The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-11-25
LYNCHED IN A court
The Wretch Swung to Stair.
railing by a Mob.
Lynchers Urged on by Woman,
Who Supplied the Rope-A Com
mitfee From the Mob Visits the
Jail Later to Make Sure That
Their Victim Was Dead.

Jail Later To Make Sure That
Their Victim Was Dead.
OrrUMwA, Ia, Nov. 22-An excited
and angry mob hung Fred Gustaveson on
the stair railing OF Justice Truitt's court
room yesterday afternoon.
Gustaveson assaulted the little 4-year.
old girl OF Jonas Sax about ten O'clock
Monday night.
The brute was promptly arrested short
ly after committing the crime and lodged
in Jail. Yesterday morning be was taken
20 the Sax house aud positively identified
by the little girl and companion, who
was enticed TO room with the little Sax
girl, but was perm tied to leave after get
ting inside the room After assaulting
the child Gustaveson turned her out, and
with difficulty she succeed ded in reaching
home in a terrible condition and related
her horrible experience TO her parents.
Her father went TO police headq narters
and soon after Capt. hsnnon had Gus
taveson behind tue bars of the county
Jail.
At 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon Gus
NaNoSOu was ldheu uubcJly w ouobiSO
Truitt's Office for arraignment.
The news that the man was in Truitt's
court spread with wonderful rapidity, and
in less than 30 minutes crowd OF per-
haps thousand was surging around the
stairway leading to the court room, trying
TO get at the prisoner.
The mother of the little girl succeeded
in getting to the top of the stairs and from
the platform in front of the court room
swung rope, and, together with her aged
father, appealed To the crowd below TO
hang Gustaveson.
Sheriff Mcintyre and Mayor Force ap-
pealed to the crowd for peace and silence
but all in vain.
A number Of men after n great effort
succeeded in gaining admission TO the
court room. No sooner were they on the
inside than they attempted to open the
doors to admit their friends.
This precipitated fight with the court
officers which was carried on with desper-
ate determination for several minutes.
The superior numbers of the lyLclers
finally won the battle and as the doors
were opened the mob poured into the
room.
The leader of the mob seized the rope
from the hands of Mrs Sax and as the
court attaches were powerless TO interfere,
placed it about Gustaveson's neck III a
twinkling. With a yell OF rage the rope
was seized by hundred hands and the
auaking wretch was dragged from his
chair across the floor to the door. where
he was lifted over the railing until the
rope had been made secure when he was
let go.
He hung suspended above the pavement
on the principal street of the city for fully
ten minutes the contortions of his body
being extremely revolving.
Suddenly the rope parted aud the body
dropped to the street below, and a con-
certed rush was made by the spectators
for it's possession.
The police, however, were first TO reach
the PROSTATE figure and hastily throwing
it into farmers wagon standing nearby,
drove rapidly to the jail, being followed
by the mob. The lynchers again de.
manded the body of Gustaveson, nor
would they desst when told that the man
was dead truce was patched up by the
appointment of "A committee which exam
ined the body and pronounced life extinct.
The little girl remains in precarious
condition, with the chances OF life greatly
against her.