Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-27
LYNCHED THE Two ROBBERS
Rangers Who Had Been Guarding the
Jail Called Away,
FIRST INTENTION WAS TO BURN THEM
Murder of Cashier Dorsey Quickly
Avenged by the citizens OF
wichita, Tex.-Both Men
Were Well KNOWN.

DALLAS Tex, Feb. 26.--A special to the
News from Wichita Falls, Tex. says: At
$50 tonight a mob of several thousand
persons attacked the Jail here, where Foster
Crawford and THE Kid" the men who
robbed the bank at this point and killed
the cashier, were confined. They were cap
tured last night after fight of an hour.
The robbers surrendered only when all hope
was gone. They were taken to Wichita Falls
and state rangers guarded them all night.
purpose of lynching the two robbers, but
fears to advance on the Jail as long as
| the rangers are inside with the prisoners.
After a show of resistance on the part
| of the authorities, the mob battered in the
jail doors and forcibly took possession of
the prisoners. The two men were taken to
| the bank which they attempted to rob yes
tcrday and an improvised scafold was
erected. The first impulse of the half crazed
| mob was to burn the prisoners, but calmer
! counsel prevailed.
| Yells of Hang the Kid first" went up
! then Others NO hang the Oldest first
| Tho Kid refused to say word and thosa
| having him in charge yanked him onto a
| box. The scene was weird one. One had
on high-heeled boots. black pants and a deep
| red shirt, which added gruesome bril-
| liancy to the scene. In a moment the rope
| was about his neck and a man whom some
| say looked like one of the men whose horse:
| had been taken yesterday Skinned up a tele-
| graph pole and fixed one end of the rope
across the crossbar. All this ;irne the kid
| was jeering at the crowd, lau ,-Ass and curp-
| ing. He never quivered He was asked to
| say what he wanted and was told he would
| be given a hearing.
He said: by Cd, that's all right. If you
a 1nnt ant cuTiA, h.
afraid to die-not bit Of it. Pull the rope,
| by Cd
voice in the audience-"You're going to
| die now: tell us your name"
The Kid don't give d-n If you do.
| its Younger Lewis and my father and mother
reside in Neosho, Mo-"
ANY message?" from voice in the crowd.
We'll, tell my father l was not scared a
bit; that died like a nervy man."
Anything for your mother?"
mo, not word. She will see the message
to the old man. Say, you fellows, go and
look in that dugout and you will find 81 600
there"
The Kid or younger Lewis as he at last
moment says, he was, continued chatting and
laughing with the crowd, pokng fun at them
and cursing for moment and then some one
yelled: "Time is up
81 am 20 years old and robbed that bank
/ am dead game and ready to die. Go
ahead" Na
In an instant ne was pulleu up ABOVE the
|'throng. He never quivered or Kicked He
just went up in the air and he is hanging
there now. Men in the frontier for years
and years say no gamer man ever died. He
was the coolest man in all the great crowd.
All the while Crawford was a spectator
of the scene. He began to weaken and con-
fessed, giving some valuable information. He
placed the responsibility for the crime on
he Kid. The mob showed him up to the
improvisei platform next to the bank he
attempted to rob and his head was about OH
a level with the dangling feet of his com
panion. He asked for Captain Burnett. The
after was a spectator in the crowd He
went to Crawford and had long talk.
Crawford had worked on Burnetts ranch
for years and was a trusted man. He began
ytealing. his employers stock, however and
associated with territory outlaws. The two
parted company.
Crawford confessed to the robbery of yes
telday but denied the murder He is
small man, poorly clad, with a red face
and short clipped, black moustache. When
they began to look for second rope he
begged for whisky. 1t was given him. He
talked and then begged for more. He again
addressed the crowd in Comanche
English and Spanish. Those who understood
him say his utterances were incoherent
The rope soon arrived and it was put
about his neck. He fell forward either in
faint from the effects of the liquor
he had drank. He was soon strung up
along with his companion, and their bodies
are still dangling in mid-ar.