Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-09-25
LYNCH LAW At DARLINGTON.
Anton Sicholdt Hung for the Murder
Of James Mcighau.
4 Dreadful Penalty for Il Terrible
Crime,
IN BROAD DAYLIGHT,

! Inc O.utal murder OF James Neigh.
han near Darlington, on "Wednesday
evening, Sept, Ii, was reported in this
paper last week, Anton Sieboldt, the
murderer was arrested by Deputy
Sheriff Fisher, and lodged in the Jail
at Darlington, The Journal OF that
city, in its issue of Wednesday, Sept.
%, thus describes the tagical proceed.
ingS which followed
Siebolt was araigned before Justice
Smith on Thursday, with his clothing
still covered with the blood Of his vic.
tim. On account OF the excitement,
however, the examination was post.
poned until Monday Of this week.
There was considerable talk of lynch,
ing the wretch, and on Thursday even
ing large crowd surrounded the Jail
with the avowed purpose Of putting
the threats into execution; but Just
about dark the sheriff had spirited him
away to the county poor house, whore
he was kept over night, and on Friday
morning was driven to Dunharton
station by an officer and conveyed by
rail to Monroe jail, where he remained
until Monday, when he was brought
to this city, arriving on the noon train,
one o'clock y, m, was the hour set
for the preliminary examination of the
murderer, On arrival of the train at
Darlington with the prisoner, two or
three hundred people were gathered
at the depot, but all We're quite and
orderly. The sheriff and deputy
took the prisoner through the crowd
and up to the jail without u particle
of opposition. The apparent apathy
of the crowd undoubtedly threw the
sheriff off his guard, While he was
eating dinner half u dozen strong men
quietly entered the room and told him
to keep quite and all would be we'll
He didn't keep quite however He
jumped up and made tremendous
effort to free himself from the yiCe-like
grips upon his arm and body, but with
out avail. Another crowd had taken
care of his dupties. Meanwhile u dozen
determined fellows, one carrying
sledge hammer, were searching the
jail Sieboldt was found In the second
story; one powerful blow from the
sledge shattered the lock, and In less
time than Il takes TO tell IL, the inhu-
man murderer was rushed from the
jail with rope around his neck, to n
tree in the public square six or seven
rods from the jail door, where he was
strung up and remained hanging until
life was extinct, Just as the tree was
reached the rope had worked up over
the prisoners chin when he raised both
hands and pulled 1t down over his
neck. After hanging twenty minutes
the rope was cut and the body dropped
to the ground, when 1t was taken to
the court house and placed in n coffin.
During the afternoon the corpse was
buried In the potters field, and al
though the parents Of the murderer
were in the city, no one accompanied
the body except the undertaken and
the driver Of the wagon which con
tanned the coffin.
A thousand men and women besides
several hundred school children, wit
messed the hanging, or saw the body
swinging from the tree before II was
cut down. The city schools are across
Main street from the court house, and
when school was dismissed at noon
several hundred children fingered on
the grounds or in the street TO see
what was going on,
Siebolt had been criminal from his
youth up He had been in jail mum
ber Of times for outrageous crimes and
misdemeanors, and many Of his
offences were overlooked because no
one was willing to secure his enmity
by making complaint against him.
On the same day that he murdered
Meighan, he was heard TO say that he
"would murder somebody before night"
After his arrest he expressed no sorrow
for his lendish act, but on the con
trary seemed TO glory in 1t, and men
toned by name three other men whom
he intended TO murder If he ever got
the change. No ones life was safe
when he was around, at least that Is
the opinion expressed by every one
/ a. 1 ~