The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-08-28
FOUR ARE LYNCHED
The Californians Got Rid Of Vic.
lators by Wholesale.
A SHAN FIGHT DELUDES THE OFFICERS
The Mob Then Quiet Gets Into the Jail
Brakes Locks, and -Four Prisoners
arc Taken Out, One at the
Tlme. and Put Away

YREKA, Cal. Aug. 27.-About one
o'clock yesterday lnoruing, a crowd OF
two hundred and lfty men gathered
here to lynch the four murderers in
the county Jail. So quietly were their
preparations made that tine sheriff had
no intimation of the coming. Small
groups from all over SiSlsiyou county
began to arrive on the outskirts Of the
town about 9 o'clock last night. At one
o'clock the crowd having gathered they
secured an old rail at the depot and car.
ried it to the court house square, plac-
ing il between two trees. The local
police were called away by sham
Aeht. BY the time they returned they
realized the intention Of the crowd.
The chief of police went to the engine
house to ring the fire alarm bell bat
found that The ropes had been cut. He
then went to the Jail but the mob had
already arrived, and in such numbers
that the police were powerlcss. A mum.
Der OF men, all masked. awakened un-
der-Sherif RadfcrG at the sheriff's Of
fce in the court house and demanded
the keys OF the Jail from him. He pos
itively refused TO open or give up the
keya Finding that Radford was i'm
movable, the mob went across to the
jail and got on top Of the stone wall
which surrounds it. Deputy Sheriff
Brautlacht. who sleeps in the Jail fred
two shots to alarm the city marshal,
thinking some OF the prisoners were
trying TO escape He then opened the
doors and was Immediately seized by
the mob who entered tho Jail. Having
no keys to the cells, they were COM
PEELED to smash the locks with sledge-
hammers.
Lawrence II. johnson, who stabbed
his wife to death on July 18th, was
frst to receive the attention of the
mob. They broke the lock- from the
door of his cell and placing rope
around his neck led him out of the jail
and across the street TO where the iron
rail was laid bctweea the forks Of two
trees johnson pleaded for mercy but
the silent gathering gave no heed tc
his appeals. He was quickly strung up.
diving from strangulation. The mob
then returned TO Jail and broke into
the cell of william Null, who shot
Henry Hayton at Galatians on April
2lst- Null asked to make /. statement
but the mob refused to listen and he
was soon hanging beside Johnson.
Louis Moreno who killed George Sears
on the fifth instant was next taken out
and hanged. The last and youngest
OF the four was Garland Semler, aged
10, who killed C. Moierhaus at Bailey
Hill. on the 5th instant. A rope was
placed around his neck and in few
minutes he was swinging beside his
companions. About this time Sheriff
Holtz arrived on the scene but was met
by several Of the mob who notified him
that "the Job was finished BY this
time, the greater part OF the mob had
disappeared, leaving only few on
guard. Soon these departed also and
the square was soon deserted.
The bodies were taken down by Cor
oner Scnofeld and Marshal Parks who
removed them in a wagon TO the engine
house where they were laid side by
side. The coroner summoned jury to
hold the inquest.