Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1895-08-31
FOURARE STRUNG UP
Yreka, CAL, Mob Took the Law
Into It's Own Hands.
THEY CLEANED OUT THE JAIL
Assass;ns Held for Trial Suspended 20
q Rail Stretched Between
TWO Locust Trees.

yreka, Cal, Aug. 2s.-Four murderers
We're taken out Of the county jail by
| mob Of $50 men at l O'Clock this morn
| ing and 1ynched. A band Of citizens,
| fearing that the law would not be car
lied out, and angered over the atrocity
Of recent crimes, determined to take
matters into their own hands. The
lynching was a CHASTITY climax to the
reign Of lawlessness which has pre-
vailed in Siskiyou county for some
months past.
One Of the victims was Lawrence
Johnson, who on the evening Of July
IS sta bbed his wife to death in the town
Of Etna. Another was William Null,
who shot Henry Hayter in the back
with a rife near Callahan's on April
Il. Louis Moreno and Garland Semler
who are supposed to have killed George
Sears and Casper Me1rerhans at Bailey
Hill on August ., were also hanged.
At il O'Clock last night farmers from
all The surrounding country began to
drive into town, and by midnighl the
mob Vas ready to march to the county
jail. Before taking a step, however, tv-
cry piecaUtion 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 to another part Of town
by two members Of the mob. who were
engaged in sham fight, and the fire
bell vas muf1ied to prevent an alarm
from being given in that way. When
the jail was reached a number of men,
all OF whom were masked, awakened
Under Sheriff Radford and demanded
the keys. He refused to open the door,
telling them if they broke the doors
he would blow their brains out.
Finding that Radford was determin-
ed not to give them the keys they went
across to the jail and got on top Of the
stone wall which surrounds the jail.
Deputy Sheriff Henry Brantiacht, who
has been sleeping in the Jail since the
commitment Of SO many murderers,
thinking that some one was escaping
from Jail, fired two shots out of the
window to alarm City Marshal Parks
and Deputy Sheriff Radford. He then
opened the doors and was held up by
the mob, who took the keys from him
and entered the Jail.
GOT TWO VICTIMS.
Having no keys to the different cells
they were compelled to burst the locks
with 9 siedge hammer, which they pro-
ceeded to DO Lawrence johnson waa
the frat 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 Jail
across the street, to where an iron rail
was laid between the forks Of two To-
Gust trees. Johnson pleaded for mercy
but the silent gathering gave no heed
to his appeals, and he was quickly
strung up, dying from strangulation
In few minutes.
CAME BACK FOR OTHERS.
The mob then returned to the JAIL T!
and next broke into the cell Of William
Null Null 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 young
est of the four murderers to pay the
penalty Of his crime was Garland Sem
Ter, aged 10. The rope was placed
around Semler's neck and he was led
from the Jail in his bare feet. His last
words We're: 'Tell my dear old mother
I am innocent Of this crime"
SHERIFF HELD UP.
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" By this time the
greater part Of the mob had been dis
persed, leaving only about 30 or 40 men
on guard, who soon left after the sher-
if arrived.
The bodies were taken down by Cor
oner Schofe1d and Marshal Parks, who
removed them in wagon to the engine
house. where they were laid side by
side.
The coroner has summoned a jury
to hold an inquest.
Yreka is q little mining town, and
years go was frequently the scene of
mob vialence. The summary manner
in which justice was meted out to the
four murderers this mOI1ing reminded
the pioneers Of similar slanes during
the gold excitement 40 years go, when
it was not an uncommon spec ole to
awaken in the morning and ete the
body Of a notorious criminal dangasg
from tree.