Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-06-12
SURRENDERED TO The MOB
AFTER THE SHOOTING
Sheriff and Military at Urbana
Were Seemingly Terrcrlzed
by Their Own Acts.
GOV. BUSHNELL INVESTIGATES
Offcers Gave Uu "a Fight anu
Threw the Keys to the Ja
70 the acknowledgements
Still Great.

Urbana. o., June 7.-Governor Bush
nell arrived here last night to inVesti-
gate the trouble and especially the ac-
ton of the troops. While h Urbana
company is overwhelmed with local SEN
timent against their action, they are
also liable for abandoning their post or
duty. Captain Leonard the
guards about I a. m. and the SprinSne
company took orders from the mayor
instead of the sheriff when they turned
back from the court house.
Governor Bushnell was waited on by
a delegation from here at Columbus
yesterday afternoon. They asked for
protection by troops Of Sheriff McLain,
against whose life threats have been
freely made during the day.
Sheriff McLain left here at 2 p. m.
enroute to Dayton. He escaped by the
back door OF the Jail and claims that
dynamite was being prepared TO blow
him up. In the excitement and bitter
ness that prevailed last night 1t was al
most impossible to get at the facts as to
the responsibility for the loss of life, but
1t is generally claimed that Sheriff Nc
Lain ordered the troops to fire.
1ISlG 10 illuIh ulSpNNN 40 W "hHh ~
Cured inside the Jail from midnight I'M
til the time of the lynching. When the
first attack was made on the Jail at 1870
a. m. a dozen men mounted the rear
steps OF the Jail and w of them used
sledge hammers on the doors. The To-
cal militia company was under arms on
the inside with Sheriff McLain and his
deputies. Captain George w. Leonard
then stepped out and said;
II will give you three minutes to dis.
perse. If you do not do 50 ! must fire"
The crowd evidently believed that
Sheriff McLain had then already or
dered the troops to fire n they dis
persed. But when the attack was re-
newed on the rear door Of the Jail with
sledges the firing took place and the
crowd dispersed, leaving their dead and
wounded.
1t was shortly after 3 o'clock when
Sheriff McLain telegraphed Governor
Bushnell at Wooster, o., that a mob had
attacked the jail; hat he had opened
Are; that his force was inadequate and
that assistance was needed at once. II
is believed that there will be a thor
ough investigation into the action OF
the mayor, as well as into the action OF
he sheriff and military officers.
Mrs. Gaumer is the widow of a wei
known newspaper publisher. Hel
brothers-in-law are d. II. Gaumer, pub
Usher Of the GAINESVILLE Signal and al
ex-state senator, and c. n. Gaumer
formerly publisher of the Mansfield
Shield, and an eX-state representative.
Mitchell was % years old and a hote
porter. He bought milk at the dairy
of Mrs. Gaumer and knew she was
alone while her children were at school
and deliberately studied his opportu
nifty for ~assaultins her.
1t was learned that Sheriff McLair
and Captain Leonard left yesterday aft
ernoon at the request OF citizens, VIII,
feared they were in danger of violence
They took supper at Springfield anC
left at 1880 on the Big Four express foi
Cincinnati, but would not tell wher,
they were going. After the fatalities
of the night 1t is known that Sheriff Nc
Lain and Captain Leonard decided be
fore daylight hat there would be n
more shooting. The guards were re
moved and the militia went to thei
homes in citizens clothes. Before thl
evacuation the keys of the Jail wer
thrown from a window to the mob.
Mayor Ganson ordered Mitchell
body removed Immediately after tn
%lynching, but so strong was the feeling
that the crowd would not allow the po
lice to touch the coffin till after darI
last night, when Mitchelrs body wa
removed to some unknown place.