The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-05
NOTES By THE WAY.

NOIE BY THE WAY.
I have In nay collection OF keepsakes
n piece OF rope used in the hanging OF
Howard. Sullivan and Payne by the vigil
ance committee OF Seattle on January -
ISSe. when those three men were torn from
the officers OF the iaw and hanged Ia y
public square. with the concurrence, not
with the direct assistance. OF most OF the
leading citizens OF the place.
As this iynching IS regarded by aH as
marking one OF the four great epochs in
the city's history. an account OF the affair
will not be out OF place at this time
The conditions which existed IN Seattle
at that time and led up TO the unfortunate
occurrence were peculiar. Times had been
hard for a good while. the police force
was small and crime had been nourishin
all over the coast The assassination OF
President Garfield hsastaken place only a
short time previous, and his assassins
lcng-winded trial was in progress at the
time. Locally. the people had been ex-
cited by the killing OF special officer David
Stres while In the discharge OF his duty
only a few weeks before. and also by the
high-handed operations of a gang Of
toughs who were ffocking to the Sound at
that time The crime Of which two or
these men were unquestionably guilty had
been preceded by q series OF unpublished
crimes and the people were wrought UP TO
point where they felt justified in taking
the law into their own hands
George Reynolds. head salesman In Will
lam A. Reynolds grocery store. was ono
Of the most popular young men in Seat
tie. He had recently married a most es-
Unable young woman, the eldest daugh-
ter OF Mr.. William Meydenbauer. and had
set up housekeeping in a cottage on
Fourth street, between Marion and Madf-
son. On the evening Of January II. lSSs.
Mr.. REYNOLDS went home 10 his dinner as
usual, and after parting with his wife at
the gate. about half past o'clock, started
on his return to the store. On reaching
the corner OF Third and Marion. he was
confronted by two footpads, one Of whom.
with drawn revolver, ordered him to throw
up his hands. George was a small man.
but as courageous as q lion, and when he
realized that an attempt was being made
10 rob him he drew his own revolver to
defend himself. Just as he did so he re-
ceived a pistol ball in the breast. from the
effects Of which he died the next day.
80
circulated about town, some one went 10
the engine house, which stood I'm the rear
OF what is now the Hinckley block. and
commenced ringing the fire bell. When a
crowd had assembled and II was an
nounced that George Reynolds had been
shot by footpads. the excitement was In
tense. but not demonstrative IN the Inc
OF any great noise. II was decided then
and there to organize a committee OF loo
who should become sworn officers or the
law 10 assist the regularly constituted
authorities in apprehending and bringing
the guilty persons to justice. Judge Cam.
who was a Justice OF the peace at the
time, administered the oath. and the COM
mittee was divided up into squads, which
were sent out In every direction. with in
structions to arrest and bring In every
suspicious looking character they came
across. and II possible to detect the au-
thors or the crime.
-Four hours after Reynolds was shot
Gardner kellogg, now chief OF the Seattle
fire department, and William B. Jones.
the well known boot and shoe man. who
were IN one of the searching parties,
found two men secreted In the hay on
Harrington g. Smiths wharf. One or
these. one-armed man. had revolver
on his person with four loaded and one
empty cartridge. the latter showing
plainly that 1t had been but recently fred.
The other had In his pocket about 100
cartridges which fitted his comrades pis-
toll. The committee dragged these two
fellows out OF the hay, marched them up
town and turned them over to a police
officer. who in turn placed them In the
custody OF Sheriff wyckon at the county
jail
Later In the evening as the excitement
became more intense and the opinion be-
came general that the guilty parties had
been caught. many citizens. including a
large number OF the committee. hocked
to the fail. where the prisoners were con-
fined in the sheriff's Office. The county
jaii at that time stood where police head
quarters are now located. The prisoners
were being guarded by Sheriff l.. v. wyck-
of, his son. J. V. Wyckon, and Officers
]. II. McGraw and James II. Wooiery.
The hall leading TO the sheriff's office was
soon filed with angry and excited men
bent on vengeance. After demanding an
entrance into the Office and being refused,
they forcibiy broke down the door which
separated the prisoners from them. and
then the surging crowd, almost In reach
of the quivering and frightened wretches.
demanded that they be surrendered There
was now no barrier between the wild and
furious throng OF enraged men save the
sheriff and his little party. IN his shirt
sleeves, with drawn pistol. the sheriff en-
treated the men to ne6tSt from violence,
but announced his determination to pro-
tect at all hazards the men entrusted 10
his charge. I'VE must have those men at
oncev' shouted the spokesman of the
crowd Then you will take them over my
dead body" replied the stalwart sheriff as
he feveled his drawn revolver directly at
the speaker. Before the determined stand
made by the sheriff and his little band OF
supporters, the crowd. numbering 30 or
800, hesitated. and finally. upon the prom
Use OF the sheriff that he would produce
the prisoners In court for examination
at 2 o'clock the naxt moraing, the attack
ing party retired. taking with them the
prisoners shoes. IN order 20 compare them
with tracks in the vicinity OF where the
murder was committed. The footpads
after firing the fatal shot had been seen
TO cross the street and run through the
alley In the rear OF the present location
Of the First Methodist Episcopal church.
Plaster Of paris casts were at once made
OF the tracks Tn the alley by Mr.. A. W.
Piper and these casts proved conclueiyely
that the tracks were made by the shoes
taken from the prisoners feet at the sher-
ins officA
From the hour OF It's organization the
citizens committee had been busy collect
ing evidence against the accused. and by
morning IL was believed that proof existed
TO demonstrate beyond any reasonable
doubt that the two men. So Ivan and How