St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-14
LYNCHGD, YET ALIVE.
Henry 7. Robinson Tells How
1t Feels to Be
Hanged.
Frightful Experience Of a
Tenderfoot in Early Days
Of Deadwood.
Twice Swung Up For a Crime
Of Which He Was In
nOcent.
He Would Ra her Be Killed
Any Other Way Next
Time.

Henry 1. ROOlnSOH, NOW employed as
clerk in fruit house at Memphis,
Tenn, but whose home is in Philadel-
phia, is probably the only man living
who knows exactly how it feels to be
hanged. He was lynched, and, as re-
minder of the event, he has large and
very ugly scar OH the lett side of his
neck. Mr.. Robinson tells his story to a
cOrder:
In 1877, when / was twenty-five years
old, caught the Western fever and
started for the land where fortunes
were said to be waiting for somebody to
come along and pick them up. l was
hearty and strong. had good educa-
ton, and was not afraid of work. / had
500 in my pocket, so was certain not to
starve for awhile, at least. After wan
dering about little and not picking up
one of those loose fortunes.
l drifted into Deadwood City.
There was not soul in the town that
/ knew or that knew me. In the free
and-easy style on the place that even
ing L spent my money pretty freely,
treating the men [ met in the saloons.
AS l was returning TO my hotel that
night stranger accOsted me and asked
me to help him to bit to eat and a
nights lodging. The man was a giant.
He was about 6 feet inches tall. His
request was not strange in that country
so took him to the hotel with me and
gave him good supper. Rooms were
scarce and high there, so the stranger,
whose name never learned, by the way,
slept with me. | remember joking with
him about his great length, for his feet
stuck cut over the foot of the bed, and
the clothing would not cover them. But
his great length, which made him a
marked man wherever he went, subSe-
quently proved my salvation. He told
Inc he was going to look for work in the
morning at a mine few miles distant.
l slept SOundlv that night. for l was
tired. even though it was my first night
i'll strange bed in strange town, and
among men who, as history shows, were
almost lawless, and who were certainly
rough and crude.
A Robbery.
That night a saloon was robbed, and
the burglars got away without leaving
any clew to their identity. The next
morning before anybody was astir the
tall miner left town. and never saw
i
for something to do, but was a stranger
and nobody wanted ME. Not on that
account, hOwever-strangers were COM
mon enough in Deadwood in those
days-but for another reason. l no.
ticed that many men looked at me
rather curiously, but thought it was
because / was a ''tenderfoOt." That
night in the hotel barroom l foolishly
allowed my ''roll," in which were four
$50 bills, 10 be seen. / went to my
room about 10 O'Clock, bat had not got
to bed before heard the sound of half
dozen heavy pairs of boots tramping
along the hall toward my room. l did
not think much of it until six men
opened my door and walked in, without
even the ceremony of knocking. A big,
red-shirted fellow, who seemed to be
the leader, pointed two revolvers at me
and said: 1--WE want you, young fell
low"
l hadn't the faintest idea what they
wanted me for, but l was not going to
argue with dozen revolvers in Dead
wood City, so l threw on my coat.
which was the only article of clothing
| had taken off, and walked out of my
room in front of them. None of my
captors said a word, and 1. frightened
almost to death, did not dare to speak.
w uidl CiIcu illus III SllCucc 10 the OAR
room. and / was told to throw up nv
hands. l had no pistol on me, and they
took nothing from me except my roll of
bills.
There they are, boys" one of them
said, displaying the twenties. l didn't
know yet what was the matter, and
ventured to ask.
You're mighty innocent, d you,
but you'll know soon enough" one
OF them answered, with threatening
look.
The marched me out of the room and
along the road to place about a quar-
ter of mile away from the main street.
We stopped under a tree. and one of
the men threw a rope, which had been
made into a moose at one end, over a
limb. Then they tied my hands, and
placed the moose around my neck. |
knew then that / was going to be
hanged. make no pretentions to
bravery of a sort that wonld let me die
without murmur, so l asked them
what was the matter.
Strung Up.
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