The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-27

assuring the officer they would be taken
prisoners, which undoubtedly would have
been the case had not the mob called in
the guards and was just leaving the court
house and jail. AS they stepped into the
corridor of the courthouse masked men
came out of the shadow, covered them with
guns and commanded them to halt, which
was complied with, the Sheriff acknowledge
ing they had the drop on him. While
standing there guarding the Sheriff and
District Attorney the mob dispersed, the
guards backed out, and the silent mob dis
appeared into the darkness.
A better-drilled lot of men could not be
imagined. Everything went like clock
work. The stragglers whom they had
taken prisoners were treated with respect,
simply being requested to keep quiet. The
only show of nervousness was by the man
guarding Henry Brautlacht. He kept his
gun cooked and his hand trem bled badly.
Brautlacht began to be nervous and re-
quested him to lower his gun, which was
complied with.
Coroner Scofield was called and the
bodies were cut down at A. NJ, but not
until flashlight photograph was taken.
Every part of the county was repre-
sented in the mob and it was the result of
a general feeling throughout the county
that the courts justice was too tardy for
this class of criminals. Much talk of
lynching had been INDUCED in throughout
the county for the past month, it need
ing only spark to be ignited into action.
The spark came when for the second time
continuation for a preliminary hearing
was granted to the murderers of George
Sears and Casper Meirhaus. On both oc-
casions score of witnesses came to Yreka
from distance of twenty to forty miles,
paid their own expenses and were told
another continuance was necessary. Sat-
isfied that they had the right men the
lynching was the result.
The Coroaer's jury brought in verdict
OF "died by strangulation at the hands of
parties unknown to u.s."
summary of the crimes dates back to
April q OF this year, when William Null
murdered his partner, Henry Hayter, near
Galatians, by shooting him in the back as
he was riding away from his cabin.
Lawrence ii. Johnson of Etna suspected
his wife of infdelity. He came home SUM-
day evening, July %, and found young
tions to Johnson's eldest daughter. Draw
ing pistol he tried to kill the young man.
but the cartridges failed to explode. He
then turned upon his wife and drew
knife, cutting her In a frightful and brutal
manner, from which she died in great
agony in two hours. He then attacked
his daughter, but she escaped in the dark
ness. Johnson gave himself up to a Deputy
Sheriff. remarking as he handed him the
bloody knife:
81 guess you will find the point of that
dull. | think reached some of her
bones.h
Louis Moreno and Garland Stemler on
the night of August tried to rob George
G. Sears, saloon-keeper at Bailey Hill.
The old man showed fight and called to
Casper Meirhaus, a miner, who was in an
adjoining room. Meirhaus ran In, when
Stemler and Moreno shot them down and
leisurely proceeded to rob the till, from
which they got $34. Taking a lot of
whisky, sardines, etc., they made for the
Hills, but were speedily captured.