The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-01-15
TRIPLE LYNCHING.
Three Murderers Strung Up at
Russell. Kas.
A Masked Mob Takes Them
From Jail.
PUSHED OFF al BRIDGE.
The Work Made Sure by Shoot
ing Them.


RUSSELL. Kan. Jan. 15zA terrible
exhibition OF prairie justice was Sc en-
here Saturday niaht when three men,
z. G Burton. William Gay and his son,
John Cav, were lynched BIZ a deter
mined mob The men were held guilty
of the murder Of Fred Dinniny last
July Dinniny lived with Z. W. Bur
ton on a farm eleven miles north, and
July q BE disappeared. Burton had
his team and even wore some Of his
clothes. but claimed that Dnniny had
gone to Oklahoma with young Gay.
Gay returned q short time ago. and,
ON close questioning, confessed that
Burton had poisoned Dlnniny. The
elder Gay attempted to point out the
place OF burial but failed Burton
then made q confession that the Gays
killed him. and Thursday took the
sheriff to a corn field ln 4 ravine where
the body. decomposed mutiiated.
skull crushed was found Indigna-
tion ran high and st was with diff
Guilty the three men could be got back
to THE JAIL where they had been con-
fined since their arrest late in De-
Gem Der.
Saturday night two men from the
Burton farm came into town and were
reinforced by far mers from all parts
of the country. The party appeared
to have been picked, for there were
only about $50 ia all when, at m1d-
night, they surrounded the little jail
and demanded the prisoners. This
was refused bv che sheriff. but
the parlev was short Iae mob easily
forced their way into the jail and
dragged out the terrified trio from
their cells.
The mob was cool and apparent
well organized and made no attempt
many onlookers They took the men
out through the streets and guarded
them with jealous care leading them
along the Union Pacidc track. "a
short distance from town a little
prairie stream is crossed by the rail-
road and wagon road, a bout 100 rods
east Of the Russell depot
To the bridge over this the mob
went and placed the trem bling
wretehes near the edge Ropes were
ready and one was put around the
neck Of each of the men and tied to
the stringers- There was no time for
prayers or pleadings, but at a signal
AIN three were pushed off the edge and
dropped eight or ten feet with all the
precision of q professional hanging
To make sure Of carrying out their
purpose the mob fred two shots into
each body, although death ca me
quickly by the rope Then the lynch
ers rode away quietly and the bodies
awung cold and stiff
When morning came, passengers on
the east bound express train had q
plain view of the bodies rs they hung
from the high bridge. Hundreds 81
people gathered around but it was
not until 1880 that the bodies were
cut down The coroner al once held
an inquest and without delay the jury
returned a verdict that deceased came
tn their death At the hands Of persons
unknown.
There S. little sympathy felt for the
victims The murder was a cruel and
heartless one, and the murdered man
had many friends Ever since his dis
appearance suspicious have grown
more pointed. and the three men
lynched were considered guilty. Their
mutual recrimina tiOns and cross con
LESSONS convinced the people that ali
of them were guilty, and during the
past week, and while the inquest over
Dinninya remains were being held,
attention has been given almost esz-
clusively to the NATTER The trivial
booty secured and the evidence of
mutlation given By the BODY robbed
the murderers of all sym Dathv.
It IS not likely that ala attempt win
BE made to prosecute the lynchers.