The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-06-05
An Outraged People Lynch "Click'
Mitchell, The Negro Brute.
RAvlSHER KICKED TO DEATH
He Richly Deserved the Punish
ment Which Was Melted Out to
Hlm-The Body Left Hanging
to a Tree.

the law into their own hands and meted
out TO Mitchell the punishment he 80
richly deserved and have obeyed the
command and wish of the prostrate
and. as announced. dying victim.
The sensational and unfortunate
events of the night intensified the feel
ing against Mitchell. II that were pos
sible. and the determination became
general that the brute should never
leave town alive, after the firing of the
militia ON the crowd of spectators dur
ing the early morning hours.
Governor Bushnell ordered a company
OF the Third infantry of Springfield to
come here at once. The Springfield
militia arrived at I:l0 this morning and
left their special train at the outskirts
of the city near the water works. The
company. IS strong, under Captain
Bradbury, marched up town TO the Jail.
where they found 1000 people.
The company marched into the Jail
yard and were met by Hon. NJ. Lewis
who said TO Captain Bradbury: We
don't want you now"
who are your
Il am a deputy sheriff. There is the
sheriff over there" pointing to Mayor
Ganson, who came forward from the
crowd. The mayor assured the militia
that their services were not wanted.
the people were law-abiding and would
assist him In preserving order. that the
company could leave the court house
yard when their services were needed
he would send Tor them. The spring
field company. waiting for further or
ders, marched down the street to the
depot without the sheriff seeing them.
The local military company had pre-
riously refused 10 serve longer and
went To the second story or the sherin =
residence and tried to sleep. With no
resistance offered the crowd at once
made a rush for the side door. two
strong and determined men knocked IL
down In short order and gained admis-
sion to the Jail. the crowd following.
There were plenty OF sledge hammers,
chisels and other tools and the men
went to work.
Part OF the crowd had previously
forced themselves up the stairs into the
private apartments of the sheriff and
found a bunch OF Keys. which proved to
be the Keys OF the jail. The crowd got
into the jail In short order They did
not wait to unlock the door to Mitch
ellis cell, but burst the lock with
sledge hammer and the door soon flew
open.
offered no resistance and did not utter
a word. Some one in the crowd had a
rope and 1t was placed over the brute's
head and the crowd made for the door,
Mitchell following at the end. In going
down the steps outside OF the Jail
Mitchell fell down and the rope slipped
of his neck.
The crowd surrounded him and
jumped on him like thousand hungry
dogs after a bone. The brute was
kicked. beaten and almost killed. The
rope was quickly slipped over his head
again and rush made for a tree in the
corner of the court yard. The end was
thrown over a strong limb and a thou
sand willing hands pulled the wretch
up. The end was tied To an iron fence
and Mitchell was left hanging there. in
full view Of several thousand people. to
die. All this was done in a shorter time
than II takes to tell the story.
The lynehing took place at about 7:30
this morning The men taking part I'm
II made no attempt to disguise them
selves. II is not known who did the
work, and the person who attempts to
find out will get himself into serious
trouble.
IL is doubtful II Mitchell died from
the effects of the hanging, His miser-
able life had been almost kicked out
when he fell. It Is the general opinion
that he was unconscious when strung
up. His body was left hanging for an
hour or more and the people of the city
fiocked to see il. Ii was finally drawn
down and placed in an undertaker's box
and left lying in the court house ward
open TO the public gaze.
Including the brutal Mitchell there
are five dead and ten wounded All M
the victims were innocent citizens who
were spectators at the scene of the ex
citement. except Mitchell. In addition
to this list. Il is feared that Mrs Eliza
Gaumer. who was crimlnally assaulted
by the negro, will not recover. and sey-
eral of the injured are I'm a serious con.
dition. Besides these ca ses and the Iist
of casualties there is such intense feel-
ing against the officials that II will NOT
be wiped out in the present generation
and further complications are anpre.
hended in the future. While the ma st
few nights and the past two davs v,ere
the scenes of lawlessness and blood :
shed. vet the feeling AT no time has
been so intense as il is here to-night
The body Of Mitchell was exposed ali
day in a rough coffin and IL intensified
the feeling among the masses who Wit
messed IL. The bodies OF the citizens
who were killed were t.nderlv carsd