Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-09-15
FOR A FOUL CRIME.
Benjamin Jones Lynohed at Liberty
Mo-, Sunday Night.
HE WAS SEVENTY YEARS OF AGE.
HE Had CriminaIIy Assaulted n Ten.
Kear-Old Girl-Thc Crime Was
Quickly Avenged by "a Mob
OF citizens,

Liberty, Mo-, September 13.--Denja-
min Jones, an Old man of seventy
years, was lynched just before mid
night Sunday for the alleged as
sault last Saturday of Anna Mont
gomery, ten-year-old girl.
Between II and 10 o'clock, about
seventy-fve masked men rode into
town from all directions. They Went
Immediately to the Jail and battered
down the heavy iron door, They wen'
in. and, finding their mnn, escorted
him to the front door on the south
side OF the court house. There, on
the portlco OF bhe Clay county court
house, Benjamin Jones forfeited his
life for one OF the foulest crimes ever
committed in Clay county.
On Saturday morning Jones was
asked to escort Anna, the ten-year-
old daughter of James Montgomery,
Of Randolph, to the Clay county fair,
Jones brought the girl to Liberty in
big wagon.
He hook care OF her all day, taking
her shopping in the morning and out
to the fair In the afternoon, After
the fair was over, they started ON the
return trip 10 Randolph. During the
trip, 1.-THE crime for which Jones was
lynched last night was committed.
When THE news Of the crime became
public, the indignation of The Clay
county people knew no bounds, Ben
jamin Jones was brought to Liberty
and placed In the Clay county Jail
Sunday morning, All day groups Of
men and boys could he seen standing
around on the square and side streets,
talking in low tones. Horses were
hibched at every convenient hitching
post. The male population had deter
mined looks on their faces, and any
one with an experienced eye could see
that something was to happen last
night that would cause q sensation in
the sleepy little town OF Liberty on
the following morning.
Notwithstanding this, very few peo-
pie were on the streets when the
lynchng occurred, and vast ma or-
fly Of The citizens Of liberty were
slumbering quietly in their beds, all
unmindful of the scenes enacted in
theAr midst.
Shortly after II O'clock the electric
lights were put ont and Hhe sound Of
horses feet was soon heard gathering
over The STONY streets, leading to the
square. They surrounded the court
house and 1t seemed that there We're
nearly n hundred masked men in The
mob. Blows dealt by a strong arm
did telling work on the Jail door and
a few minutes afterward, Benjamin
Jones was lead forth to face the aven-
gers of the foul crime that had been
committed on the person of little Am
ma Montgomery.
A rope was thrown over the rail
ing on the top OF THE stairway, and
the moose placed around Jones neck
willing hands grasped the ends OF the
rope and Jones was suspended in THE
air. A few gurgles, one pistol Shot
rang out. convulsive shudder, and
all was still.
The lynchers dispersed as quietly as
they had come, and Clay county had
at least succeeded in avcnging one
nwre of the foul crimes which have
darlSmed her history.
The body OF Jones was cut down by
the officers and taken TO Mosby's UNI
dertaking rooms. 1t was found thar
the ball from the pistol had entered
the back. He was clad in plain
shirt, light pants and socks, without
shoes. Jones was an old man, seventy
years old, and his hair was very
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