The San Francisco call., 1897-10-02
VAS.NEARL,Y"
LYNCHED By
SANDONII'ES
Portland Man Mistaken
for an Examiner. Cor
respondent. ;.
SEQUEL TO A FAKE
SENSATION., !.
Attempt of Citizens. to Take
Revenge for a Libel on
Their Town. "
:: .:: - - -. r.. g:
FALSE TALE OF A CHOLERA
VISITATION.
M. J. Roche Threatened by.a Mob
Because suspected of Having
Written the Yarn.
-; -. -.
SEQUEL TO A. FAKE
SEN NSATION.,
Attem pit Of Citizens to Take
Revenge for a. Libel on +.
:" Their Town. l.
FALSE TALE OF A CHOLERA
VISITATION.
M. J. Roche Threatened by:a Mob
Because Suspected of Having
Written the Yarn. 4..,:.=:

PORTLAND. Or, Oct 1.-Because the
San Francisco Exa miner published a fake
story of the imaginary ravages of cholera
in Sandon, the British Columbia mining
town, NJ. ]. Roche, an.old:time newspaper
man of this city, barely escaped being
iynched while on q visit to the place: Ii
became rumozed that he was the CORE
spondent who sent the: yarn to the yellow
louarual, and the enraged Sandonites had
determined 10 make him pay dearly for
the offense. Luckily for Roche he had an
acquaintance in Sapdon, we'll known to
the people OF the town. This friend in
formed the mob which had gathered to
wreak summary vengeance upon Roche
that it was after the wrong man, and the
Portiander was permitted TO depart in
peace. .:.<+ =
There was no mistaking the intent of
the Sandonites. They we're in deadly
earnest. Their town had been maTigned
it had been g iven wide berth by. travel
ers who had heard of the cholera story,
and Sandor had received setback from
which it would no. recover in m onths.
Their rage was the greater because there
was not the slightest foundation: for the
statement that cholera had claimed many
victims from among them, and that: those
who could get away were fleeing for their
lives. As matter of:fact there has not
been SO much as an epidemic: of sore
throat in Sandon, and the place has been
given gratuitousiy black eye for no rea-
son known TO its in nha btants.
Roche, who is now here, saws. that he
was travelling through the territory of
mining boom towns last week. On the
way he met Mr.. Knapp, a well-known
correspondent from the Sound. !: They
talked shop and swapped yarns and be-
came we'll acquainted. Just about the
time they arrived at Sandon the,newspa-
pers from outside points arrived, bFin ging
back the reports sent out by a reckless
correspondent that a cholera Case had
made its appearance there.
The Sandonians were highly incensed
at this report and took it so much5to heart
that they declared that If the writer and
manufacturer Of the article about cholera
symptoms were identified they would
string him up before he could think of a
prayer or a hymn. They meant exactly
what they said.
Roche went up the principal street oil
hAAS AOtAO"Ah va W OA- NOt Al tOSi
a little why he attracted so much atten-
ton. Roche is withal, inclined to be
modest, and this marked attention dis.
concerted him when it became so mani
fest on all sides. =
AS the day grew older the rumor few
about the town that Roche was the hews-
paper correspondent who had manufac.
tured the yarn about cholera in Sandon.
He did NOT know this until later, and sc
he became very uneasy when he saw a
half-dozen iusty louts haltingly following
after him and making audible remaks.
That's the -! Hang him! Lets
lynch him!" were the exclamations of one
excited individual who appeared to be a
leader in the nucleus of grim mob that
was forming about the barrooms and re.
sorts in the town.
Toward the afternoon the demonstra-
tions became visible. Everywhere Roche
went he was watched. Finally he deter
mined to go where there was protection
and find out the cause of the disturbance.
just as he learned the nature of the
trouble he received direct tip that if be
did not take his departure he, would be
hanged by midnight and that ithe whole
town would get drunk TO celebrate the
hanging"
"And," added the insormer, "they say
they are not going to allow. any more
cholera lies to be told about Sandon,
either" -
When affairs reached this crisis Roche
hunted up his friend Knapp.
I'm in no mood to be the subject for
this orgie tonight. Knapp" he said, as he
explained the situation. 'sNow you
square it."
Knapp and his friends went forth and
assured the would be lynchers that it was
case of mistaken identity. The Ex.
aminer's cholera faker was another man
altogether, Knapp said, and added that
Roche was a very harmless railroad man
and should be permitted to go his way
unscathsd.
This reassured the Sandonites and
Roche was permitted to depart in peace
The newspaper man is congratulatinp
himself upon his narrow escap pc from being
lynchsd for another individuals :offense