The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-08-29
THEY STRUNG UP -FOUR
More Details of the Lynchings
In California.
TIRED OF THE REIGN OF CRIME,
The Citizens of Yreka Took the Punish.
ment of Quartet of Murderers Into
Their Own Hands-A Negro Murderer
Hanged In Kentucky.

YREKA, CAL, Aug. H.-Later details
of the lynching of four murderers by a
mob Of 900 men here, have developed
the fact that a band of citizens. fear.
ing that the law would not be carried
out, and angered over the atrocity of
recent crimes, determined to take mat
ters into their own hands. The lynch.
ing was the ghastly climax to the reign
Of lawlessness which has prevailed in
Siskyu county for some months past.
One Of the victims was Lawrence John
son, who, on the evening Of July 28,
stabbed his wife to death in the town
of Etna. Another was William Null,
who shot Henry Hayter in the back
with rife, near Callahan's, ON April
2l. Louis Moreno and Garland Yem-
Ter, who are supposed to have killed
George Sears and Casper Meirerhans.
At Bailey Hill, in August, were also
hanged
The sheriff and one of his deputies
were decoyed to another part of the
town by two members of the mob who
were engaged in sham fight, and the
fire bell was muffled to prevent an alarm
being given in that way. When the
Jail was reached number of the men,
all of whom were masked, came to Dep
uty Sheriff Radford and demanded the
keys from him. He positively refused
to open the door or give the keys up,
telling them il they broke in the doors
he would blow their brains out Find
ing that Radford was determined not to
give them the keys, they went across TO
the Jail and got on top of stone wall
which surrounds 1t.
Deputy Sheriff Henry Brahtlacht,
who has been sleeping in the Jail since
the commitment Of 80 many murder
ers, thinking some one was escaping
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. Hav.
ing no keys to the different cells, they
were compelled to burst the locks with
sledgehammer, which they proceeded
TO do at once.
Lawrence H. johnson was the first to
receive the attention of the mob. They
broke the lock from the door Of his cell
and placing rope around his neck led
him out OF the Jail and across the street
w Wn0to tuo lTOu Tdll was lalu DoVWo6n
the forks Of two locust trees. johnson
pleaded for mercy, but the silent gath
ering gave no heed to his appeals, and
he was quickly strung up, dying from
strangulation in q few minutes.
The mob returned TO the jail and then
broke into the cell Of William Null. He
desired to make a statement, but time
was too valuable to permit any such
preliminaries, and he was soon hanging
alongside Of johnson.
Louis Moreno was then taken from
his cell and was soon swinging with
johnson and Null.
The last and youngest Of the four
murderers to pay the penalty of his
crime was Garland Zemler, aged about
10. A rope was placed around Zemler'
neck and he was led from the jail in his
bare feet Zemler begged for mercy,
and his last words were, "Tell my dear
old mother am innocent Of the crime. -
About this time Sheriff Hobbs, hav-
ing been notified, arrived on the scene,
and starting for the jail door was com
manded to halt, the command being
emphasized by the display Of several
revolvers. he was told that the "job
had been done" Then the mob dis
persed.