Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-27
WHOLESALE LYNCHING.
Four Men Hanged by Mob at
 Yreka, Cal.
ALL WERE CHARGED WITH MURDER

The Citizens Feared That the Prisoners
 Would Escape Through the Laws Delay,
 So They Broke Into the Jail and Hanged
 Them From a Tree Across the Road.
 YREKA, Cal, Aug. 27.-Four murderers were taken from the county jail by mob of 250 men and lynched. A band of citi- zens, fearing that the law would not Do carried out and angered over the atrocity of recent crimes, determined to take mat ters into their own hands.
 The lynching was the ghastly climax to the reign of lawlessness which has pre- vailed in Siskiyou county for some months past.
 One of the victims was Lawrence John son. who on the evening of July 2S stabbed his wife to death in the town of Etna.
 Another was William Null, who shot Henry Hayter in the back with n rifle near Callahan's on April 21.
 Louis Moreno and Garland Seomlcr, who are supposed to have killed George Sears and Casper Meirerhans at Bailey Hill on Aug. 5, were also hanged.
 At II o'clock at night farmers from all of tho surrounding country began to drive into town, and by midnight the mob was ready to march to the county jail. Before proceeding, however, every precaution was GuhGll UU pESFcIO lIlS pluuS Ot UlC lN from being frustrated by the officers of the law. The sheriff and ono of his depu- ties were decoyed to another part of the town by two members of the mob, who were engaged in n sham fight and the fire bell was untitled to prevent an alarm be- ing given in that way.
 When the jail was reached, a number of the men, all of whom were masked, awak- ened Under Sheriff Radford and demanded the keys from him. He positively refused to open the door or to give up the keys, tell ing them that if they broke ill the door ho would blow their brains out. Finding that Radford was determined not to give them the keys, they went across to the jaiF and got on top of q stone wall which surround ed it.
 Mob Broke Into the Jail.
 Deputy Sheriff Henry Brahtlacht, who has been sleeping in the jail since the commitment of so many niurdcrcrS, think ing some ono was escaping from the jail, fired two shots out of the window to alarm City Marshal Parks and Deputy sheriff Radford. He then opened tho doors and was immediately held up by the mob, who took tho keys from him and entered tho jail. Having no keys to the different cells, they wcro compelled to burst the locks with a sedgrhammcr, which they pro ceedcd to do at once.
 Lawrence II. Johnson, who brutaly stabbed his wife to death at Etna on Sun day evening, July 2S, was the first to re- ceive tho attention of the mob. They broke tho lock from the door of his coll and placing q 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 plead cd for mercy, but tho silent gathering tGN hiSs O1S YN1 1N.Nx quickly strung up, dying from strangula- tiOn in n few minutes.
 The mob returned to the jail and then broke into the cell of William Null, who shot Henry Haytcr at Callahan'S on April 21 in a dispute over mining property. Null desired to make a statement, but time was too valuable to permit any such preliminaricS, and he was soon hanging alongside of Johnson.
 Louis Moreno, who was charged with having killed George Scars on the 9th of this month, Was la.rn from his cell and was soon swinging with Johnson and Null.
 The last and youngest of tho four mur- derers to pay the penalty of his crime was Garland SrcmlCr. aged about I9 who, in company with Moreno, was charged with having killed Casper MrircrhanS at Bailey Hill on the 5th of this month. A rope was placed around SCemlcr'S neck and he was led from the jail in his bare feet. Sccmler begged for mercy, and his last words were, 'Tcll my dear old mother am innocent of the crime
 Held Up the Sheriff.
 About this time sheriff Hobbs, having been notified, arrived on the sccnc, and starting for the jail door was commanded to halt the command being emphasized by the display of several revolvcrs. He was told that the "job had been done" By this time the greater part of tho mob had dispersed, leaving only about 30 or 40 men on guard, who soon left after the sheriff arrived.
 The bodies were taken down by Coroner Schutieih and Marshal Parks, who re- moved them in wagon tu an engine house, where they were laid Sido by side. The coroner has summoned a jury to hold an inquest.
 Ircka iS n littl" mining town, and years ago was frequently tho scene of mob Vio lencc. The summary manner in which justice was nlrtCd out to the four murder CTS reminded the pioneers of similar scenes duripg the gold excitement 10 years ago, when it was not an uncommon spectacle to awaken in the morning and see the body of d notorious criminal dangling from tree.
 
 Bull Fighting Ends In Fizzle.