Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1893-07-27
DRAGGED HIM TODEATH.
Over 5000 Citizens Torture
an Italian Murderer.
ASSEMBLED TO DISCUSS SILVER,

But One Man Arose and Said Follow
Me"-They Did Not.Hesitate a Moment.
Many Were Shot or Nearly Drowned
by Water In the Attack Upon the
Jaii-rhey Were Determined ana
Stabbed, Dragged. Shot and Hanged
the Felon.
DENVER, Col, July % "Wednesday
night B. s. Lightfoot. an old Grand
Army man Of this city entered saloon
In the bottoms. kept by Dan Arata, an
Italian Of unsRvory fame. LIghtfoot
asked for glass of beer and paid for It.
When he had drunk It Arata asked him
to have another drink. Lightfoot sup
po sing it to be treat" accepted and
started TO leave the place. The
Italian picking chair, brutally
assaulted him, knocking out the left
eye at the 6rst blow. To make sure Of
his victim, Arata shot him through the
heart. The murderer was arrested and
placed In jail
stirred Up the Veterans.
All day yesterday there were murmurp,
not only among the Grand Army men,
but Of the people in general, regarding
the brutal deed. Many threats OF
lynching were heard, but not needed by
the staid-going people Of Denver who
thought that quick justice had passed
away with the frontier days. meet
ing OF the unemployed WAS called for
last evening at 3 o'clock at Eighteenth
and Market streets whore speeches
were made deploring the present
stringency in the money market and the
resultant idleness.
Did Not Talk About silver.
When the speakers were through
tall gray headed and whiskered veteran
wearing the G. A. R. uniform got up on
the stand and said: Follow me.
The words were few, but every.-
body understood what was meant, and
5000 people followed the leader
TO the county jail, fully a mile
and a quarter distant through mud and
slush caused by the heavy shower during
the day.
Battered Down the Door.
The crowd at once attacked the Jail and
finally battered down the sheet iron door
protecting the inside bars. at this point
Captain Crewes, the jailor, turned a
heavy stream of water upon the angry
men battering at the door. Although the
force Of the stream threw the angry mob
back repeatedly, yet they kept on at
their work.
Bullets Didn't Brighten Them.
The guards inside began TO FIRE. Al
though some Of the mob were shot. the
crowd rushed in, overpowered the guards
and made them prisoners. At last Ara
ta's oell'w broken into and the mur-
derer found crouching in the corner.
Couldn't Walt TO Hang Him.
Some one drew huge knife and
ripped the murderer up the abdomen.
Then the rest OF the leaders interfered
and kept him for the rope. He was
hustled out of the jail across the street
TO a cottonwood tree and In the dim light
cast by an arc lamp from near by cor.
ner was pulled up. He was asked II he
had any thing to say.
Riddled His Body with Bullets.
In feeble tone, bleeding from the
CHASTITY wound in his body he said: q
am the man; killed him in self de
fense." The murderer was suddenly
jerked of of the earth and several per
sons drew revolvers and riddled his body
with bullets
The mob then dragged the body TO the
heart Of the city, and at Seventeenth
and Curtis streets strung II up to .
telegraph pole for the edifcation Of those
who had not been present at the Original
hanging
No arrests have been made and prob
ably none will be, as the general opinion
is that the lynching was justifable.