The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-10
SURVIVED A LYNCHING.
MAN WHO ACTED As CORPSE TELLS
HIS STORY.


of Time by the Friend for Whose
Crime lie Was suRering-NarrOw
Escapes From Death at the Hands
of Indians.
From the Chicago Times.
sandusl<y. O.. Jan. FL met a unique
and picturesque character in a hotel read
ing room here this evening" man appar-
entity 65 years OF age, tail AID VASCULAR
with a weather-beaten face and grizzley
gray beard. He wore a buckskin shirt
breaches Of the same material, and coat
and vest of rough gray stuff. Across the
back Of the chair IN which the man sat
lay wolhsh overcoat, from the collar
of whish hung three tufts of long, wiry
hair that looked like portions Of a horses
name or tail. but which was in reality
the scalplocks Of Indians, trophies Of the
valor and bravery of the man whose over
coat was decorated with them. The man
was William Eastman, who was born in
Cincinnati. but the greater portion of
whose life has been spent on the frontier
had learned that Mr.. Eastman was one
Of the few men who had experienced the
sensation Of being hanged and had lived
to describe his feelings, and it was for
the purpose of getting an account Of his
experience in that respect that I had
sought an interview with him. In re-
Spouse to question, Mr.. Eastman said:
Il came up from Cincinnati to-day. after
having spent a couple of days there with
friends. That was the first time I had
been in the town since 1 left it in the
winter of 1S50-51. I had been running on
the river several years prior to that date.
and when navigation closed in the winter
Of 80 1 decided to quit the water and 20
west. The gold fever was at its hight
then, and, in the spring of 1851 I Joined
party of prospectors and started for the
coast and for many years led wild. ad-
venturous life. 1 was twice captured by
Indians, but managed to escape-the sec
ond time, however, receiving wounds
which came near making an angel Of me
and the scars OF which shall carry to my
grave But when I look at the topllnots
that ornament the collar of my overcoat
always feel grim satisfaction In the
thought that badly as the red devils treat
ed me, quit winner three times when the
stakes were human life"
The closest call that ever had for my
lie however, was near what is now
known as Skull Valley a small town in
Nayapai county, Arizona / had been
up near there where the village of Burnt
Ranch is now located, in Crook county.
oregon, and while there I fell in with a
man named Robert Wilson, who was
originally from near Louisville. XIV. 1
knew him when 1 was running ont of
cincinnati m hA
prlsed and delighted to meet him in that
western country. He and l at once be-
came firm friends, and were companions
Tor years after. He was a typical plains
man, rough Of exterior, but a genial.
Whole-souled fellow, who lived in his
saddle by day and rolled himself UP in his
DIanket and slept on the plains wherever
night CHANGED to overtake him.
lie had been guide in that country for
long time, and knew the whole territory
like book There was only one trouble
with him. He used to get the blues once
In while, and when he did he was in the
habit of drinking heavily. His whole
nature was changed by drink, and in al
my experience among rough, lawless char
acters IN the west I don't think ever saw
man who would compare with him for
pure and unadulterated devihshness when
under the influence Of LIQUOR. He was
remarkably handy with his gun. and his
e-+'FS0A-AoAa ~ oAAODtB especially Wnen IN
hquor, and the fact that he was In that
condition at the time of which / speak.
resulted in lynching, in which I PLAYED
the leading role as the corpse One dav.
while Wilson and I We're in Aqua Fria
valley, In Vavepai county, Arizona, we
met some parties who were en- route 10
Skull Valley, in the same county, and they
told us that a ranchman near the latter
place wanted to hire some herders As
Wilson and / were out Of a job we decided
to go and apply to the ranchman for work
Upon arrival at the ranchman's place we
found him to be coarse ignorant sort
of a fellow a half-breed Mexican and In
dian, who, as we afterward learned. had
been compelled to fly from his native place
in Mexico to escape punishment for a
crime He was a sullen fellow with stiff
bushy hair, swarthy complexion and
black, piercing eyes. / dstrusted and dis
liked him the minute I saw him. and so
did Wilson. We hired out to him, how
ever, and went to work the next day.
We were not long in finding out the
KIND of fellow our half-breed boss was.
We had been at work only two days when
he gave Wilson a tongue-Iashing for al
lowing some cattle to wander away When
l heard the ranchman open up on Wilson
expected to see the latter shoot the fellow
without further talk But he managed to
control himself. and that night when We
went into our hut on the feeding grounds
he told me what an effort it had cost him
to keep from killing the fellow. and that
nothing could save the ranchman's life if
that sort Of thing occurred again. A few
days afterward a party of prospectors
passed that way and unknown to me
Wilson procured from them a bottle Of
whisky and at once proceeded to take
several generous doses of the liquor. which
speedily aroused everything mean in his
nature. He became reckless. and allowed
the cattle under his charge to roam at will.
and the result was that some of them
strayed away. fact which the boss was
not long in finding out, and when he did
find 1t ont hts rage knew no bounds When
l saw him ride across toward Wilson. ana
saw him gesticulating wildly, with his
heavy whip in his hand, I knew that
there would be a funeral Oh that ranch
and the boss would figure as the cornse
While I sat watching the men I saw the
boss raise his whip S if to strike Wilson
Instantly a pistol shot rang out, a Uttle
puff of smoke arose above the boss horse
and the ranchman fell from the saddle
He was as dead as a doornail when two
Of the other herders and myself reached
him. The instant the shot was fired vii /
son put spurs to his horse and started
across the prairie like the wind A connie
of the herderS gave chase but he bad -