Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-12-10


Mrs. Winner and her two children,
near Richmond, October 20, across the
river and hanged them. The bodies
were found this morning.
Lon Lackey, the third man accused
Of completely in the crime, was brought
here this morning from Richmond, and
it is feared the mob may return some
night for him.
Winner was brought here ten days
ago for safe keeping, and Nelson was
put in Jail here Saturday. That even
ing there were many rumors that Ray
county people were organizing to come
here to lynch the two men, and the
jail was, by order of Judge Ryland,
strongly guarded. No mob appeared,
and last night very few men were on
duty, while Sheriff Wright was at his
farm near Wellington and the jail was
in charge of Deputies Fulkerson and
Goode.
At 1906 o'clock Night Waterman
Crowder saw band of fully 200 UNI
masked men coming down the street
and ran to notify the guard at the Jail
but was captured by the mob and held
by it. The mob then surrounded the
jail without making any noise and had
the guards covered with Winchesters
before they knew that lynchers were
in the county.
The mob demanded the keys TO the
Jail from Jailer Goode, but he refused
to give them up. They told him it was
the keys or death, but he replied: Let
it then be death"
Deputy Fulkerson drew his revolver
and in an instant was covered by
hundred or more rifles. Night Watch
man Crowder shouted to the gu rds to
be brave, boys" and a number of
guns were placed against his head and
body and he was warned to keep quiet.
Finding that they could net get the
keys, the lynchers, who had brought
tools of all kinds with co iderable
dynamite, which they declared they
would use, broke the locks of the cor
ridor door and entered the Jail. Then
they broke the lock off the cell door
and were in possession of the two men.
HANGED UPON ONE TREE LIMB
Winner and Nelson pleaded for their
lives standing in the presence of
Almighty God, swear did not muir
der my wife and children" pleaded
Winner.
Il swear am innocent" added Mel
son.
The pleading of the two men was OF
no avail and both were bound and
dragged out. Winner was trembling
and pale, but Nelson was cool. The
leader of the mob then orderd all to
march to Ray county, saying that the
lynchers would spare Lafayette county
the expense of burying the bodies.
The other prisoners in the Jail were
warned not to try to escape or they
would be severely dealt with.
Then with its two victims the mob
went quietly down Eleventh street to
the river, crossed in skiffs and hanged
the two men to burr oak tree side by
side on one limb. The bodies were
found this morning. Nelson's toes
were touching the ground and there
was stoical look of bravado on his
face. Winners face had an expression
of horror upon it. Winners watch was
in his pocket and was stopped at 5:45
o'clock His feet were touching the
ground and his legs were bent at the
knees.
Deputy Sheriff Richard Green of Ray
county arrived here this morning with
Lon Laclsey and lodged him in jail.
He did not learn of the mob here last
night until he arrived here this MORN
ing. Lackey will be taken to the
Kansas City Jail this evening.
I.YNCHERs TO BE PROSECUTED.
Prosecuting Attorney Aull said this
morning: 81 have evidence enough to
identity some of the lynchers and have
the names of many others. If it is the
last act of my life l expect to bring
the perpetrators to justice, and shall
request the assistance of the attorney
general and all the power the state
can lend to see that such conspiracies
against the law are punished and the
cOnspirators brought to justice. They
treated Our officers like brutes and
showed as little regard for law as they
claimed had the alleged murdere ia they
were seeking. Had they come the
night before, some of them would have
been in the hands of the undertaken or
in the Lafayette county jail. The
officers did their full duty, but were
helpless under the circumstances"
1t can be truly said that the deputies
and guards did all in their power to
save the prisoners. They could not
have saved them had they known the
mob was coming unless they could
have gotten the prisoners out of town.
This was deputy Fulkerson's idea, but
no one thought there was any danger.
THE CRIME BRIEFLY REVIEWED.
The Winners lived northeast OF Rich
mond, on small farm, and Winner
worked in the town as a miner. Octo-
Der 26 the woman and two small chill
dren were found with their throats
cut and their heads crushed with an
axe A deaf mute child escaped death,
but could throw no light on the trag-
edy. Winner and Lacl1ey, the latter
Winners farm hand, were arrested
soon after the murder and both pro-
tested innocence. Winner tried TO
prove an alibi. but strong evidence was
found against him, and it was also
s. known that he had been intimate with
Maggie Catrou. The latter was ar
rested and confessed that Winner and
James NelGon committed the crimes
while she and Lon Lackey held the
horses outside.