The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-25
SLAIN IN THE COURT YARD
Masked Troopers Avenge Mur-
der Of Their Comrade.
THE JAIL sToRMED At DUSK.
Sixteen Bullets Poured Into the Body
Of the Unfortunate Prisoner.

Sixty Bluecoats sarroand the Cesres
house. Post sentfnels. Cat Wires ss
Garrison, Terrorise sheriff ana
Guards. Drag Out Their Tremhlim9
victim and Fire yolley Into Hlm--
Citizens stopped by Carbinss-LyneA-
ers Vanish, and the WheIs 1eun
Turns Out to View the Sesne -
BIood-The Firebeu . Tecslu. bao
the People Poverless to Interfere.
WaLLA wAILA, April 2l.-lSpecial
This was an exciting night for Wallis
Waila. A mob of soldiers took the town
and lynched prisoner confined in the
county jail 1t was done so quietly and
systematically that all was over before the
citizens were aware of what was going on.
The first intimation that the people had
of the MOB was the rapid firing Of shout
100 shots in the courthouse yard.
The soldiers have broken into the
jail. )" was the cry sent out. and imme1i-
stely the fire bell commenced to ring.
The ringing was kept up for twenty
minutes and the whole town turned out.
and the courthouse block was one dense
mass of humanity. But they had been
summoned too late, and the soldiers ha<l
performed their horrible work and re-
turned to the garrison.
The cause OF this outrage, as stated in
yesterdays Posr-ISrELLIsExcER. was the
shooting Wednesday night of Private e.
Miller. Of troop ID" Fourth cavalry. by
Gambler Il. j. Hunt. The soldiers made
an unsuccessful effort Thursday night to
lynch Hunt. This time they made more
determined effort, and the result is IN
awful crime.
Rumors were current all day that the
soldiers would make another effort to-
night. Sheriff Mcfarland was alarmed,
and notified Colonel Compton At the fort
Of the rumors, and asked him to keep the
soldiers at the fort. The colonel said 10
could not do this. but he would hsve tho
check-roll called after III o'clock The
sheriff summoned five deputies to
guard the Jail for the night, and
from the assurances he hsd rcceived
from the officers at the fort his
fears were somewhat allayed. The colonel
said the men could get no arms except :
few revolvers. At Z O'Clock some thirty
soldiers we seen in the city. The sheriff
and County Attorney Blandford again
went to the post, and Colonel Compton
said he could not get them back unless he
went down with a company. The soldiers
were in the habit of going to town.
About half past o'clock the jail was
suddenly surrounded by about fifty sol
diers. ThW made dead line and all citi-
gems who came along were ordered back.
The men wore masks and overcoats. and
were armed with revolvers and carbines.
About twenty-five went TO the
Jail, while the others stood guard.
The sheriff saw that he was
powerless to cope with such force,
though his deputies stood firm and were
ready to FIRE on the soldiers The sheriff
held them off for some time, till they b.
gan to batter down the doors. He then
gave up the keys. and Hunt was taken ont
of his cell. He plead for his life. but the
soldiers answered, I'VE have got the -
-
A soldier on each side of Hunt and ono
at his back pushed him out along the
walk, while the other soldiers stood guard
over the sheriff and his deputies and
threatened to shoot il they gave any
alarm. One shot was fired. and Hunt fell
with . groan. 1t was signal
for the soldiers to assemble, and
they all ran up and emptied
their guns into the body of the PROSTATE
man. There were sixteen bullet holes in
his body. any Of which would have proved
fatal. His skull was also crushed in. The
soldies had taken the precaution to cut tho
two telephone lines to the garrison
before they left. All chance to noti-
fy the post of what was going on
was cut of, though the shots could be dis
tinctly heard that distance. The soldiers
also made the merchants on the opposite
side of the street put out their lamps,
threatening to shoot II they did not.
Quite number of the citizens who had
heard of the tronbie at the Jail. and en-
deavored to break through the guard line,
were held up at the muxzle Of guns, and it
is a wonder some one was not killed.
Coroner Blalock summoned jury and
held an inquest over the body of Hunt
They found that the deceased came TO his
death at the hands of soldiers. They also
found that the sheriff had performed his
duty, and had done all in his power to pre-
vent the tragedy. II was learned from the
evidence that the soldiers had dynamieo
To blow up the Jail in case they were 70
iist0 ait3lAtauIs- 0fr1t lnutxn3ffO0 pfD.
walls among the people here. They feel
that great outrage has been perpetrated.
The Uaiea will say tomorrow editorialiy,
The enlisted men OF the United States nrny
stationed at Fort walla wall& dixxrared thei1
uniforms and violated their oatha 20 suppoco
the constitution ard laws when they forced e.
trance into the county jail and summarily exo.
euted prisones confined therein upon the -
mittcd charge Of having shot ono Of the1u
number without sufficient pruvocafi00
or eznse. That they will all T.
punished for their eowardiy, unlawful act Is M
probable That the ringie&ders viii be mad
examples of = hoped by all good citizens and
soldiers A soldier II the guardian Of the lavs
thei resort Of those who execute and upheld
the law. lie should never take the law into htG
own hsnts- lie 10 the exeensioncT and not tn
judge. wheia he attempts to BE- judge and sarys
he becomes mere riotef without tt
pale Of the as, whose life h forfeit % hs ont
ragged country. There was no provocation fQo
the dastarstiy deed committed last night
stated cold >, the situation was this: sOldtoP
and q professional gambler quarreied IN =
low saiocn. snd during the quarrel tho
gambler shot the soid;-r. innicftng = mor-
tn, wound. The gambler was arrested anh
placed in jail to avail the result Of the wound.
No atternpf has been made ~ remove the eamh-
isr to prevent his prampS triaf and adeqnaeo
puaishmene, nor MAS there even 3 ripple Of -.