Omaha daily bee., 1895-08-27
LYNCHED FOUR MURDERERS
Mob Forced Its Way Into the Jail and
Carried the Prisoners Out.
HERlFF ARRIVED WHEN THE JOB WAS 0cNr
Little California Mining Town of
Yrckn the scene Of an Atrocious
Crimc-Fnrmcrs Aided
In the Work.

YREKA, Cal, Aug. 26.-Four murderers
were taken from the county Jail by a mob
of $50 men at l O'clock this morning and
lynched. A band of citizens, fearing that the
law would not be carried out and angered
over the atrocity Of recent crimes, determ Id
to take matters into their own hands. The
l~ynching was a CHASTITY climax to the re,gn
Of lawlessneSs which has prevailed in Siski-
you county for some months past. One of the
victims was Lawrence Johnson, who on the
evening Of July rs stabbed his wife to death
in the town Of Eina. Another was William
Null, who shot Henry Hayter in the back
with a rife near Ca,lahan's on April q. LOUIS
Moreno and Garland Seemler, who are sup
posed to have killed George Sears and Cas-
per. Meirerhans at Bailey Hill on August 5,
were also hanged. At II o'clock last night
farmers from all parts Of the sur. oun ling
country began to drive into town and by
midnight the mob was ready to march to the
county Jail. Before taking a step, however.
every precaution was taken to prevent the
plans of the lynchers from being fru stratel
by the officers of the law. The sheriff and
one Ct his deputies were decoyed TO another
part of town by two members Of the mob,
who were engaged in a sham fight, and the
fire bell was muflled to prevent an alarm
being given in that way. When the jail was
reached the mob, all Of whom were masked,
awakened Under Sheriff Ralfo-d ard de-
manded the keys to the jail. He positively
refused to open the door or give the keys up.
telling them that If they broke in the doors
he would blow their brains out. Finding that
he was determined not to give them the
keys, they went across to the Jail and got
on top Of the stone wall which surrounis
the Jail. Deputy Sheriff Henry Brahtl cht,
who had been sleeping in the Jail since the
l On m m \ m ont If ca pnnny rnnr1n- thfpItnn
some one was escaping from the Jail, fired
two shots out of the window TO alarm City
Marshal Parks and Deputy Sheriff Rsd'ori.
He then opened the doors and was immedi-
ate!y held up by the mob, who took the keys
from him and entered the Jail. Having no
keys to the different cells, they were COM
PEELED to burst the locks with a sledge ham
mer, which they proceeded to do at onca.
Lawrence Johnson, who brutally stabbed his
wife to death at Etna on Sunday evening.
July 2S, was the first to receive the atten-
ton Of the mob. They broke the lock from
the door of his coll and, placing a rope
around his neck, led him cut Of the Jail and
across the street to where an iron raj had
been laid between the forks of two locust
trees. johnson pleaded fer mercy, but the
silent gathering gave no heed TO him AID he
was quickly strung up, dying from strangu'a-
ton in a few minutes. The mob returned
to the Jail and next broke into tire cell q
William Null, who shot Henry Hayter a,
Callahan's on April 81 in a displte over a
mining property. Null desired to make a
statement, but time was too valuable to per
init any such preliminaries, and he was soor
hanging alongside Of johnson. Luis Mo.
reno, who was charged with having kille1
George Sears on the 9Th Of this month, was
then taken from his cell and was soon swing
ing with johnson and Null. The last ant
youngest of the four murderers to ray tn
penalty Of his crime was Garland Seemler
aged about 10, who, in company with Moreno
was charged with having killed Casper Metre
hans at Bailey Hill on the 5th Of this month
A rope was placed around his neck and h,
was led from the jail in his bare feet. II,
begged for mercy and his last words were
Tell my dear old mother l am innocent O
the crime"
About this time Sheriff Hobbs, having bee
notified, arrived on the scene and ~startin.
for the Jail door was commanded to halt
the command being emphasized by the displa,
of several revolvers. He was told that tn,
COB" had been done. BY this time tn
leaving only about thirty or forty men OF
guard, who soon left after the sheriff ar
rived. The bodies were taken down by Cor
oner Schofield and Marshal Parks, who re
moved them in a wagon to an engine house
where they were laid side by side. The cor
oner has summoned a jury to hold an inquest
, Yreka is a little mining town and year
ago was frequently the scene Of mob vic
lence. The summary manner in which jus
tice was meted out to the four murderer
this morning reminded the pioneers Of SIN
= liar scenes during the gold excitement fort
t years ago, when 1t was not an uncommo
r spectacle to awaken in the morning and Sc
. the body Of a notorious Grim nal dangling froI