The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-08-29
THE VINSON HANGING
They Murdered Two InOffenSiVe
Men at Ellensburgh, Wash,
and Paid the Penalty
With Their Lives.
Both Father and Son Defiant
They Did Not Ask for Mercy
Full Details Of Double
Murder and Lynching.

The tragic death of Samuel and
Charles Vinson at Ellensburgh, WASH,
was recorded in brief Geographic
message in the UNION two weeks since.
The publisher Of this paper wrote to
Ellensburgh for further particulars,
and in reply received three local pa
pers containing full account of the
terrible tragedy. The Wilson's resided
in Princeton for several years, and
were we'll known to all the old settlers.
Samuel Vinson worked at his trade,
boot and shoemaker, and in the woods;
he also hunted great deal. In the
winter of "a, while working for Loring
& Bray, about IL miles north of the
village, one evening he set a spring
gun for deer, a lumberman stumbled
onto the string, the gun was discharged
and the poor fellow was killed almost
instantly. Sam Vinson was reckless
sort of fellow but he was not re-
garded as a vicious man while he re-
sided here. Charley Vinson was a
mere boy when he went west with his
father in the fall of 1880. The follow
ing account of the double murder and
lYnching is taken from the Ellens-
burgh Capital of Aug. 18th:
One of the darkest tragedies ever re-
corded in Ellensburgh was enacted
about 6:35 last Sunday evening in the
Teutonia saloon, on Third street, and
the result is one life snuffed out and
another man horribly injured. During
the afternoon Charles Vinson, the man
who gave away the men who planned
to hold up the Northern Pacific train
last April, had been making the
rounds of the saloons in company with
his father, Sam Vinson, and both were
drunk. About $50 in the evening the
elder Vinson, while in the Teutonia
saloon became involved in a quarrel
with John Burglin, better known as
Clutch John.'' While he was abusing
John his son came in and sat down and
when Frank Uebelacker, one of the
prOprietOrs. tried to quiet Vinson, the
son, got up and thrust a revolver in his
face, Uebelacker backed out of the
way and young Vinson lowered his
gun. Then Mike Kohlhepp, Uebelack'
er's partner, stepped from behind the
bar and ordered the young man out Of
the saloon. The desperate started for
the door, but turning suddenly ano
) fired at Kohlhepp, the bullet striking
him in the right breast. Notwith
standing his injury the wounded mar
grappled his assailant, threw him tt
the floor, and just as his strength wa:
, failing him, Deputy Marshal Frazier
reached the scene, and disarmed anl
arrested Vinson.
The boys father, during his set-t<
. with 'Dutch john" drew knife an(
plunged the blade into Johns RICH
side just below the ribs, and to thu
front inflicting horrible wound. TIL,
injured man, holding his protrudins
!, intestines in place walked alone to DR.
Newland:s office nearly two block
away. He received immediate atten
ton and was soon made comparative,
easy, and his prospects of recovery ar
considered fair. Kohlhepp, however
was more desperately injured. He wa
picked up from the floor and remove
to his room up stairs and DR.. Gray at
tended him. He found that the bullet
a A, entered the breast about tw
,. inches above and to the left of tn
right nipple and came out near tn
shoulder blade, about three inche
from the spine. In just one hour fror
the time he was shot he breathed hi
last, dying without struggle.
After both men we're arrested
peculiar discovery was made. Of
man Vinson complained of his wrists
which it was supposed ''Dutch John
had hurt, as he struck him severe
blows with a sprinkler, but an examir
alton showed that the bullet which hi
son had shot through Kohlhepp's bod
had struck him in the wrist, enterin
in the front and lodging in the bac
part. Both men were taken to Justic
Boyle's office, commitments were i!
cna1 and thnv were sOnn lOd rad in th
steel tank of the county Jail.
There was a great deal OF excitemer
on the streets, and on request of Ma
shall Wishard all the saloons close
their doors. An immense crowd no,
cred around the scene of the TRACED
for some time and groups of men di
cussed the details on every corne
The murderer and his deed were d