Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-19
sILAs FARGO, ACCUSED OF ARSON.
SHOT BY REGULATORS.
IS DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED.
WAS VISITED BY A MOB AT HIS
HOME LATE At NIGHT.
Resisted and Caught u Bullet just
Above the Heart-Hnd Confessed
10 burning IA Carringe Re
positOry. hut Had Been
Acquitted.

Liberty, Mo-, Nov. 1S.-tSpecial) At a
late hour last night large party of men,
who belong to the CLAY County Benevo-
lent Association rode into town. They
first sent delegation to the Liberty Eec-
tric Light Company's power house with
i note to the effect that the engineer
would better shut off the lights by IL
o'clock, for his own good. This he did
after vainiy trying to arouse the owner
to come over and run the plant.
The mob went to the residence of Silas
u. Fargo. in that part of town known as
Happy Hollow" They broke down the
street door, and went to a room upstairs,
where Fargo, his wife and child Were sleep
ing. Fargo heard them coming and at
tempted to barricade the door. Fargo Is
a very powerful man-it Is said here he
is the strongest in Clay cOunty-and he
held his own against the mob which tried
to break in the door The men then began
shooting through the door to intimidate
the inmates. One of the shots struck Far
go in the chest, the ball going through his
body about one inch over his heart. The
wound is q dangerous one, and DIR. Powell,
his physician, says he may not recover.
He had several bad cuts on his head, and
said that after the men had shot him they
fell upon him and dubbed him with their
revolvers.
Fargo confessed last June to setting fire
to the carriage repository of ]. j. Cav
here. He was indicted and tried at the
present term of court, and acquitted. 1t
is said that Judge Broaddus said he be-
lieved they should have convicted him.
The people, generally, believe he is guilty
and have criticised the jury freely. Many
expressions of indignation have been heard
over his being set free, and the object of
the men in visiting him last night was to
see that he got the punishment he de-
served
Fargo made the confession at Fond du
Lac, Wis, but afterward said that he did
so in order TO get free ride home. He
| had been on a spree when he made the
confession.
After the affair at Fargo's house. some
of the members of the mob went to the
home of Bill Slaughter, a negro who lives
| near Fargo and who had been stealing
| chickens, but he was not at home.
| Fargo has had bad record, and was
regarded dangerous man. He is
blacksmith. of heavy build. and of very
great strength. While drinking he would
give trouble, and his arrest would be made
| under great difficulty. He served two years
| in the Wisconsin state penitentiary for
| burglary. 1t is said that he had been
| warned by the vigilantes to leave town.
Tom Yates brother-n-law to Fargo. says
| he was sleeping in Il room next to Farg0S
when in rushed about twenty men and
| asked him if he was Fargo. AT this. Fargo
| opened door and said. Stay out of here.
you - He then closed the door.
! Two shots were fired through the door.
When Fargo was shot he reeled and fell
against the bed. The door was pushed
| open and three of the men pressed in. One
| of them said Now we have him. and We
| will finish him. They almost did it, too:
| Fargo said to a reporter for The Journal
| this morning:
/ Il heard them ask for Fargo. and the
! answer. He Is upstairs The men then
came up the steps. [ jumped up and saw
| ten or twelve men with their pistols point
| ed at Tom Yates. l shut the door. and as
! / did so someone fired through the door,
| the bullet striking me near the heart.
fell across the bed. They came in. and one
! of them said to finish me- | was shot by
| a 44-caIiber pistol. l remarked: Gentle
| men. 1 know you ALL and. believe, had
l not said that they probably would never
| have shot me-"
Many people believe that the mob came
| in for Wade. and. the jury had not re-
| ported. let him go for the time being to
| see the result. as they expected him to be
| acquitted and then went for Fargo. It
was under the leadership of cool heads.
whoever they were, and their work was
| done quietly.