The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-25
An AvERTED LYxcHING.
Murder saved by the PIeadings of "a
Girl.


Girl.
Spokane Dispatch in San Francisco Call.
A very romantic story has just come
to light regarding Symes. the murderer
of Constable Conlee Of Sprague. now in
Jail at Ritzville The facts concerning the
murder are still fresh in the minds of the
1 public in this section, for IL was one of
the most cruel and heartess that has
occurred for many years
Symes. for the past several years. has
been the reputed leader of a large band
of cattle and horse thieves, who have
been committing many Expectations
| through all portions of Eastern Washing
ton. He has been arrested number of
! times but the trials have come up before
some justice of the peace who, perhaps,
sympathized with the gang, and Symes
was always released. A far better case
was secured against him and warrant
issued. A few days afterward he was
seen on the streets of Sprague, the county
seat of the adjoining county, by Con-
stable Conlee, who at once arrested him,
and without waiting for the train. sp-
cured a horse and started with his pris-
oner for Ritzville. on the way Symes, in
some manner, got his hands released, and,
drawing a pistol out of his bootleg, where
| 1t had been hidden, commenced to shoot
at Conlee. Conlee fell from his horse and
Symes, dismounting, shot him again, and
| then started across the country TO escape.
| A large reward was offered but he
seemed to be gone as though the earth had
| opened and swallowed HIM up.
A couple of months later a sheep ranch
/ er on the Lo Lo Pass in Montana saw
one Of the posters, and at once recQg-
nized the man wanted as one Of his
| sheepherders Sheriff Laughin of Missou-
| la was notified and Symes was captured.
! The crime had caused such general feel
/ ing both on account of the popularity
| of Coniee and the ill-feeling that for q
/ long time had been engendcring against
.k.I
| to be lynched either at Sprague or Ritz
| vile. Symes himself expected to be
! lynched, and, though a man of great
| nerve, began to grow white and nervous
when the train crossed the Washington
When word was received that he had
/ passed Sprague in safety and wasi behind
| the bars of the Rlt2willei JAN every one
was surprised and could not understand
why he had not been lynched. So posi-
| tive, indeed, was everyone that Symes
| would swing at the end Of a rope with
out judicial proceedings that local dailies
sent out reporters to write up" the exc
! cution The full story of the reason why
/ he was not lynched is just out, and,
while it may have in 1t a touch of fc-
| ton, it is Vouched for as being true in
most of it's details.
The day Symes was arrested-the fatal
| day for Lee Conlee-Symes had come to
| Sprague to procure a marriage license and
| was that night to have been married to
| a Miss Russell, young lady living not
! far from the home of Symes. The young
/
deep coulees of the Big Bend country, had
met often and taken long rides across the
/ prairie together The girl loved the dar-
! ing reckless man, for with her, good
/ Workmanship. a quick eye and a steady
/ nerve were the qualities IN a man to be
loved and admired. Many time had they
/ ridden together between their homes
/ one day a little different course was
! taken, and Symes took her to deep con-
lee-a great hole in the ground that one
cannot see until he is upon ii. The bot
tom of this was reached a narrow path
/ hidden by a clump of brush so that one
might search half the day without finding
it. This conlee, he told her, was the se-
! cret hiding meeting place of the Stock
mems Association; that it was here they
laid all their plans, and should it ever
happen that they planned injury to him,
here would be the place they would meet.
1 The solemn words of Symes made a great
impression on the girl, and she remem-
From that day when he kisesd her a
4 farewell she did not see him until he was
landed behind the, bars at Ritzvlle. At
! ter he had escaped from the scene of the
! murder the thought of his intended bride
4 was uppermost in his mind, and he wrote
/ her a number of letters. The girl was
/ true to her reckless, outlawed lover. The
4 ties that bind were strong, and neither
act of his nor decree Of law could break
them. She read Of his capture and muir
/ muir of lynching. The night before he
4 was to pass through Sprague the muir
/ muir of il-feeling grew louder and the
report came to her cars that he was to
| of the deep coulee he had shown her
/ and remembered that it was here injury
/ would be planned against him.
Without waiting to don a riding habit
! the girl jumped on her pony, with neither
/ saddle nor briddle and sped across the
I prairie. reaching the edge of the coulee
/ Just at dusk On the opposite side from
4 the path she secreted herself and waited
/ developments She had not long to wait
| Across the prairie from different direc-
| tions she saw men riding rapidly. After
! twenty or more had gone down the little
trail she tied her pony and descended the
! bride path.
The men were planning the capture and
/ manner Of lynching The leader was APP
! pointed and all details arranged when
suddenly she stood before them. The
crowd was so taken by surprise that not
a person spoke. She knew every one by
name and had danced with them ST
country parties. More than one OF the
men who looked into her white face had
tried to win the love that had gone to the
reckless outlaw. Miss Russell turned to
! him who had been appointed the leader
and began an appeal that touched the
hearts Of every one present. In twenty
minutes the band had dispersed-not to
| Sprague to lynch Symes, but back to
their homes, and to permit the law to
take its course. The leader rode back
with the girl to her home.
This is the reason why the slayer Of
Lee Conlee will be tried for his life in
court.