The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-27

EUREKA. Cal, Aug. 26.-Four MUIR
derers were taken out of the county
Jail b a mob of $50 men at O'Clock
this morning and lynched.
\ band of citizens, fearing that the
law would not be carried out. and
Rngered over the atrocity of recent
crimes, determined 10 take matters
tnt6. their OWE hands.
fne Ign, hing was a ghostly climax
TO the reign OF Iawlessness which has
prevailed in Siskiyou county for some
months past.
The Victims.
One Of the victims was Lawrence
Johnson. who. on the evening of July
rs, stabbed his wife to death in the
town of Etna.
Another was William Null. who shot
Henry Hayter in the back with a rife
near Galatians on April q.
Louis Moreno and Garland Senior,
who are supposed to have killed
George Sears and Casper Meirerhans
at Bailey Hill on August 5,were also
hanged.
At II o'clock last night farmers from
all of the surrounding country began
to drive into town, and by midnight
the mob was ready to march 10 the
cotfhty Jail. Before taking step, how
ever, every precaution was taken 10
prevent the plans of the lynchers from
being frustrated by the officers of the
law. The sheriff and one of his dep
les We're decoyed into another part
Or town by two members of the mob
who were engaged in a sham fight, and
the fire bell was nuffied to prevent an
alarm from being given in that way.
Determined sheriff.
1%Yhen the jail was reached a number
~3ehe men, all of whom were masked,
awakened Under Sheriff Bradford and
demanded the keys from him. lie
positively refused 10 open the coor
or give the keys up, telling them that
if they broke in the doors he would
blow their brains cut. Finding that
Radford was determined not to give
them the keys they went across TO the
5ai and got on top of the stone wall
which surrounds the jail.
Deputy Sheriff Henry Brautlacht,
who has been sleeping in the jail
since the commitment of SO many
tnurderers, thinking Some one was
escaping from the jail, fired two shots
out of the window TO alarm City Mar
saal Parks and Deputy Sheriff Rad
ND. He then opened the doors and
w3s Immediately held up by the mob,
who took the keys from him and
the different cells they were COM
PEELED to burst the locks with a sledge
hammer, which they proceeded to do
at once.
Lawrence H. johnson, who Lru.ally
stabbed his wife to death at ftEa on
Sunday evening, July rs, was the first
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 the Jail and
across the street to where The iron rail
WAS laid between The forks of two lc-
Gust trees. johnson pleaded for mercy
but the silent gathering gave no hfed
TO his appeals and ne was utickly
strung up, dying from strdngula.ion
IN lew minutes.
The second One.
yhe mob returned to the Jail and
fext broke into the cell of William
.kA.pll, who shot Henry Haytsa al
u .llahans on April y, in dispute
bver some mining property. Null
desired to make a statement, but time
was too valuable to permit any such
preliminaries, and he was soon hang
1lE along SlGe o. JOn.lSOl
Louis Moreno, who was charged with
having killed George Sears on the 5th
of this month. 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
Senior aged about 10 VINO, in COM
pany with -doreno, was charged with
having killed Casper Netherlands at
Railey Hill on the 5th OF this month a
rope was placed around Seniors neck
and he was led from the jail in his |
bare feet Senior begged for mercy. /
and his last words were: "Tell nv |
dear old mother I am innocent Of the !
crime"
The Job Done.
About this time Sheriff Hobbs. hay
Ing been notified, arrived on the scene |
and, starting for the Jail door, was
commanded 10 halt, the command be- |
ing emphasized by the display of sew {
eIal revOlvers. He was told that the
Job had been done" By this time the /
greater part Of the mob had Dispersal.
leaving only about thirty or forty men
on guard, who soon left after the sher-
if arrived.
The b dies were taken down by Cor
oney ScNefield and Marshal Parks.
who removed them in wagon to an !;
engine house, where they We're laid
side by side.
The coroner has summoned a Jury
to hold an inquest. Yreka is a little
mining town and years ago was fire.
quently the scene of mob violence. The
summary manner in which justice was
meted out TO the four murderers this
morning reminded the pioneers of sim
liar scenes during the gold excitement
forty years ago, when il was not an
spectacle to awaken in the
and see the body of a motor.
ions criminal dangling from a tree.