The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-04
DETAILS OF THE LYNCHING.
Men, Women and Children Witness
the Hanging of Mitchell

Columbus, o., June A special to
the Dispatch from Urbana, O., says:
Click Mitchell, the negro brute, has
paid the penalty of his crime with his
life. An outraged people have taken
the law into their own hands and met
| ed out to Mitchell the punishment he
so richly deserved and have Obeyed the
/ command and wish of his PROSTATE,
and, as announced, dying victim.
The sensational and unfortunate
! events of the night intensified the feel
ing against Mitchell, if that was possi-
bic.
After the firing of the militia on the
crowd of spectators during the early
morning hours, Gov. Bushnell ordered
Company s, Third infantry, of Spring
field, to come here at once. The Spring
field militia arrived here at 1880 this
morning and left their special train on
the outskirts of the city or near the
water works. The company, SO strong,
under Capt. Bradbury, marched up
town to the Jail where they found 3
900 people surrounding the jail
The company marched into the JAN
yard and were met by Hon. NJ. Lewis,
who said to Capt. Bradbury:
I'VE don't want you now"
"WhO are yOu?"
'sI am the deputy sheriff. replied
.aThere is the sheriff over there"
pointing to Mayor Ganson, who at that
particular moment came forward from
the crowd on the court house steps
and proceeded to address the militia
and the crowd. The mayor assured the
militia that their services were not
wanted, that the people were law abid-
ing and would assist him in preserving
order that the company could leave
the court house yard; when their serv-
ice were needed he would send for
them. The Springfield company with
out waiting for further orders marched
down street to the depot, without as
much as the sheriff seeing them.
The local military company had pre-
r.e,fr1 n
went 10 the second story of the sher-
iff's 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 kick
ed it down in short order and gained
admission to the Jail, the crowd fol-
lowing.
ners. chisels and other tools in the
crowd, and the men went to work.
Part of the crowd had previously fore
ed themselves up stairs INTO the PrlVate
apartments of the sheriff and after
looking about found q bunch of keys
which had been hid away and which
proved to be the keys of the jail
The crowd got into the jail in short
order. They did not wait to unlock the
door to MitcheIs cell, but burst the
lock with a sledge hammer and the door
soon flew open. Mitchell was standing
in his cell and offered no resistance and
did not utter a word. Someone in the
crowd had a rope and it was placed
around MS neck anu AAl0 CAONNo AAAeA4C
for the door, Mitchell following at the
end.
In going down the steps on the out
side of the Jail, Mitchell fell down and
the rope slipped off his neck.The crowd
surrounded him. jumped on him, like
thousand hungry dogs after one bone.
The brute was kicked, beaten and al
most killed right then and there. The
rope was quickly slipped over his head
again and rush 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 thousand willing hands pull
ed the wretch UP. The end was tied to
the iron fence and Mitchell was left
hanging there in full view of several
thousand people to die the death he had
brought upon himself. All this was
done in a shorter time than it actually
takes to tell the story. The lynching
took place at about 1920 this morning
The men taking part in it made no at
CONTINUED on Fifth Page.J