Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-08-30
TO END LAWLEssNEss.
The Residents of Yreka, Cal, Take the
Law in Their Own Hands.

The Residents of Yreka, Cal, Take the
Law in Their Own Hands.
YREKA, CAL, Aug. 27.-Four murder
ers were taken from the county Jail by a
mob of $50 men and lynched. A band
Of citizens, fearing that 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 CHASTITY climax to the
reign Of lawlessness which has pre-
vailed in Siskiyou county for some
months past. One Of the victims was
Lawrence johnson, who, on the evening
of July %, stabbed his wife to death in
the town Of Etna. Another was Will
lam Null, who shot Henry Hayter in the
back with a rifle near Galatians on April
81. Louis Moreno and Garland Seem
Ter, who are supposed to have killed
George Seers and Jasper Meierhans at
Bailey Hill on Aug. 5, were also
hanged.
Mob Gathered at Midnight.
AT II O'Clock p. IN. farmers from all
the surrounding country began to drive
into town, and by midnight the mob
was ready to march to the county jail.
Before taking a step, however, every
precaution was taken to prevent the
plans Of the lynchers from being frus-
trated by the officers of the law. The
sheriff and III Of his deputies were de-.
coyed to another part of town by two
members Of the mob who were engaged
in the lynching and the fire bell was
muff1ed to prevent an alarm being given
in that way. When the mob reached
the Jail Deputy Sheriff Radford opened
the door and was Immediately held up
by the mob, vino took the keys from
him and entered the Jail. Having no
keys to the different cells they were
compelled to burst the locks with a
sledge hammer which they proceeded to
do at once. Lawrence II. johnson, who
recently
stabbed His Wife to Dcatl,
at Etna OH Sunday evening, July 2e,
was the first to receive the attention Of
the mob. They broke the lock from the
door Of his cell, and placing a rope
around his neck, led him out Of the Jail
and across the street to where the iron
rail was laid between the forks of two
locust trees. Johnson pleaded for
mercy, but the silent gathering gave no
heed to his appeals and he was quickly
strung up. The mob returned to the
Jail and broke into the cell of William
Null, who shot Henry Hayter at Calla-
hans April p III a dispute over a mining
property. Null desired to make a state
ment, but time was too valuable and he
was soon hanging alongside of Johnson.
Louis Moreno, who is charged with
having killed George Seers Oh Aug. 5,
was then taken from his cell and soon
swung with Johnson and Null.
A Message for His Mother.
The last and youngest Of the fou.
murderers to pay the penalty of his
crime was Garland Seemler, aged about
10, who, in company with Moreno, was
charged with having killed Casper Mel
erhans at Bailey Hill on Aug. 5. A rope
was placed around Seemler's neck and
he was led from tie jail i'll his bare feetss
Seelnler begged Tor mercy and his last
words We're, "Tell my dear old mother
I am innocent Of the crime"
Yreka is q little mining town and
years ago was frequently the scene Of
moi violence. The summary manner
in which justice was melted out to the
four murderers reminded the pioneers of
similar scenes duriSg the gold excite
ment 40 years asS, when it was
not an uncommon spectacle to awaken
in the morning and see the body of a
notorious criminal dangling from a tree.