The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-19
The LynChins Of Hunt at the
Walla WaIIa Jail.
Testimony Introduced Before the Govern
meHt Court Of Inquiry.
The Story Of The Tragedy Related by Sheriff
Mcfarland - The Prison Invaded
and the Victim Shot Dawn.
Ereclal TO THE MORNING Call

WALLA WALLA, May 1S.-The Court of
Inquiry, ordered by the War Department
on May Sth to investis ate the lynching Of
4. J. Hunt by soldiers of Fort Walla on
April oath, convened here today. The
court is composed Of BrigsdieT-Gencral A.
V. Kautz, Colonel Thomas NJ. Anderson Of
the Fourteenth Infantry. Colonel William
P. Carlin Of the Fourth Infantry. and Cap
tain Charles Mcclure, acting Judge AdyO-
cate of the Department Of Columbia. The
instructions are to ascertain who did the
lyuching, give an opinion as to who is re-
spOnsible and make recommendations for
further action.
Sheriff Mcfarland of Walla Walla County
was on the stand a greater portion of the
Gay. He testified that he took Hunt under
orders from the court to the post to have him
Identified by Private Miller. While there
they took Miller's dying statement. This
was about o'clock. He noticed soldiers 60
by tie hospital. When they came out the
baCk-dTiveT told the Sheriff be would be
wayIaid by soldiers. The Sheriff sent for
Colonel Compton and asked for an escort
Compton detailed Captain Whit and five
men. When off the reservation the hack was
stopped by fifty soldiers. Captain WiHt
ordered them to flank to right, on to the
reservation. They replied: ''Wh0 are you and
what is your rank ?" The soldiers refused to
obey, and Cap ain Whit ordered the Sheriff
to make ali haste for the guard-hOuSe, as he
could not restrain the soldiers. Colonel
Compton was again notified. The Sheriff
asked 10 lie allowed to keep his prisoner in
the guard house til daylight. Colonel
Compton replied that if anything happened
he didn't want 1t Oh tie reserve. lie said
he would escort the Sheriff 10 town if il took
all the men in the post. Three bugle-cals
were made, and only half the men reported.
a detail of twenty men was made I'M
der Whit, and the Sheriff and his prisoner
we're taken to the County Jail. That night
about forty soldiers visited the jail, and one
of them told the Sheriff they were coming af-
ter Hunt the next day. A soldier whose name
they promised 10 keep secret notlird the
city police and the Sheriff that the soldiers
were coming after Hunt. Other Tnmors
were Bfioat and the Sheriff was alarmed
after what had happened the night before,
and he, in company with Prosecuting
Attorney Biand.OTd, called on Colonel
Compton about I o'clock in the evening,
when they told him that theY had met
about forty soldiers coming TO town. The
Colonel said th { was nothing and that he
appTeheudrd u o danger, and that be could
not call check rolls till after II O'Clock,
under the ruling Of the War Department
The Sheriff tod him that would be too
late, he feared. Colonel Compton was
asked ii they could not take the prisoner to
a place Of safety. He was told no" The
Ofncers returned TO the city and in less than
an hour the soldiers had broken in the jail
and filed Hunts body full of bullets. The
Sheriff kept them al bay for half an hour
but the soldiers threatened to blow up the
Jail with dynamite. and thinking they would
carry out the threat ha delivered Up the
KEYS
The court will be in session the entire
week