River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-06-08
LYNCHED.

Vengeance at Decatur. Iil.-Taken from
JAIN and Hanged-The Action of the Mob
Denounced by Gov. AItgeid, Who Offers
Reward for the Perpetrators OF the
Deed.
DECATUR, H.. June Sam 3ush,
the negro arrested near Windsor early
Friday morning for outraging Mrs
Vest, of Mount Zion township. was
lynched at 3 a. m. Saturday. There
were threats heard early Friday
evening, but a scout sent out by
the officers to Mount Zion returned
with the information that the people
We're quiet and had no intention of
coming to Decatur Nevertheless
guard OF twelve men was put in the
jail and an extra force of men was put
on duty outside. About 500 curious
people stood around the Jail all night,
though most of them thought no Sc
rious attempt would be made to take
the prisoner out.
At just o'clock twenty-five men
came on rush up Wood street. They
were quiet, without masks. and moved
in solid body. They forced their
way through the crowd and knocked
on the door of the Jail. Dep
uty Sheriff Midkiff and Special Officer
Foster sat just inside and refused
them admission. one blow from a
sledge crashed in the wooden door, and
the two officers were surrounded by
twenty-five armed men The keys of
the Jail were demanded, but both Off
GERS declared they did not have them.
The men then went to work with
sledge hammers and chisels on the out
side door. 1t was of solid cast-iron
an inch thick. Twenty minutes
elapsed before it was forced. Mean
while the crowd of Decatur peo-
pie stood soutside quietly. No one
seemed to care much. There was no
talk of resistance and the officers were
not upbraided for making no more OBJ
lection.
When the first door was opened anoth-
er one of steel.bars held them another
twenty minutes. There was only an
occasional yell, and altogether it
seemed to be quiet attack on Jail.
The next bars across the corridor were
forced, and with them a lock that
opened all the cells.
frightened negro inside pointed out
Bush's cell. Three men rushed in and
found it apparently empty. They
jerked over the mattress, then lift
ed it up and tumbled out the
negro. He had crawled inside. All
day Friday Bush shook with fear
Now he seemed cooler than at any
time before. 'Gentlemen, you are kill
ing an innocent man." he said. lie
was dragged up into the Jail office. So
many men stood around that it took
five minutes TO pull him through the
crowd to the street. All this time
Bush said nothing, but the crowd yelled
excitedly.
News of the attack on the Jail seemed
to have spread over the town, and / 800
people were there. In front of the Jail
is a telegraph post. A drive towards
that was made, but the lynchers finally
went to one about 600 yards away, on
one of the most prominent corners in
the city, and directly in front of the
courthouse. An arc light made the
street intersection as light as day. A
rope made OF halter straps had been
put around the negro's neck.
When the crowd stopped at the foot
of the pole the victim asked for time to
pray. The men said: Give him all
the time he wants" lie knelt down
on the bricks and began to pray
in a sing-song way, calling on
Jesus to come ard take his soul
and forgive the men who were murder
ing him. He did not beg or cry as he
had done when first arrested, but
seemed to make up his mind he must
die, and prayed disconnectedly full ten
minutes, while a thousand people
crowded around as close together as
they could be. There were side
jests,. and not single soul
seemed impressed with the aw-
fulness of the scene. FINALLY
the spectators began to get i'm
patient A man had climbed half way
up the pole and stood in the glare of
the light all the time "Cut that
short" he said; "he gave those women
no time" Others took up the cry
Hang him he's prayed enough" Let
him 60" was yelled. The rope vsas
passed to the man on the pole, ne put
it over guide wire. and the crowd
pulled.
The negro's body, now naked as the
day it was born. swung up into sight
feet from the ground and fell back.
The negro uttered no sound. A
few in the crowd groaned, while
others yelled. Then hack was
driven into the crowd against the pro-
tests of the cab-man. The negro was
told to stand up on it. He refused,
when half dozen hands threw him up
and then held him while the rope was
tied to the cross arm on the pole. The
hack was then driven away and the
body fell with the mans toes not
2 feet from the ground 1t was
then Just S:07 a. IN. Two doctors
walked up and held the pulse, and pro-
nounced him dead in two minutes. The
neck was not broken. The body was
cut down by Coroner Beudure at $40
a. m. The rope was cut up and divided
among the crowd around. The Mount
Zion men left for home as soon as the
negro was pronounced dead.
A dispatch from Springfield says that
Gov. Altgeld has issued proclamation
denouncing the lynching as a cowardly
and diabolical act, as murder, and as a
blot upon the fair name of the state.
He declares the men who were engaged
in il must be punished and offers a re-
ward of 5000 each for their apprehen-
sion and conviction.
Failure i'm Joliet, Ill.