The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-09
With the ImprintS Of a Rope Around
His Neck
AND MANY BULLETS IN HIS BODY
Had Arrested a Coal Cutter For Holding Him
Up, and Thus Met Fearful Vengeance
The Prisoner Feigned
Inconsistencies.

Fort Smith, Ark, Dec. S.-The dead
body of James Murray, constable at
Jenny Lind, a small coal mining town in
the souther nportion 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 beIsn the victim of a
common murder, but it has since devel-
oped that the officer was lynched by
mob of miners.
constable Murray left his home at
Jenny Lind late Sunday afternoon to go
to Bonanza to arrst a man named Grant
McBroom, for whotn he had warra MT.
McBroom was a miner at Bonanza. He
formerly worked in the mime at Jenny
Lind, and during that time Constable
Murray and a companion were held up
and robbed by highwIaymen one night.
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 arress him. He captured McBaoom
without trouble and started with his pris-
oner for Jenny Lind about midnight.
THAT was the last seen of Murray
alive. The constab,e's body was found
lying by the roadside next morning
about thirty yards from the shaft of the
Bonanza mime. His hands were tied
securely behind his body and his neck
was black and blue, showing plainly the
imprint of a rope which had chicken
the. life out of the body. The eye balls
had burst from their sockets and hung
upon the officers cheeks Blood oozed
from a. dozen bullet wounds in the Of
fcar's body, and his clothing was torn
into shreds. There was no rope around
the dead mans neck, but the imprints
and decorations showed unmistaka bly,
in what manner the constable 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 foot prints to be seen
anywhere
Fifty feet away lay the apparently
unconscious form of McBroom. The
| ghastly discovery had been made by
| two casual passers by and when they
saw that Murray was dead beyond
doubt they turned their attention to Nc
Broom. He was breathing heavily and
was, to all appearances, totally uncon-
scious They made hasty examination
of the body but could discover no
wounds An alarm was quickly given
and friends of McBroom placed him in
a wagon and drove away. The body Of
Murray was left for tHle coroner.
The report was spread that the officer
and prisoner had been way'aid by high
waymen, the officer robbed and mur-
dered ard the prisoner left for dead.
The coroner began an investigation, and
ut has been fully developed that Con-
stable Murray was waylaid by a mob of
McBroom's friends, composed of miners,
determined upon rescuing the prisoner,
and THAT Murray was lynched, the body
cut down and placed by ehe roadside
and that McBroom feigned unconscious
ness for l.he purpose of misleading the
officers and shielding the mob.
McBroom was arrested today. Every
effort is now being bent on discovering
the members of the mob.