The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-07-09
NEARLY A lYNCHING.
MURDER BY A NOTORIOUS DES
MONIES MAN.
In n Causelsss Rage He Fires Four Dul.
lets Into Il. II. Wishart--This Is Not
Hi. First q: Ootlng-An Angry Popu-

al ~ Nuub0A0so AAWSO A1o G1r0D l. Duls
lets Into T.. II. Wishart-This Is Not
Iii, First g.. Ooting-An Angry Popu-
lace.
Frank Pierce fatally wounded f. II.
Wishar:, at Dcs Moncs, and narrowly
escaped iynching. Intense excitement
prevailed when he was arrested, and
cries Of bring rope" and "Lynch
him" were heard on every hand, Fol- ty
policemen were necessary 10 escort him
to the jail. Tie feeling Is so strong
against Pierce that trouble may core at
any moment. Wishart was hit by four
bullets, and a crowd OF 800 people gath
c: cd at the Cit; Hall when Pierce was
placed in Jail. For three years Pierce
was the leader of the Des Moincs search
erS. lie has shot several persons i'm that
city, and on three occasions mobS have
been organized to lynch him The cases
of Larry lloyd and Terry Chambers
attracted great attention at the time.
Another of his victims is in the insane
asylum fr IN injuries received at Plerce's
haLdS. Heretofore Pierce has received
the support and sympathy of the tenn
pcran"c pcOIlc, b this crime is tho
last straw wh=ch any kind OF public
opinion can stand.
Fierce. who is a sraycnger, drove one
of his wagons toward the customary
dumping grounds on lower West Ninth
| street. The officers had notified him
| that he had no right to use the ground
| used hy another or that which was
owned by the city. Driv ng down Ninth
street, he came about opposite the new
crcma'ory. Mr.. Wishart, who is the
| legal guardian of the property in behalf
| OF the city as foreman of the crcmatorv,
| ordered him not TO dump there. On
| WiShc rt'S bn Sfa Of
| thority a- an officer. The two men fell
| nto sharp dispute. Pierce ordered his
men to ig again. They hesitated. Mr..
| Wlshart, revolver hanging at his
| SIDE, said: 81 am an officer of the law.
l have orders TO allow no man TO dump
| III the street They are going to pave
and will not allow dumping Pierce
said he had right to dump somewhere,
| and that he would tear down the fence
| which blocked the street, it being still
unoE ened. Wishart said: Il have no
| authority over the fence. You can tear
| that down at your own risk. but the
| street l am here to defend" Pierce
| seized a shovel and made an attempt 10
dig. when. his rage overcoming him, he
| whipped from the no stcrs at his belt two
| revolverS and jumped toward Wishart
| "tonsidcr yourself under arrest" he
L
man that tries to stop me-" aud fired.
| WiShart ia scd his revolver to fire back
III doing SO his revolver came i'm contact
| with PiorceS and was broken. Whether
| bullet left 1t is a matter of doubt.
| NlShart. seeing his revolver was useless,
| let 1t drop to the ground The first
| bullet OF Pierce struck Wishart in tho
arm But Pierce, seeing his victim un-
armed, did not desist his murderous
| work. He fired three more shots, one,
| according TO the statement Of an eve.
| witness, after Wishart had dropped to
| the ground
To the crowd which gathered and was
| gathering i'll he said: stand back, or
| there will be some more dead men"
With revolver in hand his wagon was
driven down toward the river where he
had concluded TO go and dump. The
| patrol was sent for and Wisharr was
taken to the City Hall Doctors were
called in and made an examination. Be-
drS the wound in the arm hole was
| found III his abdomen. One OF the ether
! shots had entered little to the right II
| the middle and lodged somewhere in his
| back. While in the City Hall Wishart
| .iy iii great agony on a pallet until Mrs
| WiShart arrived. The grief of the ro7r
| woman was terrible t. see. At last
for the sake of her husband she was in
| duced to control herself. The little son
of the dying man also was there. He
| had happened to be at the City Hall as
his father was brought in He pushed
up to him to speak. Mr.. Wishart said
nothing, but raised up his lips to kiss
him. He was 4 manly little fellow of
about twelve years and struggled hard
to keep back the tears He kept con-
| tjpualiy aStjnO. U'TalI 10
please. Will he die?" While Wishart
was lying in the City Hail basement the
officers arrived with Pierce. The crowd
had collected In great numbers at the
first intimation that the notorious Pierce
had killed a man. They we jammed
about the City Hall SO thickly that the
officers had difficulty in opening way
through the mob. As he slipped out Of
his buggy the Marshal demanded his re-
volvers. He gave them up A voice in
the crowd cried ont: "Nhsre is the
rope?" A look OF dismay flashed ever
Pierces features. He gave one look at
the angry crowd. another at his weapons,
now out of his hands, and then bounded
up the steps. He was carried down the
stairs, On the way he was cursing and
swearing continually. He said: "You
can't put me in Jail. You've no right to.
|
bonds, he was hustled down. When he
came to the door of the cells he was
searched. The holsters were still on
him. Then turning to the officers who
were searching him he said: "What arc
you trembling for? Why, you shake
like leaf. Does 1t take six or eight
men to arrest one man? can arrest
a man alone and be will come"
After few hurried words. in which he
said he had acted in self-defense, Pierce
was taken to the cage and put in. When
brought down the lower hall he passed
by the head Of his groaning victim, but
he did not deign to give him glance,
and seemed actually proud of his deed.
He was cool and collected. having recov-
cred from his fright, and continually
taunted the officers His lean, cadavcr-
GUS features and furtive eyes did not
quail as he looked at any one, and his
whole appearance was one Of daredevil
defiance.
The Next Congress.
The next House of Representatives
under the census of 1890 will consist of