The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-02-27
SWIFT JUSTICE.
Foster Crawford and Elmer lewis the
Murderers OF cashIer Dorsey, Hung
BY a Mob Last Night.

Of course no good man at ;his dis
tance from the scene OF excitement
can afford to advocate mob law as
the proper course to pursue. It would
have been so much better form to
have allowed the law to have taken
its course, its provisions for punish
ment are ample, and in taking il in
their own hands the mob acted with
out its sanction, but at the same
time there are none to say the rob
bers did not meet justice.
Crawford, one Of the principals in
last nights hanging is we'll known to
W. r. Moore of this city. Mr. Moore
says he was bad man and had
killed two or three men before bis
murder of Cashier Dorsey.
The Fort Worth Gazette OF this
morning, gives the following account
of the hanging under Wichita Fails
date line.
Swift justice has been meeted out
and two inanimate human bodies
swaying from a telephone pole in
front Of the City National bank are
the terrible proof OF the fact. The
bodies are those of the two robbers.
who yesterday attempted to rob the
bank in front of which they now
hang, and in doing so killed the
cashier, Mr.. Dorsey. AS was stated
in this morn ng's Gazette, the rob
bers We're captured a few miles from
tho city in 4 thicket. They were
brought to town this morning by the
rangers under the command of Cap
tain Mcdonald, and turned over TO
the sheriff, who placed them in jail.
y posse of about twenty-five citi-
liens were sworn in to gard them
and the rangers, having performed
their duty, LETT on the afternoon
train for Amoriila. BY this time
the entire country had become
aroused and the people were to be
seen coming into town from every
direction, armed to the teeth and
in no pleasant mood. Large crowds
gathered on the street, on every side
could be heard threats OF lynching
and, worse yet, death by burning.
Before the day was very fa- ad
vanced it had become common tai;
That the two despeFadoe5 should b.
burned TO death at night in front Of
Y the bank, where the hendish mu--
der was committed and arrangements
were accordingly begun to carry
this plan into effect.
/ Wiser counsel and cooler heads
Z prevailed, however, and this plan
was given up for one that was final
" put into execution.
In the evening n quiet a nd orderly
but determined body of citizens three
hundred strong was organized VINO
took possession of the two prisoners
and marched them 20 the City Ma
tional bank. They were given n
chance to speak, but had very little
to say. Foster Crawford, who seemed
60 be the leader OF the two, assured
the crowd that he did not shoot Dor
sey. He begged piteously for n
drink Of whisky, which was given
him, and then he called for Tom
Burnett, saying he was his friend un-
Gil this happened, and that he want
ed TO talk TO him,
Tom was easily found and came up
aud held q short conversation with
the doomed man, but he denied that
he had shot Dorsey and merely adj
mitted that he was one of the men
who bad attempted to rob the bank.
He was very much excited, and was
so badly scared that he could not
stand. lie also told Burnett that
there was bag OF money concealed
in Tur!5ey Bend and that it could be
easily found.
During this talk with Crawford
part of the crowd were paying strict
attention to the other prisoner, FL
mer Lewis. He did not have much
to say and the few remarks he did
make were i1terspersed with violent
oaths. To the crowd Lewis stated
that he did not kill Dorsey; that il
was Crawford who did the killing,
and also shot at the other man in the
( front Office of the bank He admit
ted that he did hit the bOokkeeper
over the head with the butt of his
revolver, but stated that he would
have surrendered at any time rather
, than have killed anyone.
; Lewis then asked that some one in
the crowd write 10 his father at Neo
sho, Mo-, and tell him that his son
had died game with his boots on.
The Turkish Bath company was in
Wichita Falls last night and Wit.
messed the lynching of Crawford and
Lewis. The audience and trouDe