Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-15
KENTUCKY CRIME.
Judge Lynch Doing a Land Of
flee Business.
LATEST APPLICATION, OF MOB LAW.

Wealthy Man, with Three Notches on His
Pistol Handle, Forced to Break His Own
Neck-A Town Meeting Held and Every
thing Done In an ..Orlerly" Manner
Eight Cases in Three Months-The vir-
ginia Train Robbery.
LEXINGTON, Ky, Oct 15.-Another
lynching has been added to the unusually
large fall series of blue grass lynching
bees. At the close of the Beattyville fair
Oscar Morton, a prominent citizen of
Stanton, in Powell county, went on the
warpath. Only two weeks ago Morton
killed his man at Stanton, and was out on
5000 bond to appear this week at the
Powell circuit court. When Morton ar
rived at the fair he proceeded to get drunk,
and then went to hunt for Sheriff William
Simns, who was his deadly enemy, feud
of long standing existing between the two
men. Simms and MortoH met near the
entrance to the fair grounds, and after a
few words both of them drew guns and a
quick exchange of shots followed, Morton
using two guns.
When the smoke Had Cleared Away.
tiTsl Silpl iIc
arm at the elbow and John Hcgg, friend
OF s-imms, whipped out his gun and Joined
in the battle. When the smoke had
cleared away it was found that Sheriff
Simms was dead, having shot through
his breast, one in his abdomen and an
other through his arm. Morton was shot
through the neck, while Hogg was I'M
hurt. Before crowd could collect Nor
ton was hustled to the county Jail and
placed under guard. The people became
Infatuated and a big meeting was at ouce
held on the public square.
An .sOrderly" Lynching Enjoined.
Colonel John Drummond mounted
barrel and made speech in which he said
that the murderer must be hanged, but
that the work must be done quietly and
with perfect order; Norton had killed two
men in less than two weeks time and he
must die by the rope. A mob was quickly
formed and marched to the Jail. The jailor
was ovcrpowercd and the keys to Norton
cell obtained. He was found lying in his
shirt sleeves on the floor of his cell, and
| after bitter struggle was seized and
dragged out. He then became very i'm
pudent, and told the mob that he did not
care what they did with him provided they
did their work quickly. After a short
parley he was taken to a little bridge some
distance from town and the rope was
placed around his neck
Forced tn Execute Himself.
The leaders drew their guns, and told
him to jump or else he would be riddled
with bullets. Turning around, the doomed
! man cursed his captors and uttering q
wild imprecation leapcd into space. The
jump broke his neck, and after dangling
in the air for some minutes he became
still, and volley of shots was fired into
him. The mob then dispersed, and the
body was left dangling from the bridge.
No member of the mob made any attempt
to conceal his identity, and the hanging
was conducted with as much formality as
if il had been n legal affair The dead
sheriff was only recently married, and
leaves young wife.
Eight of Them in Three Months.
The murderer was a wealthy man who
lived at Stanton. He had killed three
| men. Coming to the fair he attempted to
kill the fireman on the train because he
would not increase the speed the locomo-
tive was running. This is the eighth
lynching in central Kentucky in the past
| three months and the people have deter
mined TO put down murder if they have to
| take the law in their own hands every
| time a man is killed. Morton's relatives
are incensed over the lynching and il may
be that some old feuds will be reopened