The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1895-09-07
THE KAISER TRAGEDY.
Particulars Of the Death Of Gus.
fave A. Kaiser.

%ett \ a. RNtAINAt
Accidentally KILLED While Trying TO
Save the Life of Priseaer-He Was
Buried by the Masonic Fraternity
i News OF the Sad Event Received with
Regret Here.
A recent issue of NFv Dominion
contained brief account of the muir
der by mob Of Gustave A. Kaiser,
formerly of this place. Mr. Kaiser
was jailor at Juno, Florida, and was
killed accidentally by one of the
mob while taking Sam Lewis, muir
derer, from the jail. The following
account Of the tragedy is condensed
from a long article in The Tropical
Sun published a, West Palm Beach,
Florida
| Between two and three O'clock In
the morning Sunday body of
armed men were heard tramping up
the railroad track from the Juno
wharf to the Jail. Reaching there
their spokesman pounded at the jail
door and demanded admittance.
Jailer Kaiser very properly denied
admission, say ing he had no author
ity to admit anyone but officers.
Threats We're made that il the iail
was not opened to them it would be
burned, and with it all who were in
side.
At this Juneture comes conflict
of opinion; The negro Perkins
claims that a shot was fired through
the window into the iailor's room Mt
himself or the jailor, or both, and
that then Kaiser agreed To give up
the keys provided no one should he
harmed but Lewis. Others think
that the first shot was fired on the
lynchers by Perkins or some one in
side the jail
Be that as it may, it seems from
Perkins' own testimony that when
the door was finally opened that he
made leap out at the door and
broke through the crowd, being shot
at twenty or more times as he ran.
1t is also likely that at this stage of
the proceedings Jailor Kaiser re.
ceived a load Of buckshot fired at
Perkins, and which caused Kaiser's
death.
The jail once open Lewis WAS Tux
en- from his cell, carried out to tel
egraph pole about one handred
yards from the court house and
there, despite his pleadings and beg
ging for life, was strung up to the
pole literally shot full Of holes and
left hanging as a terrible warning
to other participants and abettors
of ontlawry who may still he found
in this section.
After the lynchers had finished
their work one of them called Mr..
Quimby out and informed him that
the jailor was seriously hurt that he
had gotten in the way OF load of
shot intended for George Perkins
and that something had best be done
for the injured man at once.
Jailor Kaiser WAS found Just out
side the Jail door, where he had been
laid by the parties who had so I'm
fortunately shot him. His right arm
was found to be torn to shreds, from
the forearm to the elbow, the flesh
cut to strings but the bones unbro
ken. The arm had been humanely
and carefully bound above the elbow
to prevent his bleeding to death, but
he was unconscious and never spoke
before he died, which was in a few
hours time One buck shot had en-
tered at the angle of the jaw, and,
that shots course being upward, it
was supposed probable by Dir. Pot
ter, who had been promptly sum
moned to attend him, that the bull
let had found its way to the brain
and produced paralysis which pre-
vented his being able to speak, hut
which did not leave him unable to
recognize his wife and sister in law,
who were with him.
Late in the afternoon, on the ar
rival ofthe steamer Lake Worth from
West Palm Beach, an inquest was
held, and the jury found that the de.
ceased had come to his death from
a gun shot wound, inflicted acciden
tally at the hands of a person or
persons unknown
Immediately after the inquest the
Masonic fraternity took charge of
the body Of Mr. Kaiser, which was
placed in a handsome casket aud was
carried to the deceased's home. W here
he was buried with Masonic honors,
and by the beautiful ritual service
participated in by the eighteen mem
bers of the order present, and wit
messed by large concourse of sym
pathetic friends from all over the
| Lake