Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-18
THREE MEN LYNCHED.
A Party OF Mon In . Western Town Take
Justice In their Own Hands.

A Party OF SIen In . Western Town Take
Justice In their Own Hands.
Sunday morning between l and O'Clock
mob of about twenty determined men entered
the jail at Russell, Kansas, took out j. G.
Burton, William Gay ond his son, John Gay,
and hanged the trio to small railroad
bridge, n short distance east Of the depot.
About midnight the residents Of the north
part Of the town heard q party Of from If
teen to twenty horsemen come In from the
north who left their horses at tho stock yards,
where plans were arranged and the mob pro-
ceeded to the jail.
few citizens who happened to be out late
noticed the suspicious actions Of the mob but
Tcre powcrless TO thwart the purposes Of
such a determined band Of armed mon and
watched tho proceedings from q safe dis
tancc.
No officers were aroused, or even aware OF
what was going on until carly morning, 20
quiet were the actions Of the mob Orders
W etc given by signs and obeyed without
word being spoken.
The crime for which they were lypched was
tho killing of Fred Dinniny In July last, on
the Burton place, about twenty miles north
east OF Russell. Inquiry regarding draft
payable to Dlnniny and his mysterious dis
appearance led to an investigation and the
arrest OF Burton. When closely questioned
as to the whereabouts Of Dinniny, Burton
said lie had gone to Oklahoma with young
man named Gay.
A few weeks ago young Gay returned and
was at once arrested. Then followed num-
ber OF con fessions from all three, which dif-
| fered materially as to details and the location
| of the body, but showed conclusively that
each had participated In the crime, although
Burton denied all knowledge that Dinntny
had been killed by the Gays.
After several fruitless efforts to find the
body as located by the Gays, Burton pretend
ed to have a dream, in which the spot where
Dinnlny was buried was revealed to him. He
took the officers to the place the next day,
and the body was found with the skull crush
| ed.
Doubtless one of the causes that led to this
taking Of the law into their hands by the
mob was the existence of an organized gang,
of which these parties were supposed to be
members, and, as Burton was one OF the lead
ers among them, 1t would be very easy to pro
| cure any testimony that might be needed to
| clear them Stockmen especially have been
suffering from the depredations OF this gang
| for several years past by the frequent loss OF
horses, cattle, grain and other property, and
It was not considered safe for any person to
cause the arrest and conviction of any mem
! ber of this gang.
Three men have been arrested at San Fran
| cisco charged with opium smuggling. War
rants are out for ten or dozen othcrs.
| Prominent customs officers there are said to
| be I'm pIlcated In confession made BY tho
i pri, oners. ~
| Tn, men in jail, It is said, have revealed
| til. methods of a powerful ring, controlling
| three sailing vessels, and doing wholesale
| business of smuggling opium and Chinese.
The contraband drug and the Chinese have
been regularly smug2led from Puget Sound
| noJnts and transferred to the smugglers'
small craft outside Golden Gate. Customs
! officers tried to capture one OF the snugglers'
| schooners the other night. The smuggler
| hal too Io5g a start and escaped to the sea In
| the darkness Three special treasury agents
| from Washington have been engaged many
1 veeks on the case,