The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-08-23
KILLED AT THEIR POST.
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY In a MICHI-
GAN TOWN.

Charles T. Wright, Resisting the Collec-
ton of Faxes on Logs; Murders Two OF
the Representatives of the Law and Mar
rowly Escapes Lynching.
A Frankfort (Mich.) dispatch says:
The steamer Dewar returned from OF
ter creek, having on board Sheriff
Case and a posse, also G. T. Wright, who
killed Officers Marshall and Thurber Satur-
day night. The body OF Deputy Sheriff Mar
shall, which is now lying at Watson's un-
dertaking rooms, ls being prepared for
burial,
The trouble which eliminated so tragi-
cally Saturday originated years ago in the
refusal of Wright, as president of the
Otter Creek Lumber company, to pay
taxes on his mill property, which is To-
Gated i'll Aral township. The town has
never questioned its right to the taxes,
but Wright's steady refusal to pay them
aud his influence over the rather rough
men in his employ made collection a very
dif. cult task. Three weeks ago the sheriff
seized a number of logs belonging to the
Otter Creek company, and Charles I.
Wright made several dete: mined efforts to
re gain possession of the sto, *, but failed,
owing to his inability to furnish what the
authorities deemed n good aud sufficient in
demnity bond. In consequence of this
seizure, the mill has been idle for some
time. Wright put in an appearance atthe
mill with n force of men Saturday and swore
that he would have possession Of the logs.
| nler Sheriff Marshall and Supervisor
Thurber, %accompanis by a posse, were
guarding the property in the interests
of the township, and Marshall tried to dis
suade Wright from doing anything hasty.
Wright woLld not listen to reason, and
ordered his men to release the logs and to
shoot the first man who interfered. Mar
shall and ,hurber drew their revolvers
and in the name of the State called on
the mob to dispense and not to modest in any
way the property at issue. Wright's
men fell back. Whereupon Wright
himself, whit with rage, made a move to-
ward the logs and the under sheriff dis
charged his weapon into the air. The
harmless action was red by Wright,
wi,o shot to kill, and at the first report
Thurb.r fell, shot through the brain.
Marshall called upon his men to arr. st
tn murderer ard uphold the law. A
moment later he too, fell, MORALLY wound
Cd. But the mill hands, who had lent
Wright some encourag cement by their
presence, saw the magnitude of the crime
even before its enraged perpetrator, and
walked away, caressing his Martini rifle,
and disappeared in the timber back of the
mill, his friends joining him and planning
at once for his escape.
The news OF the murder and the promin-
ence of all parties concerned, spread like
wildtirc over the country. The sheriff on
arriving at the scene of the tragedy as
sembled over eco brawny settlers with
Il fixed determination to hang the MUIR
derer. The crowd learned that an Indian
knew Wright's hiding place, he was asked
to reveal it, hut on getting no answer
the heaving line of the propeller Dewar
was placed around his neck and he was
hung up to a pine tree until nearly stran-
glcd, and let down to get his story. He
at last confessed that Wright was hiding
OIL the north bluffs and had made arrange
ncnts with him to await the de-
parture of the lumber barge Seymour;
then to meet him at the sand bluffs with a
skin and plac' him on board. The book
keeper, fred Crosset was questioned. lie
confessed all he knew of the crime, during
the midst of which Wright suddenly up
peared at the edge of the woods and volun-
tarily surrendered to the sheriff, and, at
the same time, claiming protection. He
was taken on board the steamer, and is
now lodged at Frankfort Jail, with armed
guards on watch to prevent any attempted
violence.
''' " II S'PeoiS ID tuuS Olu
by.Krouse:
After the hanging and confession of the Indian
l started ont to the north of town, near the
timber. with Constable Ernest, searching for
Wright. We heard u slight crlcking of twigs,
md, being old hunters. listened. Ernest said
There is Il man lodging from tree to tree"
Soon | covered the man with my rifle, calling,
Come out of there l heard an unintelligible
answer, but | recognized the voice. l said "Is
That you, Charley" A nervous answer, "Yes,
Ed. for Gods sake don't let them shoot me-"
Wright then calne toward me with his hands
Up. l cautioned him to keep quiet and cool,
and then called for Sheriff Case. At this some.
of the crowd rushed up bowling and yelling in
rage. Ono of the first to arrive was William
Marshall. II brother of the murdered Deputy,
with u rifle, calling; Are YOU the man who shot
md killed my brother? ~ Wright ncrvously an
swered, No, SIR" Marshall raised his ritio I
sprnnS forward and wrestcd the gun
away Other, deputies then came to my
assistance, forming Il circle about Wright,
and kept the crowd away. We hand
cuffed him, md in searching him found O.
iorty-four cnliber bulldog revolver in his right
hip pocket. We hurricdly marched him to his
residence md PLACED him under arrest before
the rest OF the settlers were aware of his cap.
lure. Mrs. Wright had Just returned from an
absence OF several months in Iowa and Wis
cousin, and the meeting between husband and
vile was p1tiful in the extreme. In an hour
The officers quietly slipped Wright out tho back
way and through II strip of woods to the lake
shore, then on board the steamer Dewar, and
immediately departed for Frankfort.