Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1897-11-19
THREE INDIANS ARE LyNCHED.
MOB TAKES THEM FROM JAIL
Had Been Sentenced to Death for
he Murder of n Family of SIX
reopie-New Trial Had just Been
Granted,

Bismarck, N. d., Nov. l5.-Alex Con.
dot, Indian half-breed; Paul Holytack
and Philip Ireland, full blooded Indians.
the first of whom was sentenced to death
for the murder of six members of the
Spicer family last February, and had lust
Deen granted new trial by the supreme
court, and the latter two self-confessed
accessories in the murder, were taken
IRON the county Jail in Emmons county
saturday night and lynched by mob.
Inc lynching had apparently been coolly
Planned, and was carried out without a
break. Sudden and swift retribution was
meted out. Williamsport, where the hang
ing took place, is about 40 miles from this
city, and off the railroad. The men had
oeen under the custody of Deputy Sher-
i'll Tom Kelly. They were taken from him
by the mob and hanged to beef wind
lass several yards from the jail. Their
bodies were left hanging during the entire
day, the coroner not having arrived, and
no one else volunteering to cut them
down.
Forty Men Did the Work.
About 40 men were concerned in the
lynching. They rode into Williamsport
on horseback late at night and tethered
their horses a short distance from the
city, that they might secure them as
speedily as necessary after the deed was
done. The Jail is substantial structure,
and was in charge of Deputy Sheriff
Thomas Kelly. Since the confinement of
the prisoners there, so great has been the
fear that they might escape in some way,
that one man has watched the prisoners
all night. Saturday night Kelly was on
watch. There was a meeting of the lodge
of Woodmen in a building near the Jail
and as Kelly was member, he expected
to 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 murderers were
confined. About o'clock in the morn
ing there was rap at the outer door
of the jail, and Kelly arose quickly and
turned the key in the lock, thinking that
the persons he expected to meet had ar
rived. No sooner had he opened the door
than the mob crowded into the corridors.
| All of them were masked, and the lead
ers carried ropes. Kelly at once realized
what the mob had come after. The
lynchers were quiet but determined The
leaders presented revolver at the head
of the deputy sheriff and told him they
wanted his prisoners, and demanded that
he open the cells. Kelly demurred, but
saw that resistance was useless, and I'M
locked the door,
Dragged to Their Death.
The prisoners were confined together.
They had been aroused from their sleep
by the entrance of the would-be lynchers
and sat up half awake, and trembling
with terror. Holytrack and Ireland were
pulled from their beds, ropes fastened
about their necks and they were dragged
out on the ground. The men were then
dragged to huge beef windlass, which
had been erected to suspend the carcasses
of slaughtered beeyes, and strung up on
cross beam. Coudot was the first man
to be hanged. 1t is reported that he was
asked before he was hanged whether
Black Hawk and Defender had also been
concerned in the murder for which he
was about to be hanged. He answered in
the affirmative. The rope, which had been
fastened about his neck, was then thrown
over crossbeam, and he was suspened
in midair. Holytrack and Ireland were
so nearly unconscious from the effects of
the dragging that they did not realize
what was about to happen when the
ropes about their necks were tossed over
the same beam. They were unable to
stand, and were slowly raised from the
ground on which they lay until their bod
les swung in the air and dangled from
the windlass with that of Coudot. The
mob then dispersed, mounting their
horses and riding away.
Killed IN A SNOWSllDE,