The Butler weekly times., 1897-11-25
LYNCH LAW IN LIBERTY.
Sn Fargo Wounded, Probably
Fatally. by VigilauteS He
Was Suspected of Arson.

A. I Times, ~
". ary of long waiting on the lag
ging footsteps of tardy justice. the
people of Clay county undertook
Wednesday night to mete cut to
las D Fargo, who was recently
acquitted on the charge OF arson.
tbas punishment which they felt the
courts should have imposed.
About 1l:40 clock tselts five or
thirty masked men rode rspiily
north on Miller STREET. Liberty to-
the re-ldence If William Yates, Far
go's father il l-w. in "Aappy Hol
low" Th. hos ses v ere left in charge
of five of their number. The others
. erea the house and p oceeded up
The stairs to the second floor, where
Fargo aud his wife and child wsre
sleeping. The intruders fred four
shotp, one of wh,ch took effect in
Fargos breast, inficting serious,
probably fatal, wound The bullet,
3S-caliber. passed -ntr~ly through
tue body, penetrating the Ief, luns,
and gong out just below the left
shoulder blade It vas picked up on
the floor # the room Auoth.r r
b ,lIet erazed the right side of
F.rgo's neck and burie d itself in the
calling
Fargo was struck two blows over
th- head with the bstt of pistol
aud lef; for dead
He revived, and was still alive at
late hour last night His recovery
Is doubtful
Tue attempt upon the life of
Farg, il considered by the ci'izeps
of Liberty an evidence OF the feeling
IF indignation which prevails in the
cpmmunity OVER the large number of
C. lines which have b-en committed
ere recently, aud tie small number
Of convictions which have BEEN sc.
cured On the night of October |,
1896, the large carriage repository
and blacksmith shop OF John j. Cav
iu Liberty WAS burned to the ground.
The next day Silas D Fargo, a
blacksmith who had formerly been
in the employ of Cav, and had been
discharged because Of drunkenness,
was missing
Fargo was traced to Washington,
thence to Idaho, and finally to T, nd
du Lac. Wis, his former home.
Th.re be gave bimself up to the
authorities, and sad be WAS guilty
aud tired of fleeing from justice he
dictated telegram to Cav and
Sheriff Hymer of Clay county, &C
snowl. dying the crime This was ir
the latter part of June of the pres an
year.
Fargo was brought back to Liber
ty, but on his arrival there repudl
ated bis confession. aud ea,d b.
made it simply to secure trsnsporta
ton for himself and family back t.
Liberty He was indicted BY tn,
recent grand jury, and his trial tool
place before Judge Broaidus of III
Circuit court of Clay county las
week The jury returned verdic
of aequit,a' last Friday night.
The verdict was a complete sur
prise to every pei 500 fsmiliar Wit
the case The b lief IN Farso's gull
was universal, and the action of IT,
jury was generslly condemned Th
members of the jury explained tie,
J We rd,et by saying that they under
stoed that the confession sf Fars
aas not admitted in evidence agains
, him by Judge Broaddus, although
, N his instructions to the jury, th
Judge had stated that the coufe $50
3 might be taken into consider4to
by tie jury in arriving at a sc die
!, Fargo had borne bad repu,at,o
in Liberty, He vas CONSIDERED
$ desperate man. He lad served tx
0 years in the Wisconsin peniten,iar
for burglary. He was believed I
have set FIRE TO Gaws property, an
q the feeling tia. be should be pul
!. ished was strong
S100 Rowar6 sim