The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-10-11
WHERE JUDGE LYNCH ERRED.
AN INNOCENT MAN AND WOMAN CRUELTY
TORTURED IN KANSAS.


TORTURED IN KANSAS.
A despatch TO the Kansas City |
Times from Eldorado, Kan, says that |
the details Of the mob trial under |
lynch law of Alonzo Edwards and his |
wife Mary at Rosalia, Kan, are of the |
most revolving character and reveal a |
story of inhuman treatment seldom
met with even in the administration
of border justice.
Mr.. and Mrs. Edwards and Henry
Bloomer and wife were engaged as
farm-han on the farm of George
Dudley, ten miles from Rosalia. On
Tuesday Mrs. Edwards was left in
charge of the house, while the farm
hands were sent to the fields to work.
To her was intrusted the care of the
three year-old child of Mr.. and Mrs.
Bloomer. When the party returned
to the house for supper in the evening
the child was missing. Search was in
stituted and no trace of the child
could be found. The nearest neigh
bors were summoned to join in the
search, and all night they trampsd
over the fields Mrs. Bloomer took an
sctive part, and when morning came
ard no trace of the child had been
found she fell exhausted in the field
and had to be carried to the house.
All day Wednesday and Thursday
the search was kept up. BY this time
fully one thou-and men, women and
children had joined the party. On
I'll ursday night the crowd was organ
lied in definite manner and placed
four feet apart. The whole country
was then tramped over for fully two
miles in every direction. During all
this time Mr.. and Mrs. Edwards dis
played an Indifference to the childs
fate that aroused suspicion, aud they
were questioned closely, and their an
swers seemed to be indefinite to the
excited people and they were taken in
charge by the mob and arrested under
lynch law. The mob divided itself in
to two parties; one took charge Of M :.
Edwards and the other was given the
wife.
Mrs. Edwards is large woman of
emotional character, and when COM
manded to confess the crime under
penalty of being hanged, she finally
said that she had killed the child She
haG thrown a stick of frewood, she
said, at rat in the kitchen, and had
hit the child by mistake, killing it in
stantly, and had thrown the body in.
to the creek. She was told to lead the
party to the place where the body had
been thrown. The creek was dragged
but Mrs. Edwards statement could moi
be verified.
She was taken to the nearest tree
and rope placed around her neck
She was told the fate that awaited hel
If she did not tell where the body was
but she repeated her former assertion
Then she was given an opportunity tt
offer prayer, and was then drawn uI
from the ground. She was allowed t
remain suspended in the air for min
ute until her face became black from
impending strangulation. She wa
then lowered to the ground in an un
conscious condition. When she re
vived sufficiently to speak she wa
asked if she was ready to tell the truth
"If you are not" the leader said
"you will be hanged the next time un
til you are dead, and your husband viii
be burned at the stake" The poo
woman was actually too badly frighten
ed to speak, and assuming her silenc
to be voluntary the mob again fasten
ed the rope about her neck and sh
was again suspended in the air. Thi
time she was permitted to renal
longer, and when cut down she wa
more dead than alive. The mob wa
about to hang her the third time, whe
Bloomer, the father of the missin
child, persuaded the mob to desis
only, however, because if Mrs. Ec
wards life was taken the body of tn
child could never be found. Mrs. E(
wards was then taken to the hous
and placed in charge of a guard.
In the meantime that part of th
mob which had Edwards in charge a
tempted to extort confession frol
him. He protested his innocence an
he too was hanged from tree and CT
down. Still he maintained that
was innocent. Again he was strun
up and again cut down. He coul
not be made to confess.
Ga Friday night the prisoners We
placed in the Jail. From that time u
til next morning a mob varyir
in numbers from 500 to 1,500 co
tinually surrounded the Jail, clamoriI
for the lives of the accused. II
Sheriff barricaded the doors, and arr
ing himself and the jailers, kept the
at bay.
Early next morning the missil
child was found alive and well, s
ting on the door step of farmer ne
Rosalia. Where 1t had been all t
time is mystery. 1t was unable
speak plainly, and can give no
count of itself. 1t is supposed that
was kidnapped and returned when
was found what excitement its diss
pearance was causing. When
news of the finding of the child "
brought to the city, the mob could I
be made to believe the truth until
child itself was produced and was
cognized by its mother as her ov
Mr. and Mrs. Edwards were then
leased. They are still suffering FRI
the effects of their harsh treatme
The marks of the rope where it h
cut into their necks are plainly visib
and indicate that their sufferings mi
have been great. An attempt will
made to prosecute the leaders of
mob.
The coal trade show ws greater actiyi
but the policy of restriction is still
forced.
The circular nrices are now ma