Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-08-27

jail by a mob OF Z5O men at / CLOCK
this morning and lynched. A band OF
citizens fearing that the law would
not be carried out and angered over the
atroc.ty of the recent crimes determined
TO take matters into their own
hands. The lynching was the ghastly
climax the reign Of lawlessness which
has prevailed in Siskyu county for some
months past. One of the victims was
Lawrence Johnson, who, on the even
ing Of July 2S, stabbed his wife to
death in the town of Etna. Another
was VIM. Null who shot Henry Hayter
in the back with a rife near Callahans
on April p, Louis Moreno and Car
land 0. Zemler, who are supposed 10
have killed George Sears and casper
Meirehans at Bailey Hill in August,
were also hanged.
At II o'clock last night farmers from
all of the surrounding country began 10
drive into town and by midnight the
mob was ready to march TO the county
iail. Before taking a step, however,
every precautiOn was taken to prevent
the plans of the lynchers from being
! frustrated by the officers Of the law.
The sheriff and one Of his deputies
were decOyed 10 another part OF the
town bv two members of the mob who
were engaged i'm sham fight and the fire
bell was mufIled 10 prevent an alarm
being given in that way. When the jan
was reached a number Of The men, an
of whom were masked, came to SherlH
/ Radford and demanded the keys from
him. He positively refused 10 open the
! door or give the keys up, telling them
/ that if they broke in the doors, ne would
BLOW THEIR BRAINS OUT
Finding that Redford was determined
not to give them the keys, they went
across to the Jail and got on top OF
stone wall which surrounds the JAIL
Deputy Sheriff Henry Blachtlacht, who
| has been sleeping in the Jail since the
commitment of SO many murderers,
thinking some one was escaping from
/ the iail. fired two shots out Of the win
| dow TO alarm City Marshal Parks ana
| DEPUTY Sheriff RedfOrd. He then
oDeued the doors and was Immediately
| held up bv the mob, who took the keys
from him and locked the jail Having
no kevs 10 the different cells they were
I compelled TO burst the locks with q
sledge hammer, which they proceeded
/ TO do at once.
! Lawrence n. Johnson, who brutally
| stabbed his wife to death at Etna on
| Sunday evening, July Is, was the nrst
TO receive the attention of the moo
/ They broke the lock from the door OF
| his cell and, placing
] DnDIV 4 ROl ND HIS NEl *.
/ 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 ST.
lent gathering gave no heed to his ap-
peals and he was quickly strung up
/ diving from strangulation in few mlh-
utes.
The mob returned to the Jail and then
| broke into the cell of William Null,
who shot Henry Hayter at Callahan S,
ON April p. in dispute over mining
property. Null desired to make
| statement. but time was too valuable TO
hermit any such preliminaries ana ne
| was soon hanged alongside OF Johnson
Touis Moreno. who is charged with
| having killed George Sears on the
/ fifth of this month, was taken from MS
cell and was soon swinging with John-
| son and Null
The last and youngest Of the four
! murderers to pay the penalty OF MS
/ crime was Garland Zemler, aged about
no who in company with Moreno was
charged with having killed Casper
/ NIierbans at Bailey Hill on the fifth or
tbis month. A rope was placed around
/ Zemler's neck and he was led from the
/ ial in his bare feet. Zemler begged
! for mercy and his last words We're:
| "TeU my dear old mother l am lnno-
/ cent of the crime.
About this time Sheriff Hobbs, hav-
inc been notified, arrived on The scene
/ and starting for the jail door was com
/ man5ad TO halt. the command being
| emDhasized by the display OF several
| reviewers. He was told that the job
/ bad been done. BY this time the
! greater part of the mob had dispersed,
/ leaving only about 30 or 40 men on
/ ouard who soon left after the sheriff
The bodies were taken down by Cor
opsr Scbofeld and Marshal Parks, who
removed them I'm a wagon TO an engine
house where they laid side by side.
! The coroner has summoned a jury 10
hold an inquest.
Yrelza is little mining town and
,.ears ago was frequently the scene of
Tooh violence. The summary manner
~ u.bscb Justice was meted out 10 the
| fo,,r nurderers this morning reminded
] tbe Dioneers of similar scenes during
the gold excitement 40 years ago, when
II was not an uncommon spec-acle 10
awaken in the morning and see the
b5dv of a notorious criminal dangling
from tree.
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