The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-11
:. OK 8 7 ms.

date OF the first lynching TON" Cor
don, noted Desperate, had, during the
preceding summer assassinated City Mar
shall Thomas. He shot him in the back
through saloon window and made his
escape. The night before my arrival Cor
don had boldly made his reappearance.
Walking across the plaza he was recog-
nized and posse, quickly organized run
him. to the Rio Grande, where he hid in
the chapparal. All trains were watched
and he was seen to enter a box car Of a
north bound freight. officers followed on
the passenger, and the next morning.
when he allghted I'm Albuquerque, he
looked into the muzzles OF a half dozen
Winchesters. Gordon was game" and
refused TO surrender until promised trial
by jury He was brought back and
chained to the big rock in the underground
jail on South, or court house, plaza.
Rumors of the expected action were rife
about my hotel, and / decided to witness
the event Following the drifting crowd
at nightfa!l, soon found myself In the
place OF meeting-a large room near the
main plaza. New members were helms
sworn In and / mixed with the crowd.
which was an impressive one Every man
was armed with rife, besides which.
the majority carried one or two 45-caIiber
Colt revolvers. Finally one Of the vigil
lantes clapped me on the shoulder and
said
What are you doing here, kid?"
"Oh! just come over to see the ftin.a
you'd better skip. this is no place for
children" he said
IAN right, sir, I'll CO." but before n
could get out dozen voices cried: Swear
him In, he can pun rope" and it was SO
decided.
was made one Of a circle Of perhaps
a dozen Inside stood the executive ON
GERS Of the vigilantes, one of whom read
the oath, which the candidate repeated
after him.
The oath was a transcendantal gem
and must have been a boil down. az
blood curdling features from a number
of secret orders. The candidate swore
absolute allegiance to the order and its
mandates. Nearest kin were not exemnf-
ed, and II instructed the candidates were
bound to infiict any punishment. even
death itself, upon his own parents. The
category Of horrors 10 be melted out to
the man who violated his obligation was
enough to suspend animation. 1 took the
obligation, signed in a trembling hand the
membership book and awaited Develop
ments.
When all had taken the oath the
crowd, which probably numbered 80.
marched to the Jail Gordon was
brought FORTH struggling and cursing in
a horrible manner. He asked for a gun
or a knife, saying he could whip the
A moose was thrown over him, but he
pulled II down from his neck and, cursing
and fighting. he was dragged two blocks
to a corral gate. Here 1t seemed almost
impossible to get him close enough to
throw the rope over the CAMPING plank
In the struggle he bit a mans finger
nearly off. The latter. maddened with
pain, struck Gordon with the butt OF his
revolver, stunning him. That's what he
had been fighting for. hoping to be shot
instead of strangled. The rope was
quickly thrown over the gate, the muir
derer pulled up the body hanging quiet
without a struggle, the brilliant moon
light making every feature distinct. In
fifteen minutes he was pronounced dead
and command was given 10 fire volley
into the corpse.
/ did not fire. In that hour Of trans
formation from 'tenderfo0t" to thor
oughbred" / had learned to respect 1.-The
man who dies game"