearance was causing.
Whel T. q news II the finding of the child
was brought to the city the mob could not
be made 10 believe the truth until the child
was produced and recognized by its mother.
Mr.. and Mrs. Edwards were then released
They ere still suffering from
the effects of their hard treatments.
Marks of the rope where it had cut into
their nscks are plalnly visible, aud indicated
what their suffering must have been. An
attempt will be made to prosecute the lead
ars of fha nnoh y