The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-14
LYNCHING in KANSAS
YOUNG MYRTLE HUFFMEISTER'S
SLAYER HANGED By A MOB.
John Becker Taken from officers at
Great Bend. Beaten Into Insensibil-
ity and Strung to a Tree.

GREAT BEND, Kan, June 13.-In the
public square fronting the principal
business street of this city, a murderer was
lynched at o'clock this evening by mob
of probably 500 persons 1t is estimated
that at least 1000 men of Great Bends popu-
lation of $500 persons witnessed the trag-
edy.
The victim was John Becker, about fifty
years old. who. on April s, killed Myrtle
Huffmeister, the siXteen-year-old daughter
of William Huffmeister, a farmer living
midway between Great Bend and Ellin-
wood, the second station east of here.
Becker was employed by the farmer and
professed passionate love for the daughter,
and the tragedy followed the girls refusal
to accept his advances. When the girl
came to the table in the evening Becker
shot her to death, sending eight bullets
into her body, after which he set fire to the
farmers stables and escaped On April 10
posse of farmers captured the murderer
near ST. John, Stafford county and he was
kept for time at Hutchinson.
This morning Becker was brought here
from Hutchinson to be put upon his pre-
liminary 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 that the muir
derer had been granted change of venue
to Lyons, and that Sheriff Aber would take
his prisoner east on the Santa Fe train
this evening" there were signs of threaten
ing trouble, as big crowd began to gather
at the railway depot. Sheriff Aber, APP
precating the danger. took Becker into a
buggy and started for a crossing east of the
city, intending to flag the train there. BY
this time the crowd at the depot was open
ly threatening a lynching. When the train
pulled in the purpose of the sheriff's STRAIT
egg had become apparent to all. The
would-be lynchers. quick to act, boarded
the train and rode When Sheriff Aber,
at the crossing, saw that the train was
crowded to the guards. he did not flag it,
but hurriedly drove back to Great Bend
with his prisoner At Dartmouth the lynch
ing party left the train and started back
to this city, having hired all the convey
anceS available there. In the meantime
Sheriff Aber had hurried back and had
lodged his prisoner at the county Jail.
A few minutes before o'clock the mob
was sWarmlng around the Jail Evidently
believing that he could outwit the lynchers
by flight. the sheriff rushed Becker out of
the Jail 70 his buggy. which in the
street, but he had no sooner done so than
he and his men and the prisoner were sur
rounded. The sheriff, aided by his deputies
made stubborn defense and the prisoner
realizing the fate that threatened him.
fought desperately with them. After they
Rad fought their way back almost to the
entrance to the jail the mob. through sheer
force of numbers. prevailed. Securing the
murderer thew bore him away to the public
square. Then a rope was drawn around
Becker's neck and after he had been beat
en- almost to insensibility the rope was
thrown over limb of a big tree and he
was drawn up Some one In the crowd gave
the body push. and as the murderer was
being drawn up his body repeatedly swung
back, scraplng 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 minutes. when
it being apparent that Becker was dead.
the mob quickly melted away and the muir
derer'S body was cut down by the sheriff
and the coroner. Though guns were drawn
and threats were made, 10 shots were fired
by the sheriff and his men in their struggle
against the lynchers. Manv of the lynch
ing 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 = man deserved
lynching Becker did.
Becker is said to come Z. I a prosperous
family at Marion, III. attorney w. w.
Duncan was here from Marion to defend
him and it is stated that insanity was to
have been the murderers defense.