The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-06-10
LYNCHED BY A MOB
NEGRO BRUTE PAYS THE PENALTY
OF HIS FOUL CRIME,
t6rhe Troops Offer No Further Resist
F Against Them-A Thousand Eager
! Hands Pull the Wretch Up to the
I Limb of n Tree-No Attempt Made
to Disguise.


from Urbana, Ohio, says: Click Mitch
ell the negro brute, has paid the pen
atty Of his foul crime with his life. An
outra ged people have taken the law
onto their own hands and melted out to
Mitchell the punishment he so richly
deserved, and have obeyed the COM
mand Of his PROSTATE victim, by lynch
ing him.
The sensational and unfortunate
events of the night intensified the
feelings against Mitchell, if that was
possible, and the determination be-
came general that the brute should
not leave the town alive.
After the firing Of the militia on the
crowd Of spectators during the early
morning hours, Gov. Bushnell ordered
Company B, Third infantry, of Spring.
field. to come here at once. The Spring
field militia arrived and left their
special train on the outskirts Of the
city near the water works. The COM
pany thirty-six strong, under Capt.
Bradbury, marched up town to the jail
where they found it surrounded by
1000 people. The company marched
1nto the Jail yard and were met by
Hon. NJ. Lewis, who said to Capt.
Bradbury:
eve don't want you now"
"Who are you?"
Il am the deputy sheriff. replied
Lewis. "There is the sheriff over
there" pointing to Mayor Ganson, who
at that moment came forward from
the crowd On the court house steps
IDI 10 Il
and the crowd. The mayor assured
wanted, that the people were law
abiding and would assist him in pre-
serving order; that the company could
leave the court house yard; when
their services were needed he would
send for them. The Springfield COM
pany, without waiting for further Or
.ders. marched down the street to the
depot without as much as the sheriff
seeing them.
The local military company had pre-
viously refused to serve longer and
went to the second story Of the sher-
ifs 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
kicked it down in short order and
gained admission to the Jail, the crowd
following. They did not wait to I'M
burst the lock with a sledge hammer
and the door soon flew open. Mitchell
was standing in his cell and did not
Offer any resistance and uttered no
word. SOne one in the crowd had a
rope and it was placed around the
brute's neck and The crowd made for
the door, Mitchell following at the end.
In going down the steps on the outside
of the jail Mitchell fell down and the
rope slipped off his neck. The crowd
surrounded him, jumped on him like a
thousand hungry dogs after one bone.
The brute was kicked, beaten and al
most killed then and there. The rope
was quickly slipped over his head
again, and a rush was made for a
tree in the southeastern corner of the
court yard, in front of the court house.
The rope was thrown over a good,
strong limb, and a thousand 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 the
death he had brought upon himself
The men taking part in it made no at
tempt to disguise themselves, but it is
not known who did the work, and the
person who attempts to find out will
get himself into serious trouble. This
much is known, however, they die
their work we'll, and that is all the
people wish to know. His body was
left hanging for an hour or more, anC
the people Of the city focked to see it
All classes of people came to witness
the spectacle. 1t was finally cut dow1
and placed in the underta]1ers box
1oft 1vin in hn
open TO the public gaze.
Gov Bushnell has arrived here tt
Investigate the trouble, especially the
action of the troops. While the Ur
bana company is overwhelmed will
local sentiment against their action
they are also liable for abandoning
their post Of duty Capt. Leonard
withdrew the guards about Z a. m.
and the Springfield company took or
ders from the mayor instead of thu
sheriff when they turned back from
the court house. Gov. Bushnell wa
attending an encampment at Wooste
and was met by a delegation from
here on his return to Columbus Thes
citizens from Urbana asked for protec
tion by troops Of Sheriff McLain
against whose life threats have bee
freely made, and if he was here nov
IL Is DelleVeu InaC there would D
trouble again. Sheriff Nc Lain ha
gone to Dayton. He escaped by tn
back door Of the Jail and claims tina
dynamite was being prepared to blow
him up. In the excitement and bit
terness that prevails it is almost i'm
possible to get at the facts as to tn
responsibility for the loss Of life bu
it is generally claimed that Sheriff M
Lain ordered the troops to fire. 1t i
believed there will be thorough il
vestigation into the action Of the may
or, as we'll as into the action of tn
sheriff and the military officers.
Ruther Heroic Treatment.