The San Francisco call., 1898-06-14
BEckER's VICTIM AVENGED
SHERIFF MAINLY OPPOSES THE
 CROWD.
Justice Meted to Man Past Life's Meridian Who Killed the Mere Child He Professed
 to Love.
Special Dispatch to Tn. Call.

GREAT BEND, Kans., June 13.-In the public square, fronting on the prin- clpal business street of this city, a murderer was lynched at 8 o'clock this evening by mob of probably 500 per sons. 1t Is estimated that at least 1000 or Great Bends population of 25O0 per sons witnessed the tragedy The vic- tlm was John Becker, a white man, 50 years or age, who, on April S. killed Myrtle Huffmeister, the 16-year-old daughter of William Huffmeister, a farmer living midway between Great Bend and Ellinwood
 Becker was employed by the farmer ana professed passionate love for the daughter; The tragedy followed the glrfs refusal to accept his advances. When the girl came to the stable In the evening Becker shot her to death, send ing eight bullets into her body, after which he set fire to the farmers stables. At first it was reported the murderer had shot himself and had died In the flames, but later it became known that he had fled and search was instituted. On April 13 posse of farm CTS captured the murderer near St. John, Stafford County, and for safe Keeping he was taken by the Sheriff to Hutchinson, there having been many threats that he would be lynched if brought here.
 This morning Becker was brought from Hutchinson to be put upon his preliminary examination. Early in the day farmers from the neighborhood of his crime began coming into town and by o'clock this evening the streets were thronged. Then, when it became known the murderer had been granted a change of venue to Lyons and that Sheriff Abeer would take his prisoner east on the Santa Fe train this even ing there were signs of threatened trouble. as big crowd began to gather at the railroad depot. Sheriff Abeer, appreciating the danger, took Becker into buggy and started for a cross- ing east of the city, intending to flag thetrain there. By this time the crowd at the depot was openly threatening lynching.
 When the train pulled in the purpose of the Sheriff's strategy had become ap- parent to all. The would-be lynchers, quick to act, boarded the train and rode on.. When the Sheriff at the cross ing saw the train was crowded to the guards he did not flag it, but hurriedIy drove back to Great Bend with his prisoner. At Dartmouth the lynching party left the train and started back to this city, having hired all the con- veyances available there. Sheriff Abeer had hurried back and lodged his pris- oner at the County Jail.
 A few minutes before o'clock the mob was swarming round the jail. Evil dently believing that he could outwit the lynchers by flight, the Sheriff rushed Becker out of the jail to his buggy, but he had no sooner done so than he and his men and the prisoner were surrounded. The Sheriff, aided by his deputies, made a stubborn defense, and the prisoner, realizing the fate that l.s %71-x with them. After they had fought their way back almost to the entrance to the jail the mob, through sheer force of numbers prevailed. Securing the mur- derer, 1t bore him away to the public square.
 A rope was drawn around Becker s neck, and after he had been beaten al- most to insensibility the rope was thrown over a limb Of big tree and he was drawn up. Some one in the crowd gave the body a push, and as the mur- derer was being drawn up, his body re- peatedly swung back, scraping upon the trunk of the tree.
 The Sheriff and his men kept close upon the heels of the lynchers, but they were held back for fully fifteen min- uteS, when, 1t being apparent Becker was dead, the mob quickly melted away and the murderer's body was cut down by the Sheriff and the Coroner
 Though revolvers were drawn and threats were made, no shots were fired by the Sheriff and his men in their struggle against the lynchsrs. Many of the lynching party must be known to the county peace officers, but tonight there is no very strong talk of arrests. The sentiment here seems to be that if ever a man deserved lynching Becker did.
 Becker is said to come of a prosper ous family at Marion, III. Attorney w. w. Duncan was here from Marion to defend him, and 1t is stated that insan- ity was to have been the murderer's de- fense.