Evening journal., 1897-11-15
HANGED THE INDIANS
Three Redskins Lynched by q
North Dakota Mob.
WERE ACCUSED OF SIX MURDERS.
The Iaadcr Had Boon Sentenced 20 Death,
but Was Granted a New Trial.
Deputy shrrT Overpowered
by Infuriaied Citizens.

BISMARCK, N. D., Nov 15.-Alexan-
der Coudot, an Indian half breed; Paul
Hoytrack and Philip Iceland, full blood
ed Indians. the first Of whom was sem
fenced to death for the murder OF six
members Of the Spicer family last Feb
ruary and had just been granted a new
trial by the supreme court, and the lat
ter two self confessed accessories In the
murder, were taken from the county
Jail in Emmons county and lynched
by a mob. The lynching had apparent
ly been coolly planned and was carried
out without a break in the programme.
Sudden and swift retribution was meted
out by the mob to the murderers.
Wnllamsport, where the hanging took
place, is about 40 miles from this city
and off the railroad. The news Of the
hanging was received here last night
by a mounted messenger. The sheriff
OF the county, Peter Shier, was In this
city at the time the hanging occurred
and Il was to him that the messenger
brought word. The men had been un-
der the custody Of Deputy Sheriff Tom
Kelly. and they were taken from under
his control by the mob and hanged TO
beef windlass several hundred yards
from the jail, where their bodies were
still swinging to the breeze during the
entire day. the coroner not having yet
arrived, and no one else volunteered 10
cut them down.
There were about 40 men concerned In
the lynching. They rode into Williams
port on horseback late at night ana
tethered their horses a short distance
from the city that they might secure
them again as speedily as necessary
after the deed was done. The jail IN
which the prisoners were confined Is a
substantial stone structure and was IN
charge Of Deputy Sheriff Thomas Kelly
Since the confinement Of the prisoners
therein, so great has been the fear that
they might escape in some way, that
| one man has watched every night with
I'm the jail. Kelly was on watch at TINS
time There was a meeting of the lodge
/ of Woodmen in a building near the JAIL
| and as Kelly was a member he expect
ed to meet some of the members OF the
lodge after the meeting had adjourned.
To while away the time during the
night hours he was playing solitaire in
front Of the cells in which the murder
ers were confined About o'clock in
the morning there was a rap at the
outer door of the jail. and Kelly arose
quickly and turned the key in the lock,
thinking that the persons he expected
70 meet had arrived. No sooner had he
opened the door than the mob crowded
into the corridors. All of them were
masked. and the leaders carried ropes.
Kelly at once realized that the mob had
come after his prisoners. The lynchers
were quiet but determined. The lead
ers presented a revolver at the head of
the deputy sheriff and told him they
wanted his prisoners and demanded
that he open the cells in which they
were confined. Kelly demurred, but
saw that resistance was useless and I'M
locked the cells.
Two OF the prisoners were confined
together and the other i'm a separate
CELL They had been aroused from
sleep by the entrance of the men and
sat up half awake and trembling with
terror. HolytraclS and Ireland were
dragged from their beds. ropes were
fastened about their necks and they
were dragged out on the ground after
being told to prepare for death. The
men were then dragged to n huge beei
windlass, which had been erected tC
suspend the carcasses of slaughtered
beeves, and strung up on crossbeam
Coudot was the first man to be hang
ed. It is reported that ne was asked
before he was hanged whether Blacl
Hawk and Defender had also been con
cerned in the murder for which he wal
about to be hanged. He answered tina
they had been. The rope which had
been fastened about his neck was thel
thrown over the crossbeam, and he wa
raised off the ground and suspended II
the air. Holytrack and Ireland wer
so nearly unconscious from the effect
Of the dragging that they did not real
ize what was about to happen whei
, the ropes about their neclSs were tosse'
over the same beam They were un
able to stand and were slowly raise
from the ground on which they lay un
I'll their bodies swung in the air an
danRled from the windlass with tha
! Of Coudot The mob then dispersed
, mounted their horses and rode away