Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-09-06
EXECUTED BY MOB.
Four Murderers Lynched in a
California Town.
A REIGN OF DISORDER

Fearful of the Laws Delays tho
People Took the Administration
of Justice Into Their Own
Hands - Hanged Side
by Side.
Four mu derers were taken from the
coun jail at Yr' ka, Cal, by mop Oh zoo
men at o'clock In the emorning and lyncne''
land OF citiz,ns. fearing that the law
would not be ca ried out, and an 'ereu o'er
the atrocity OF recent crimes, determined 10
take matters in their own hands.
The lynchlng wa, the CHASTITY chm * "
the reign OF lawle, sless which has p'evalieo
in sisikyou county for some months paSt.
O-e OF the vic inns was Lawrence JonnSoh'
who. on the evening OF July 2S, stabbed DIS
| wife to death in the town OF E;ns. Anotner
VAS " lillian Null who shot Henry Hayter Id
| the back with O rifle near Callahans Oh
April 21. Lou S Moreno and Garland SEEM
ler who are supposed to have killed deorse
Seers and Caspar Meirerhans at Bailey h'i'
on August 5, W re ais hanged.
| At1I o'clock farmers from all OF the sur
rounding cou t began to drive into town,
and BY midnight the NIB was ready 10
march to the county jill. Before taking
step, however every precaution was taken
to rrevent the plans OF the lynchors from
being frustrated by the Ufll ers Il the law
The sheriff and one his deputies were ue-
co ed to another part OF the town by two
members OF the mob who were engaged In
sham Agh'. and the fire b Ill WAS mui1e 10
prevent an alarm be ng given in thaI way.
When the jail was reached numper oi
the men, all OF whom were masSe J, awaN-
eneL Under Sheriff Radlord, and demanded
the keys from him. He rosit vely reiuS9l 70
o, en- the door or to give up the keys, 'e'hnS
them If they oke open the doors ne w0uiu
blow their brains out
Ending that Radford was determined not
to give them the keys, they went across 10
the jail and got on top oil stone wall, WHICH
surrounded the jail. Deputy Sheriff Henry
Brabtlacht, who has be sleeping IN inc III
sinea the commitment Of so many murderers
thinkin some one was escaping from tue
iail. fred two shots out OF the WINDOW 10
arm G ty Marshal Parks aud Depu Sner'
: i1 Radto.d. The latter then openeI tue
, doors and was immedia ely held up tue
mob who took the keys from him and en-
tered the jail. Having no keyst to the dineren
, cells they were compelled to burst the locks
with sedge hammer, which they PR cooueC
Y to do at once.
Lawrence II. JohnS,n, who Drutauy
stabbed his vile to death q. Etna on SUNDAY
D.. evening, July 2S was the first TO receive IN
= attention OF the mob. They broke the ioc
> from the door OF hi, cell, and placing rop
around his neck ed him out OF the jail an
across the street to where the iron rail- wa
laid between the fork, OF two locust Tree
y Johnson plead for mercy but the slIen
a, O., gathering gave no heed to his appeals, an
" ~ he was quickly strung up dying from ST. al
-, gulation In few miuut g.
The mob return d to the jail and the
=, broke into the cell OF William Null, who sh'
:, Henry Hay;er, at Callahan's, on April Il,
a dispute o,er q mining property. Nu'l u'
sirel TO make a statement, but time was tC
=, valuable to permit any such prelim'narie
- and he was soon hanging Alongside
oo Johnson.
~ Louis Moreno, who is charged with havr
- killed George Sears on the 5th oil this mont
- was taken from his cell and was soon swim
ing with Johnson and Nul.
'.r The last and youngest OF the four murde
20 ers to pay the penalty OF his crime was ia
IL land seemler, aged about nineteen, who,
~ company with Morsno, was charged W
-, having ki led Caspar Meirerhans at B Ill
- Hill on TIE h OF this month. A 70
80. was placed about Seemler's neck and he
.er led from the jail in his bare feet. Seem
~ begged for mercy, and his last words we
J., "Tell my dear old mother 1 am innoce
at OF the crime
Yreka is little mining town, and ye
ago was frequ nty the scene OF mob
y lence. The su umary manner In which j
80 lice was no.eI out TO the four murder
-. remind d the pioneers Of similar scenes d
n Ing the gold excitement forty years
when It was not an uncommon spectacle
awaken IA the morning a I'd zee the body
n notorious criminal dangling from tree