St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-19
HOW ne WAS LYNCHED.
Talk Of the Frontier---How Mr.. Sulli-
van Was Swung Oh.
HUNG WITHOUT 4 JURY.
Lynching Seems to Be Dying Out In tho
West With the Advance Of
Civilization.

OWhuh fsepuullCdIs
Lynching as national pastime seems
to be OH the wane. The sport yclept
base ball appears to have supplanted 1t,
although there are a few localities
where neck-tie party at least twice per
annum Is considered indispensable to
public enjoyment.
To one who has never witnessed an
affair Of this kind the bare thought of
pulling'a man over q limb or swinging
him on bridge is revolving in the ex-
IRENE, but the sight is far worse. Legal
executions are pleasant compared with
lynching. In the former the victim is
given the advantage of elaborate
machinery, which, i'll a majority Of
cases, sends him across the Styx with
broken neck and but little pain. The
spectators are not compelled to look
upon any horrible contortions of the
face Of the gentleman suspended, for
the black cap shuts out the counte-
nance from view, while the elaborate
fastenings of legs and arms prevent un-
necessary squirming.
With a lynching 1t Is different. At
an affair of that kind the subject will
make more faces than naughty school
boy behind the teachers back, while
his muscular efforts will discount those
of frog endeavOrfng to jump off q
tishhoOk. ,s,
The writer has witnessed four of
these recherche Western affairs, not as
principal or assistant, but in the ca
pacity of spectator. The last one was
that of Daniel Sullivan, who was
hanged on Sybiile creek, ninety-eight
miles north of Cheyenne, for killing an
old man nam ed Hongh.
Sullivan and Hough were in the en-
ploy of company engaged in building
large irrigating ditch south of Laramie
river, the former as timekeeper, the
latter as cook. The camp in which they
stopped was composed of about 200 OF
elk meat, and, in consequence, when,
on the morning of June 3, 1888, Sullivan
shot Hough because the potatoes were
boiled instead of fried, the men deter
mined to have little amusement.
They informed Sullivan that they
proposed to give him string waltz. and
appointed committee to escort him to
the spot designated by the master of
ceremonies. A wagon was run under a
limb, and Sullivan placed in it with the
rope dangling in front 9Of his
face, which was as placid as a
baby's. At this juncture the con-
demned remarked that he would like
to say few words just for luck, and
upon permission being granted. stood
up to remark that In AyOca, TO-, he had
a mother and sister whom he would like
to write to and bid good-by, besides ar
ranging about some money i'll Posts
bank in Cheyenne which he wanted
them to have. The request was COM
piled with, and on the note book of
the party who is now writing this
tale, Sullivan, surrounded by his execu-
ttioners, penned or penciled his last
wishes. Then he asked if he could
( offer up few lines of prayer for his
own benefit and, upon being told that
he could, for about five minutes he inl-
/ plored Divine Providence to give him
I fair show in the next world. When he
; had completed his petition to the Powers
above he stood up and Informed the
+ leader that he was ready, whereupon
one of the men jumped into the wagon
ana adjusted the moose. Then his hands
and feet were tied, and when one of the
boys shot off his pistol the wagon was
+ pushed out from under him.
He didn't fall very far, OF course, but
he died just the same, and his gyrations
were fearful to behold. 1t seemed an
age before he died, but when he did
everybody INVENT to work as though
snething had happened. He hung there
/ until next morning, when the foreman
of the camp and two of the men cut him
down and buried him. Four days after
that, when Sheriff SharDlesS came up
with coroner and jury to hold an in
quest, this IS what they found: