Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-05-30
JUDGE LYNCH RULED.
by Taking the Law in
Their Hands.


mob appeared at the door of the Vermilion
county jail and demanded admission 1t
was composed of farmers from Indianola
township, and they came to lynch John
Halls and William Royce, who assaulted
Miss Laura Barnett in this city Thursday
night.
When no answer was obtained to their
summons telegraph pole was obtained
and for half an hour the iron door was
battered without result. The sheriff ap,
peared ut window and besought the
crowd to cease. The farmers listened to
the sheriff while they rested. and then,
with cheers, proceeded to batter at the
door.
Firemen Refuse to Interfere.
A fire alarm was turned in, but when
the department arrived at the Jail and
found the cause of the alarm the tiremen
force massed at the Jail, but was unable
to do anything. 1t was not believed the
mob would succeed in getting into the
JAIL and if it did get into the first door
it was thought the six others to be bat
tered Down before the prisoners wanted
could De reached would prove a success
full obstacle. The sheriff informed the
mob he would defend the prisoners at all
hazards. The wife Of the sheri< tried
to address the mob, but her voice was
drowned out by cries of Give us the
keys" and Bring them out" There was
some talk of using dynamite, but this
was not resorted to-.
At 2 o'clock Sheriff Thompson sent for
| Judge Bookwalter of the circuit court,
who addressed the crowd from the Jail
| corridor. He counseled them to peace
and order promising. it the men were
| duly convicted of the crime, to inflict the
extreme penalty. For a minute, but for
Il minute only. his words were needed.
| Then another desperate attempt was
made to reach the cells where the two
men were secreted. The doors finally
gave way and Royce was located, crouch
| ing and shiyering with fear. His cell
! door WAS quickly battered down. a score
of hands dragged him unceremoniously
from his hiding place underneath the
| wooden bench which serves prisoners as
| their bed. Half dragged and half pushed
! he was hustled into the dining room and
seated on the table. A rope was placed
over his head and while part of the mob
| kept close guard over him the others con-
tinued the search for Halls until he was
| discovered in another and more remote
portion of the Jail.
| Lay the Blame on Altgeld.
! Perhaps the most sensational incident
of the lynching occurred during Judge
| Bookwalter's address to the mob. At
| first his words produced a telling effect
|
nent men of the county, replied: Yes,
we know the jury will convict them and
that they will get 4 severe sentence, but
Gov. Altgeld will pardon them out. He
recently parGoned three brutes you sent
up from Champaign county for twenty
any other man than Altgeld was COVER
nor we would not lynch these men, but
we are determined he will never have
| chance to turn them loose
On the way to the bridge from the
jail procession was formed, taking the
boys through Main street. Halls and
Royce both walked with a firm step.
Each had rope around his neck. Royce
wanted to see his father and a delay fol-
| lowed. His father did not come. Halls
said he was not ashamed of what he
| had done. They would not jump and they
were both thrown over the bridge rail
| ing at 3:45. They dropped tn,rty feet
and death followed. both expiring in
fearful ,convulsions. Their faces were not
covered. They hung side by side on the
east railing.
The mob quietly dispersed The coro,
ner was notified and the bodies were cut
down a9d taken to an undertaking estab
lShment.
The Crime of the Men.
The assault was made at 80 O'Clock
Thursday evening Oh Miss Laura Barnett
by Halls and Boyce, who bore an uI1-
savory reputation. Miss Barnett and
i.;-s =. n. Tvrss ly2 ava1E1ng Oh rne yer
million IiTGf bridge at the foot Of Main
street when they We're accosted = tWQ
| men. The girls started to run, One Of
the men knocked Miss Barnett down.
Miss Draper escaped up Main street.
, Their shrieks collected a crowd, which
started in pursuit of Halls and Royce,
who dragged Miss Barnett with them.
they passed John Downs, an old man,
who attempted to interfere: He was
knocked down by Halls. The two men
subsequently escaped, dragging the girl
with them. She was found at II O'Clock
unconscious Halls and Royce were ar
rested, waived q preliminary examination,
and were bound over to the grand jury liz
$4,000. Both girls belonged to respecta>
| bic families Miss Barnett hovers be-
| tween life and death.