The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-08-29
TIE WILD AND WOOLLY WEST
-FOUR MURDERERS STRUNG UP
IN A ROW BY ENRAGED
CITIZENS.
IT REMINDED CITIZENS OF OLD
TIMES.
The Climax to a Reign of Lawlessness
of Which the People Were Grow
ing Weary-The Mob Was
Composed of Farmers.

1reka, CAL, Aug. 26.-Four murderers
We're taken from the county Jail by a
mob of $50 men this morning at 4 o'clock
and lynched. A band of citizens, fear
ing The law would not be carried out, and
angered over the atrocity of recent crimes,
determined to take matters into their
own hands. The lynching was the
ghastly climax to the reign of lawlessness
which has prevailed in Siskiyu county for
some months past.
One of the victims was Lawrence John
son. who, on the evening of July %,
stabbed his wife to death in the town of
Aetna. Another was William Hull, who
shot Henry Hayler in the back with
rifle near Galatians on April 81. The re-
naming two were Louis MORO and Gar
land Serene, who are supposed to have
killed George Sears and Caper Metre
hans at Baily Hill in August.
At II o'clock last night farmers began
to drive into town, and by midnight the
mob was ready to march on the county
Jail. Before taking a step, however,
every precaution was taken to prevent
the plans of the lynchers from being
frustrated by the officers of the law.
The sheriff and one of his depties were
decOyed to another part of town by two
members of the mob, who were engaged
in q sham fight, and the fire bell was
mutfed to prevent an alarm from being
given in that way.
When the Jail was reached a number of
| men. all masked, awakened Deputy Sher-
ff Radford and demanded the keys. He
| refused to open the door or give up the
keys, telling them that if they broke the
doors he would blow out their brains
Finding that Radford was determined
not to give up the keys, they went across
| to the Jail and got on stone wall sur
! rounding the Jail. Deputy Sheriff Henry
Brahlacht, who has been stopping in
| the Jail since the commitment of so many
murderers. thinking some one was escap-
| ing from the Jail, fired two shots to alarm
| City Marshal Parker and Deputy Sheriff
| Radford. He then opened the doors and
was at once held by the mob, who took
the keys from him and entered the Jail.
Having visited the different cells, they
were compelled to burst the locks with
a sledge hammer, which they proceeded
| to do at once.
| Lawrence Johnson was the first to re-
ceive their attention. They broke his
| cell door in and placing a rope around his
neck they led the wife murderer across
| the street to where a rail was laid across
the forks of two trees. He was quickly
strung up, dying from strangulatiOn in Il
| few minutes.
The mob next broke into the cell OF
| Null and took him out. Null desired tC
make a statement, but time would not
side of Johnson.
Louis Moro. charged with the killing OF
George Sears on the 9TH of this month
was then taken from his cell and was
soon swinging with Johnson and Null.
Uhe last and youngest of the four mur
derers to pay the penalty of his crime
was Garland Serene. charged with the
murder of Casper Meirehans. A rope
was placed around Sereno's neck and he
was led from the Jail in his bare feet
Sere2o begged for mercy and his last
words. were: "Tel my dear old mother
1 am innocent of this crime"
| About this time Sheriff Hobbs, having
been notified. arrived ON the scene and
starting for the Jail door was com
manded to halt. the command being EN-.
| Dhasized by the display of revolvers
He was told that the "job had been dome
BY this time the greater part of the mob
had dispersed. leaving only about &c
or 40 on guard, who soon left after the
sheriff arrived. The bodies were taken
down by Coroner Schofeld and Marshal
| Parks. who summoned jury to hold an
| innuest.
Yreka is a little mining town and
years ago was frequently the scene of
mob violence. The summary manner in
which justice was meted out to the four
murderers this morning reminded the
| pioneers of similar scenes during the gold
excitement 40 years ago, when it was
not an uncommon sight to awaken in the
morning and see the body of a notorious
criminal dangling from a tree.