The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-19
THE ELLENsBURG LYScHuNG.
A Different story Told Of the Affair
Gaid Ia Have Been Very Brutal.

Tacoma. Aug Speciai~A story Of
fine Ellensburg lynching, somewhat DIFF
ferent from that sent out In the dis
hatcher. was told n Post-inteliigencer
correspondent here today. a resident Of
Ellensburg was the gentleman who relat-
I'd the story. lie Is business man OF
that city and would talk only OH condition
that his name be not used. Said he:
There is no doubt in my mind that tho
lynching was done by friends of the muir
dered men out OF pure revenge. and was
not tho popular uprising of the people
that the dispatches have stated
."rhe lynching was brutal I'm the ex-
treme. and the elder Fnson was shame
fully maItreated as he was being swung
from the ground. II has been stated that
no personal indignities were offered the
Wilson's and no shots were fired. but that
is untrue for several attempts were made
10 shoot the men In their cells before the
doors were broken down.
"All Tuesday afternoon there was talk
Of a probable lynching that night. and
everybody Was expectant. Between 10 and
] o'clock 1 was awakened by the sound OF
two or three shots fired. which seemed 10
he a signal TO assemble the mob. / ! ur-
yied 10 the Jail. but found two or three
hundred people gathered there ahead OF
ma. Some were masked and number
carried rifles. BY the time | arrived the
mob had broken IN the two outer doors
reading into the 1all ana were attacking
the lattice work OF the steel cage with
piece OF railroad rail about ten feet long.
They also used sledge hammers. crow
bars and other instruments on the cage
door, and after about two hours work
succeeded In breaking the bolts that
held IL.
while they were hatterins I'm the door
several shots were fired at the prisoners,
who were confined in separate cells in
side the steel cage. l do not think any
OF the shots took effect. however. because
by standing close I'm the corners of their
cells the Wilson's could keep out OF range.
When the cage door had been broken
down ropes were put around the prison.
ers' necks. and they were led up the
street about three blocks To a tree. on
the road up the mob stopped at n couple
OF electric light poles. but the cross bars
were too high TO be reached and they
went on.
Arrived at the tree. the ropes were
thrown over two branching limbs about
seven feet from the ground. Old man
Ninson was pulled up first. when his
feet were but two or three inches from
the ground one of the iynchers. a Ger
man, stepped up and struck him on the
side Of the head twice with al the force
OF hts clinched fist. Then. raising his
foot. no kicked vinsoH and cursed him
bitterly.
when first pulled mp neither Of the
Wilson's were tied. and naturally they
moved their arms and legs while they
were strangllng. Observing this. several
OF the lynchers jerkcd their arms and
legs down straight and tied them. The
men hung twenty minutes or more before
all signs OF life ceased. They were not
cut down until about S o'clock the next
morning."
IL was learned from another source that
sheriff SttnSon has since stated that about
an hour or So hef6re the mob appeared he
became satisfied that he could not rely
on hts deputies. and was afraid that IL
mob came he would be overpowered and
his KEYS taken away. Accordingly he
took the keys and went heme. whore he
remained until after the ivnehing.
While tho mob was at work several cit
teens OF Elienshurg demonstrated with tho
leaders. and attempted 20 induce them 10
allow tho law 10 take It's course. bat no
interference was allowed. and such per
sons were Immediately ordered 10 leave.
Hx-Narshal Brown WAS in the crowd.
and used strenuous efforts 10 save the
prisoners. when about half way between
the Jail and the tree he took bold OF one
OF the Wilson's and attempted 70 lead him
away. but AZ this two men with Win
cheStors took BROWN hy the arms and led
him down street. warning him Dot 10 try
20 interfere any further