The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-27
LYNCHED BY A MOB
FOUR MURDERERST FROM
A CALIFORNIA JAIL AND
HANGED.
SWUNG UP ONE AT A TIME

The Mob Consisted of Some $50 Farm
ers and they Went bout their Work
in Most Business-like WaY-The
LynchiDg Occurred in a Little EIining
Town and is The Ghastgy Climax to a
Reign OF LawIpssness -- The Mob
Feared to Trust the Courts.
YREKA, Cal, Aug. 26.-Four murder
ers were taken from the county jail by
mob of $50 men at / o'clock this morn
ing and lynchcd A band of citizens
fearing that the law would not be carried
out, and angerod over the atrocity of re-
cent crimes, determined to take matters
into their own hands. The lynching
was the ghastly climax to the reign of
lawlessness which has prevailed in Sisi-
kiyou county for months past. One Of
the victims was Lawrence Johnson, who,
on the evening of July 28th, stabbed his
wife to death in the town of Etna. An
other was Wm. Null, who shot Henry
Halter in the back with a rifle, near Cal
lahan's, on April 21st. Louis Moreno and
Garland Seemler, who are supposed to
have killed George Sears and Casper Me-
ierhars, at Bailey Hill, on August 5, were
also hanged.
At ii O'Clock last night, farmers
from all of the surrounding coun-
try began to drive into town, and
by midnight the mob was ready to march
to the county Jail. Before taking step,
however, every precaution was taken to
prevent the plans of the lyncbers from
being frustrated by the officers of
the law. The sheriff and one of his
deputies were decoyed to another part
of the town where members of the mob
were engaged in sham fight, and the
fire bell was muffied to prevent an alarm
being given in that way. When the jail
was reached number Of the men, all of
whom were masked, awakened Under
Sheriff Radford and demanded the keys
from him. He positively refused to
open the door or to give up the keys,
telling them If they broke in the door he
would blow their brains out.
Finding that Radford was determin-
ed not to give them the deys, they went
across to the Jail and got on top of
stone wall which surrounded the jail.
Deputy Sheriff Henry Brahtlacht, who
has b. en- sleeping in the jail since
the commitment of so many MUIR
derers, thinking some one was es-
Gaping from the Jail, fred two
shots out of the window to alarm
City Marshal Parks and Deputy Sheriff
Radford. He then opened the doors and
was Immediately held up by the mob
who took the keys from him and entered
the Jail. Having no keys to the different
cells, they were compelled to burst the
locks with sledge hammer which they
proceeded to do at once.
Lawrence H. Johnson, who brutally
stabbed his wife to death at Etna, on
Sunday, July 30, 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 streets to
where an iron rail was laid between the
forks of two locusts Johnson pleaded
for mercy but the silent gathering gave
no heed to his appeals and he was quick
ly strung up, dying from strangulation
in a few minutes.
The mob returned to the Jail and then
broke into the cell of William Null, who
shot Henry Hayter at Callahan's on
April 81, in dispute over mining
property. Null desired to make state
ment, but time was too valuab e to per-
NIT any such preliminary, and he was
soon hanging alongside of Johnson.
Louis Moreno, who Is charged with
having killed George Sears on the 5th of
this month, was taken from his cell and
was soon swinging with johnson and
Null.
The last and youngest of the four muir
derers to pay the penalty OF his crime
was Garland Seemler, aged about 19,
who, in company with Moreno, was
charged with having killed Casper Meier
hans at Bailey Hill on the 9Th OF this
month. A rope was placed around
Seemler's neck and he was led from the
Jail in his bare feet. Seemler begged for
mercy, and his last words were, "Tell
my dear old mother | am innocent of the
crime"
About this time Sheriff Hobbs, having
been notified arrived on the scene and
starting for the jail door, was command
ed to halt, the command being empha-
sized by the display of revolvers. He
was told that the lob had been done.
By this time the greater part of the
mob had dispersed, leaving only about
thirty or forty men on qua d who soon
left after the sheriff arrived.
The bodies were taken down by COro
ner Schofeld and Marshal Parks who re-
moved them 10 wagon to an engine
house where they were laid side by side.
The coroner has summoned jury to
hold an inquest.
Yreka is a little mining town and years
ago was frequently the scene of mob VIC
lence. The summary manner in which
| justice was meted out to the four mur
derers this morning reminded the pio-
neers of similar scenes during the gold
excitement forty years ago, when it was
not an uncommon spectacle to awaken
in the morning and see the body of a no
torious criminal dangling from tree.