The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-04
A BOX FULL OF BONES.
Gruesome Relies Of Seattle's
Most Tragic Event.
VICTIMS or THE wGILAnTEs.
The Remains OF the Three Men Lynchesi
I'm ISs2 Dug Up From the Grave
I'm Potters, Field.


o. Murderers James Sullivan. William
Howard and Benjamin Payne, on the
morning of January Is, Ike. on the norta
side of James street. in front OF what IS
TOW the Pioneer block. is WILDLY called
10 rnIad by three boxes of bones. pile
of clothes. one shoe and three pieces OF
half-inch rope with the hangnan's knot.
which stood in the dispeasary al the
county hospital yesterday.
Those bones were the remnants OF the
three men whose lives were sacrifced on
the galiows AZ moments notice. TO sat
isfy the feelings of public which had
been goaded to desperation by repeated
acts Of lawlessness from robbers. high-
waymen and thieves
After thirteen years of communion with
mother earth, that part of those men
which was earthly has been resurrecfed,
and after passing through the boiling ana
scrapfng process. under the direction OF
County Physician +. b. Whiting. VIII be
assigned to the important position OF Civ
ing tender-hearted medical students
correct idea of how wonderfully man,
even though ne he a murderer. Is made.
DR. Whiting wanted some specimens OF
bones. so he turned his attention to the
old '.potters field which Is located on
a beautiful piece of ground just north of
the new county hospital. In that plot of
ground 30 bodies have been laid away.
ious. Incidentally soUe one remarked
that the bones of the lynched murderers
were in the old cemetery, and that they
would be just what the doctor wanted.
The exact location of the grave-the three
were not honored with separate inter-
ments-was settled by AL Maple and Con-
stable Michael Kelly.
The story of how Maple knew where
the grave was is worth telling. even
ma iya ia ella uht lx,
broken. In burying the men the hang
mans nooses were left around their necks
and the ends OF the ropes kept on top of
the ground.
The exact purpose OF this may have
been clear to the persons who did the
burying. but the school boys and girls
thought differently. After school those
who lived near the field would run over
to the graves and give the ropes jerk
IL was great sport and many a bump
have the three "deadheads" received at
the hands of young America"
strange as 1t may seem, the dignified.
Immediately dressed ex-coroner George
Nj. Horton, used to give the ropes jerk
and listen for the thump of the head
against the coffin as he returned from
school to the Horton mansion al George
town. Al Maple helped bury the tnree
men. but history is indistinct as TO wheth-
er he ever pulled the rope. But TO re-
turn to the digging up of the bodies. Sat
urday afternoon DR.. Whiting Michael
Kelly. Keeper A. A. Osborn and MIR. Ma
pie, armed with shoyels. went to the.
place designated by the latter and com
menced TO dig. One thing is certain, the
murderers were buried deep. First was
found the plain board coffin in which were
the bodies of Sullivan and Howard the
formers head being toward the east and
the latter's toward the west The flesh
had long ago resolved itself into it's COM
poneRt parts, but the skeletons and
clothes were remarkably well preserved
Around the neck of each was the rope
that had been pulled first by an angry
mob TO satisfy public sentiment and then
by school boys and girls for fun
In one OF the pockets of SuIiivan's coat
was long plug of chewing tobacco and
In Howards pockets We're found a bunch
of matches, a clay pipe and plug of Gil
max chewing tobacco, showing where
pieces had been cut Oft with jack knife.
Under this coffin was the one in which
Payne's body lay. Generally speaking the
conditions were the same, only that the
moose as Ii was tied showed UP much bet
ter! Pa*ne had on a black silk necktIe
ana the rope passed around his neck over
the tie. Fully twenty men grabbed the
rope and hauled him up toward the bar
that acted as scaffold. BY the size of
tEe moose IL would now appear as if / 200
men had jerked on the rope The necktie
is perfectly preserved and shows the cx
act marks left by the rope. pair of
yellow wooden stockings that Sullivan had
on are III state OF almost perfect preser-
walton.
DR. Whiting Will probably commence
boiling the bones OF the murderers today.
a very suggestive operation in view of
the wtekedness of 'be departed souls.
The history OF the iynching has been
lost sight OF iii the past few years through
the continual happenings which make Sc
attic a city of sensations II appefa.s
that on the evening of January II. rss2
George +. Reynolds, clerk In w A Jen-
hing store. was stopped by two footpads
near The corner of Marion and Third
streets. He resisted and as a result was
shot and died two hours later. Sevaral
robheries had been committed presume
bly, by the same rusfians yigiian MOO
committee was immediately ores n,,es = a
during the night two men. giving their
names as sullivan and Howard. were dis
covered among some bales on Harrington
& Smiths wharf Gardner Kellogg. Holm
Keenan, and William Jones are credited
with making the capture. The prisoners
were turned over 10 Sheriff L.. V. wyckoff
ana john III. Mctsraw chief Of uolIea
The proof against the men was pracNaI-
~ incenirovertihle and during The night
mob demanded their surrender hv the
sheFiH. Serious trouble was narrovfv
aVeried. the compromise being that the
prisoners should be brought before Jus
tce : +. Coomhs the next morning.
Al o'clock January IS, the hearing was
begun in Yesler's hall. one Of Tho ms,
historic OF the old landmarks removed h.-
the rush OF brick building The prisoners
We're placed In the middle Of the stage he
nina the justice. while the ATTORNEYS ara
S.ner avg ni'ariss. including Chief Justice
Greene and Judge Lewis were crourei 20
'heir raght and iefs. The hall was orovxdes,
Win peopiF' among whom were the mem
heFS 81 the vigilance committee AZ I,
becaRe eertaiu that the prisoners ~,
guilty men quietly left the han h,- ~
front door, hut entered again ana h., -
back entrance. which led IN .ha Ssarc
Just as Justice Coomhs announced tba,
the prisoners were held for trial vitho,,t
ran the mob burst from The rear Of me
stage ana with yelis ~ rage Snatehesi Sui
Ivan and Howard from the hands 80 49,
ttte. Ali those who were likely 10 n,,~rso
the irregular administration az tt5e.srs
were rendered helpless Imagine e~h,e.
Justice Greene, Familiarity known as Ja,s4gs
i}reene. with white sheet thrown go
his head. The prisoners were rushed Sn,.-
the alley 20 James street where r., frov.
o. = l. tesler's old house, was the I'm
rToNisssa seaffold. IL was th@ work 80 .
moment 20 yank the prisoners tr,o CO.
atty Judge Greene tried TO cut .her,
down. bat he was quickly hustled swav
About this time some one mentioned .sas
Benjamin PAYNE who was in faFt aa~as,
inr trial for numbering offcsr reavtd sirss
In October previous. @sS equally vBsg.,-
to1r hundred naeA took yhe hint and
marched 20 fhA tail They tore ,sovre tha
Soatb side ~ sf~ yard, forced fhasy 49,
into the iail and dragged Payne into tnS
street. A rope was thrown arn,sws ~.