The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-01-20
SAYS INDIANS WERE GUILTY.
Eye Witness Describes the Burning of tro
SeminoIes.

lHC os10O Aaob wen Vi Two DcIuluOA6
Indians for the murder of Mrs.
Leard was brought to the city to.
day by a western Oklahoma stock
man. On the second day after the
tragedy he got full account OF the
details Of the search for McGeesy
and hls subsequent punishment
from a Seminole citizen living at
Wewowka, who was al eye witness
of the terrible affair.
! McGeesy was arrested on suspi-
cion the day after Mrs. Leards
body was found in her home, torn
and eaten by hogs He was found
in tie woods miles from Leard
place. with nothing on but under.
clothes aud an overcost The mob
strung him TO the limb of tree by
means of bride reins in an attempt
to get confession. He was hauled
up a second time, and when let down
was almost dead, but still protested
his innocence. He was held and
later recruits to the mob brought
rumors that one Taylor, another
half-bree1 /, had assisted in the Leard
tragedy.
A search was Sc. up for Taylor,
but he had left the country. The
crowd followed his trail and found
him IN the Creek nation. With his
wife, he was locked up IN an out
building of an old Indian house. He
at once confessed the crime and
implicated McGeesy. He wac
brought back to the Leard place
and Immediately recognized by the
S-year old boy o; Leard 8 as the man
who had come into the house ana
taken the rifle from him on the night
of the murder.
The two half breeds were then
taken to an arbor, or brush cattle
shed, near the home of the Lizards,
and two Of the neighbors held a
prayer meeting. The half-dozen
Indians were then compelled by the
mob to hold prayer meeting after
which McGeesy and Taylor signed a
written confession. They admitted
that after dark on the evening OF
the murder, January 6, Taylor went
and her four small children were
alone BE made au assault on her,
but she resisted. He grabbed the
rifle and the woman ran into the
yard, carrying the baby in her arms.
McGeesy was on the outside, and
grabbing the gun he buried the bar
rel in the woman's head. They
threw the body into the doorway,
where they left it to be devoured by
hogs. They then retired in corn
field nearby. McGeesy discovered
that there was blood on his clothes,
so he took them off and burned
them aud his shoes. He had bor-
rowed the overcoat be wore from an
uncle. In this condition the mob
found him.
After the confession McGeesy and
Taylor were taken to a tree near by
and chains put around their necks
and under their arms. Old dead
brush with leaves was piled about.
It was tramped down and coal oil
poured On. The pyre was built mp
with alternate layers of brush and
hay till it reached the shoulders OF
the Indians, when match was ap.
piled. When the flames shot up,
roasting the flesh in their faces, the
Indians squirmed little, and once
Taylor made an attempt to crawl
around the body Of the tree, but
there was not a word except from
the mob.
When the fire lad died down,
leaving the black, charred corpses
hanging to the tree, the whites dis.
persed. The news spread. The
Seminoles became furious. Twice
they held powows over the bodies Of
McGeesy and Taylor. They gave
the warwhoop and passed out sig
nails for the dance.
HUNTING TOR TIE MURDEEERs.
| Guthrie, Ok, Jan. 13.-OhciaI
disnatches from the scene cf TIE In.