Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-11-23

the besieged house, and one of our
leaders fell. Every means was tried
to dislodge the three men, but to no
purpose. Every time the slightest ad-
vance was made their rifles rang out,
and some one on our side dropped.
At last small man slipped up in the
shadow of the adjacent buildings, and
threw lighted can Of kerosene under
the building. Soon it began to burn,
but still the men would not come out.
At last the house was enveloped in
flames, and the three men were obliged
to make q rush for their lives. They
were half blinded by the heat and
smoke Of the burning, so they were
quickly captured.
Then all of Rawlins, not excepting
the women and children, formed in
line and marched quietly down to the
cattle pens, where an old dead tree
stood which had served several times
as gallows. A rope had been brought
along, and it was quickly thrown over
a branch, and everything was ready
for the hanging. 1t was at first in
tended to dispose of all three at the
same time, but there was not enough
rope, 80 it was decided to hang one at
time.
Jack Willis was the first to be strung
up; his end was fastened by q dozen
bullets which were fired into the body
while it was still writhing. Wat Sim
mons was then disposed of, and then
came the turn of Joseph Chambers,
the leader of the gang. Just as he was
led under the tree he made sign that
he had something to say. The gag
was removed from his mouth, and he
said:
eff you will take this rope from
round my neck and slightly loosen
these bonds, I will tell you men some
thing that will interest you ALL"
There seemed no danger with so
many on guard, 80 his request was
complied with. When his fetters were
loosened he rose, stretched himself,
and began his speech.
"You are set of d. villains" he
yelled, "and you can all 60 to h"
He knocked down the two men near
est to him, and made dash for the
sage brush on the open prairie. All
the horses were left outside the bar
room when the desperadoes were cap
tured. Some few men, however, dashed
into the sage after Chambers, which
made it impossible for the men under
the tree to use their guns lest they hit
some of the pursuers. After an hours
useless chase, the hunt was given up
for the night.
At daylight the next morning
ranchman rode into Rawlins and elec-
trified the town by saying he had seen
Chambers near Fort Fred Steed, six
teen miles below. He said he hadju
finished his breakfast, after spending
the night at small house on the
banks of the Platte river, when hat
less man, whom he recognized as Cham
bers, came in and demanded shelter.
The ranchman suspected that some
thing was wrong from the mans man
ner, and at once started for RaWlins
to give the alarm.
Thirty men Immediately saddled
their horses, and started in pursuit OF
the man they had vowed to hang. AS
they approached the hut man ap-
peared in the door with Winchester
rifle in his hand. Without word he
opened fire on the advancing party.
Two men dropped from their saddles,
and as the rest of the party put spurs
to their horses and dashed toward the
hut, Chambers, who had done the
shooting rushed down the hill and
plunged into the Platte.
There had been heavy rains, and the
river was torrent, which made it
seem impossible that man could
reach the other side alive. All the
horsemen, however, drew up along the
bank, and waited with guns in readi-
ness to shoot Chambers, should he by
any chance get across. They waited
for half an hour, and as there was no
sight of him, they returned to Raw
Inns. That afternoon the other two
desperadoes were buried in what is
known as "Murderers' Row." and be-
side the graves was placed board to
the memory of "Joseph Chambers,
drowned in the Platte while escaping
capture"
Two years after leaving Rawlins, l
chanced to be in Abilene, Texas. A
man passed me on the street one day
whose face was strangely familiar. l
turned to my companion, and asked
who it was.
"That," said he, "is Joe Chambers,
one of our respected citizens"
Suddenly the scene Of the lynching
at Rawlins came back to me, and l
knew that the last time I had seen
that man he was standing under tree
with rope around his neck. l told
nv friend the story, and he evidently
doubted my veracity, ifnot my sanity.
He told me that Chambers came to
Abilene when the town was first start
ed. He invested money in town lots,
and made fortune. He was a pro-
moter of schools and churches, and
was talked of for the next mayor.
That night I was at my hotel when q
tall man with a slouch hat wandered
in. Helooked round, and then came
straight to me.
care you the man," he said, "who
has been telling yarn about Joe
Chambers being lynched ?"
acknoWled that | was.
"Well," he replied, "Joe told me to
tell you that he'd shoot you on sight II
you were in town tomorrow.
Two hours later l was taking Il night
ride across the prairies.
THE LAST SLAVE CARGo.-There is
living in the outskirts of Augusta, Ca,
a negro who was one of the cargo OF
the Wanderer, the last slave ship to
bring to this country q load of cap
+;,,oc from, fripo uciuS Williams