New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-15
PRICE THREE CENTS.
MOB LAW IN NORTH DAKOTA
THREE INDIANS TAKEN FROM JAIL BIZ
MASKED MEN AND HANGED.
THE PRISONERS WERE ACCUSED OF THE MURDER
OF THE sPICER FAMILY OF SIX PERSONS
NEW TRIAL HAD BEEN GRANTED
TO ONE OF THE MEN

NEW TRIAL HAD BEEN GRANTED
TO ONE OF THE MEN
Minneapolis. Nov. IA dispatch 70 oTbe
Tribune from Bismarck. n D.. says: Alex
ander Coudot. an Indian halfbreed: Paul Holy.
track and Philip Ireland. full-blooded indians. 4
the first OF whom was sentenced to death for
the murder Of six members OF the Spicer family
last February, and the latter two sef-confessed
accessories to the murder were taken from the
county Jail in Emmons County last night and
lynched by mob The lynchi1G had been ar
parently coolly planned. and was carried cut
without a break In the programme. Sudden ard
swi lit retribution meted out by the mob TO
the murderers
"Williamsport. where the hanging took place.
Is about forty miles from this city and of the
railroad. The news Of the hanging was received
here this afternoon by a mounted messenger
The Sheriff of the county. Feter Shier, In
this city at the time the hanging occurred. and
1t was to him that the messenger brought word
The men had been under the custody Of Deputy
Sheriff Tom Kelly. and they We're taken from
his control by the mob and hanged to beef
wind!ass several hundred yards from the jail.
where their bodies were swinging to the
breeze during the entire day. the Coroner not
having yet arrived and no one else vount nteering
to cut them down.
There were about forty men concerned in the
lynching They rode into Wirllamsport an
horseback late at night and tethered their
horses short distance from the city jail that
they might secure them again as speedily as
necessary after the deed was done The iau
IN which the prisoners we're confined is a SUBJ
s'antlai Stone structure and was In charge OF
Deputy-ShertH Kelly. Since the confinement of
the prisoners therein go great has been the fear
! that lhey might escape In some way that one
! man mas watched all night within the Jail and
! last night Kelly was on watch There was q
| meeting OF the lodge OF Woodne In a building
! near the Jail. and Kelly was a member he
expected 10 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 murdcrers were confined.
About o'clock in the morning there was
rap at the outer door OF the jail and KelIv
arose quickly and turned the key In the lock
thinking that the persons he expected TO meat
had arr!veE. 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 thar the mob nad
come after his prisoners The lynchers werc
quiet, but determined. The leaders presented A
told him they wanted his prisoners, and de-
manded that he open the cells in which they
were confined. Kelly demurred but saw that
resistance useless and unlocked the cells.
| Two Of the prisoners were confined together, and
the other in a separate CELL They had peen
aroused from sleep by the entrance OF the men.
and sat up half-awake and trembling with ter
ror. Hoytrack and ireland were pulled 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 huge windlass which
had been erected to hold the carcasses OF slaugn-
tered beeves and strung up on crossbeam.
.'Coudot was the first man to be hanged. II
IS reported that he was asked before he was
hanged whether Black Hawk and Defender had
also been concerned in the murder for which ne
! WAS about 10 be hanged. lie answered thai they
had been The rope which had been fastened
| about his neck was then thrown over the cross
beam and he Raised of The ground ana sus-
pended in the air. Holytrack and Ireland were
! so nearly unconscious from the enects OF the
dragging that they did not realize what was
about 10 happen when the ropes about their
aecks were tossed over the same beam. Tney
! were unable 10 stand and were slowly raised
from the ground. or which they lay. until their
bodies swung In the air and dangled from the
winoiass with that Of CoudOt The mob then
| dispersed mounted their horses and rode away" "
The crime for which he mtn were punished
| by the mob was the murder Of six people near
Winona Emmons Courty .ast winter. Holy
| track and ireland had confessed TO having been
/ implicated in the murd r. and had accused Cou-
| DOT Black Hawk and Defender, three othtr
Indians. Coudot had beer tried and found
! guilty AMI the Supreme Court had just granted
! him a new trial. The action of the mob was
| probably due 70 the fact that they feared the
| men would escape punishment
Black Hawk and Defender were confined In
! the County Jail in Bismarck, and 70 this Is due
their escape from the punishment that was
meted out TO their companions.