The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-27
HANGING In MIDAIR
The Bank Robbers and MuriererS
Caught and Lynched.
THOSE OBLIGlNG RANGERS
With Curses on His Lips and Sneer-
ing at the Crowd He Is Pulled
Skyward and Is There Yet
His Weak Partner.

His Weak Partner.
Fort Worth. Texas. Feb. 26.-Foster
/ Crawford and The Kid" who raided
the City National hank OF Wichita
/ Falls. Texas. yesterday afternoon. kill
/ Ing Cashier Frank Dorsey. wounding
! Bookkeeper T. L. Langford and secur-
/ ing $500, were surrounded last night
nine miles from the town in a thicket,
and surrendered after hope was gone.
/ They were taken TO Wichita Falls
where the state rangers guarded them
all night. A mob is gathering for the
/ purpose of lynching the robbers. but
there is no fear of an advance on the
jail, as the rangers are inside. Craw-
ford is wounded. but not seriously.
Rumors have been received here that
the people of Wichita Falls have taken
the robbers from the Jail TO the public
square and are preparing to burn
them. The rumors say that great ex-
citement prevails there. and that the
entire country is up in arms.
The mob at Wichita Falls abandoned
the idea of burning the robbers, but
took them to a telephone pole in front
Of the bank they tried to rob and
hanged them both. The rangers. a few
hours before the hanging. got a sudden
call to Amarillo and left the men in
charge of a few citizens, who turned
them over to the mob.
Dallas, Texas. Feb. ga special 10
the News from Wichita Falls says: At
$50 tonight a mob of several thous-
and persons attacked the Jail here
Whara Erpof ~ (sfsot ttrfof ,,d
were confined. After a show Of resist
ance on the part Of the authorities the
mob battered in the jail doors and for
cibly took possession of the prisoners
The two men were taken to the bank
which they attempted to rob yesterday
and an improvised scaffold was erected
The first impulse of the half crazed
mob was to burn the prisoners, but a
calmer counsel prevailed.
Yells of "hang The Kid first" went
up. Then others, mo. hang the oldest
first"
The Kid" refused TO say a word,
and those having him in charge yank-
ed him onto the box. The scene was a
weird one. He had on high-heel boots.
black pants and a deep red flannel
shirt. which added a grewsome bril-
liancy to the scene. In a moment the
rope was about his neck and a man
who some say looked like one of the
men whose horses had been taken yes
terday, Skinned up telegraph pole
and fixed one end of the rope across
the crossbar. All this time "The kid"
was jeering at the crowd, laughing and
cursing. He never quivered. He was
asked TO say what he wanted and was
told he would be given a hearing. He
said: by God. that's all right. II
you are impatient, swing me up now;
amt afraid to die. not a damned bit
OF II. Pull the rope, by God"
A voice in the audlence-"You're go
ing to die now. Tell us your name"
The Kid"-I don't give a damn IL /
do. 1t Is Younger Lewis. and my
father and mother reside in Neosho,
Mo-"
Amy message?" from a voice in the
crowd.
We'll, tell my father I was not
scared a bit; that I died like a nervy
man."
Anything for your mother?"
mo. not a word. She will see the
message to the old man. Say. you
fellows. go and look i'm that dug-out
and you will find $4,000 there"
THE Kid" or Younger Lewis. as he
at the last moment called himself. con-
tinued chatting and laughing with the
crowd, poking fun at them and ours
ing for a moment and then some one
yelled. Time is up"
THE Kid" said: II am 20 years old;
! am dead game and ready TO die: go
ahead"
In an instant ne was pulled up
above the throng He never quivered
or kicked. He Just went up in the air
and Is hanging there now. lie was the |
coolest man in the crowd.
All the while Crawford was a spec
tator of the scene. lie began to weaken |
and confessed. giving some valuable /
He placed the responsible |
ity for the crime on The Kid" The |
mob showed him up 20 the improviscd |
platform and his head was about on a /
level with the dangling feet Of his COM i
panion. He asked for Captain Bur
nett The latter was a spectator I'm the /
crowd. He went to Crawford and lad /
a long talk Crawford had worked on 4
Burnett's ranch for years and was a |
trusted man Crawford confessed TO 4
the FOopery oi yesteiudy' put uehlru Il
the murder.
When they began to look for a second /
rope he begged for whiskey. IL was ,
given him. He addressed the crowd in l
English and Spanish Those
VINO Understood him say his utter
ances were incoherent The rope soon
arrived. and II wa put about his neck
lie fell forward. either In faint or
from the effects OF the liquor. He was
soon strung up with his companion.
and their bodies are still dangling ia
midair.
Mr. MueIler's Pans.