The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-14
HEMP FOR 1 MURDERER
An Infuristsd Mob Lynchss John
Becker.
COULD NOT oUTwIT IT
Ths Victim OF he Nobds Rage 0od
not . Farmers Daughter WHO Re-
FUSED TO Listen to His Advan-
css-Hs Burned the Body.

Great Bend. Kan. June 13.-ln the
public square fronting IN the principal
business street OF this city . murderer
was iynched at 8 o'clock this evening
by . mob Of probably 500 people. II 10
estimated that at least 1000 Of Great
Bends population Of $500 persons wit
messed the tragedy. The victim was
John Becker, q white man. who On April
8 killed Myrtle Huffmeistef. the 1s-year-
old daughter Of William Huffmeister, a
farmer living midway between Great
Bend and Ellinwood. the second station
east of here.
Becker was employed by the farmer.
and professed passionate low for the
daughter. and the tragedy followed the
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 1re to the farmers stables.
At hrst It was reported that the MUIR
derer had shot himself. and that he died
In the flames. but later II became known
h a he had fed. and search was insti-
tutco. Ou April 10 y VOSSe Oh I0Im-
ers captured the murderer rear st.
John. STAFFORD country. and for safe
keeping he was taken by the sheriff to
Hutchinson, as there had been many
threats Of lynching II brought here.
This morning Becker was brought
here from Hutchinson TO be put upon
his preliminary trial. Early in the day
farmers from the neighborhood of his
crime began coming into town. and by
e 0'C1ork fhfo avonfnO thu RtVDntQ uunpo
thronged. Then. When II became known
that the murderer had been granted a
change OF venue to Lyons. n that
Sheriff Aber would take his prisoner
east on the santa Fe train this even
ing, there were signs Of threatened
trouble. az a big crowd began to gather
at the railroad depot. Sheriff Aber,
into a buggy and started for a crossing
east Of the city. intending to nag the
train there. By this time the crowd
at the depot were openly threatening q
1ynching. When the train pulled In the
purpose Of the sherif's strategy had
become apparent to all. The would
be lynchers, quick to act. boarded the
at the crossing. saw that the train was
crowded to the guards. he did not nag
1t. but hurriedly drove back to Great
Bend with his prisoner. At Dartmouth
the lynching part left the train and
started back TO this city. having hired
all the conveyance available there. In
the meantime Sheriff Aber had hurried
back n had lodged his prisoner at
the county jail.
A few minutes before 3 o'clock the
mob was swarming around the Jail.
Evidently believing that he could outwit
the lynchers, Sheriff Aber rushed Beck
err out of the Jail to his buggy. which
was In the street, but he had no soon
er done so than he and his men and
the prisoner were surrounded. The
sheriff, aided by his deputies, made
stubborn defense, and the prisoner, re-
alizing the fate that threatened him
fought desperately with them. After
they a fought their way back almost
to the entrance to the jail. the mob
through sheer force of numbers, pre-
vailed. Securing the murderer, they
pore him away to the public square
There a rope was drawn around Beck
er's neck. and after he had been heater
almost to insensibility. the rope was
thrown over a limb OF q big tree and
ne was drawn up. Some n In the
crowd gave the body a push, and as the
murderer was being drawn up his body
repeatedly swung back, scrapinE thu
trunk of THE tree.
The sheriff and his men kept clost
upon the heels OF the lynchers. but they
were held back for fully is minutes
when. Il being apparent that Becker
was dead, the mob quickly melted away
and the murderer's body was cut down
Though guns were drawn and threat
were made, no shots were fred by tn
sheriff and his men in their struggle
against the lynchers. Many OF tn
iynching party must b known TO tn
county peace officers, e. blu to-ntgh
there IL no very strong ak OF arrests
Tho sentiment here seems TO be tina
n ever a nan deserved lynching. Beck
er did.
Becker IL said to come Of . prosperou!
family at Marion. III. Attorney w. M
Duncan was here from Marion to de
fend him. and II II stated that insanity
was to have been the murderer's de
Tense.