The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-09
MURDER BY A MOB OF MINERS.
LAW OFFICER LYNCHED FOR AR
RESTING ONE or THEIR NUMBER.

The Prisoner Accused of Having
Held In and Robbed the Constable
and the Arrest Made on Thag
Chnrge-The Prisoner Found Lying
Beside the Corpse Feigning Un-
consciousness in an Attempt to
Create the Impression That the
Crime Was Committed by High
wnymcn.
Fort Smith, Ark, Dec S.-The dead body
of James Murray constable a Jenny Lind,
a small coal mining town In the southern
portion of Sebastian county, was found
Monday morning lying by the roadside, a
short distance from Bonanza, a mining
town a short distance from Jenny Lind.
1t was at first supposed that Murray had
been the victim of a common murder, bus
II has since developed that the officer was
lynched by a mob of miners.
Constable Murray left his home at Jenny
Lind late Sunday afternoon to go to Boz
nanza to arrest a man named Grant Me-
Broom, for whom he had warrant. Nc
Broom was a miner at Bonanza. He for
merly worked in the mines at Jenny Lind.
and during that time Constable Murray
and a companion were held up and robbed
by highwaymen one night Murray recog-
nized McBroom, one of the robbers and
swore out warrant for his arrest, but the
latter disappeared. The constable finally
located his man at Bonanza and went
there Sunday night to arrest him. He cap
tured McBroom without trouble and start-
ed with his prisoner for Jeny Lind about
midnight.
THAT was the last seen Of Murray alive.
The constable's body was found lying by
the roadside next morning about thirty
yards from the shaft OF the Bonanza
mine
His hands were tied securely behind his
body, and his neck was black and blue.
showing plainly the imprint of a rope
which had choked the life out Of the body.
The eyeballs had burst from their SOCK
cts and hung upon the officers cheeks.
Blood oozed from a dozen bullet wounds
in the officers body and his clothing was
torn into shreds. There was no rope
around the dead mans neck, but the i'm
prints and lacerations Of the cut showed
Enthusiastically in what manner the con-
stable had met his DEATH
Yet there were no Indications anywhere
around of "a death struggle. The ground
| upon which the body lay was covered
with fallen leaves and there was not
even any footprints to be seen anywhere.
Fifty feet away lay the apparently un-
conscious form of McBroom. The CHASTITY
discovery had been made by two casual
passers-by, and when they saw that Muir
ray was dead beyond a doubt they turned
their attention to McBroom. He was
breathing heavily, ana was, to all appear
ancea, totally unconscious. They made a
hasty examination of the body, but could
discover no wounds. An alarm was quick
ly given, and friends of McBroom placed
him In a wagon and drove away.
The body of Murray was left for the
coroner The report was spread that Off
Ger and prisoner had been waylaid by
highwaymen the officer robbed and mur-
dered and the prisoner left for dead.
The coroner began an investigation and
il has been fully developed that Consta-
Bile Murray was waylaid by a mob of Nc
Brooms friends, composed Of miners deter
mined upon rescuing the prisoner, and that
| Murray was iynched, the body cut down
and placed by the roadside and that
McBroom feigned unconsciousness for the
purpose Of misleading the officers and
shielding the mob.
McBroom was arrested to-day. Everu
effort is now being bent on discovering the
| members of the mob.