Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-05
A WESTERN LYNCHING.
Newspaper Rivalry ms to the Time OF
the Hanging.

Newspaper Rivalry ms to the Time Of
the Hanging.
1--WE once had a great lynching in North
Dakota" said a western newspaper man to
a Star reporter. 1T was equal to anything
that occurs in the SOUTH and was for the
same cause that SO frequently, disgraces
&C mmunities in southern states. A colored
man was the victim, and while he escaped
burning at the stake, he was horribly NAL
treated before he was finally swung from
the high railroad bridge over the sluggish
waters of the Red River of the North. Aside
from the tumultuous and crazy throng, and
the manner in which the officers tried to
save the prisoner, the final breaking open
of the jail, and the adjusting of the moose
by the husband of the wronged woman. the
newspaper end Of the affair was decidedly
interesting.
THE brute was captured in the night.
long after most people had retired. The
morning newspaper fellows. however. were
all awake, and, with considerable number
of others, gathered around the jail and In
sisted upon a lynching then and there
There were two morning papers, rivals OF
the afternoon paper. but the latter was
then standing in with the bosses of the
pr onounced in favor Of law and order. The
whole police force and officers of the city
hall were able to prevent the man from be-
Ing taken out Of the lookup: The morning
The Situation Was Different.
1.-The next day the newspapers changed
sides. The afternoon reporters, city editor.
ard, in fact, the whole staff including the
printers, were out early denouncing the ne
gro and demanding 4 lynching then and
there. The morning paper men were coun-
selling law and order. Meanwhile the
Iowds were gathering. and this was fac
tor in favor of the afternoon newspaper.
and, besides. the whole town had Joined the
clamor for summary vengeance.
Gums and pistols had been necessary to
prevent the lynching at night, but in the
daytime the police force was not quite so
al xious to stop the preparation of the hor-
| rihle outrage. They put up BLUM. but
| they did not show their weapons or threat
| en- to shoot.
A Flank Movement.
Then the morning paper men executed
flank movement The sheriff of the county
| was in favor Of the morning papers. So 1t
| was decided to turn the prisoner over to
him. The police were perfectly willing.
| This was done. and the prisoner was sur
rounded by posse of officers and taken to
| the county Jail. the crowd being told that
| he would be taken to the court house and
given a fair hearing. But the court house
was passed by. and the Jail reached in
| safety.
..The Jail had been built strong and solid.
| and had held successfully many desperate
| criminals. 1t didn't seem possible to get
| tie prisoner for hours-at least not until
| far into the highland then in time for the
| morning papers.
| But the crowd became too large and was
| too determined to be resisted. The doors
| of the Jail were battered and damned, and
| almost wrecked before the deputy sheriff,
| who had the keys, was boldly held up and
the keys taken from him.
| For time previous to the holding up Of
the deputy for the keys there was the
| most maddening scene. The law and order
| fac ton was trying to prevent the lynching
and some speeches were made from barrels
on both sides Of the question. Probably
| what did more than all else to determine
the fate of the prisoner was the arrival OF
the husband of the negros victim. He was
a railroad man and had been far away He
was telegraphed for and arrived on train
| with many of his friends. He appeared
| among the excited crowd and, being recog-
nized, asked for his opinion. ! mo-
inentary hush fell upon the crowd when it
vas made known that he was about to
speak.
Where is her he asked.
| "'In the JAIL shouted dozen voices.
Take him out and hang him. was the
81 swer.
THAT was sufficient. The fate Of the
regro was soon sealed. A mob of more
than 5000 people decreed that he should
speedily die.
THE horrible snnne that ensued was
dished up in the most ..ss. No style tbs
afternoon paper, and probably no edition
was ever published that had such a rapid
al large sale
AT the close of the account We added a
line for the benefit Of our morning rivals
And it all happened just in time for the
afternoon paper"