The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-06-14
BECKER LYNCHED.
Murderer of Myrtle Huffmeister
Hanged to Tree
BY 500 Irate Farmers of Bar
ton County.
OVERPOWER SHERIFF.
Shot the Girl Eight Times Then
Burned Body.
Was to Plead Insanity at Trial
Today.

Great Bend, Kan, June 14.-In the
public square, fronting on the principal
business street of this city, a murderer
was Iynched at o'clock last evening by
a mob of probably 500 persons. 1t is
estimated that at least 1000 of Great
Bends population of $500 persons wit
messed the tragedy. The victim was
John Becker, a white man, so years of
age, who, on April s. killed Myrtle
Hufmeister, the 16-year-Old daughter
of William TIuffmeister, a farmer living
midway between Great Bend and Ell
HnwOod, 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 stable in the
evening Becker shot her to death, send
ing eight bullets into her body, after
which he set fire to the farmers sta
bIes. At first it was reported that the
murderer had shot himself and that he
had died in the flames, but later it be-
came known that he had fled and
search was instituted. On April 10 a
posse of farmers captured the murderer
near So. John, Stafford county. and for
safe keeping ne was taken by the sher-
if to Hutchinson, there having been
many threats that he would be lynched
if brought here.
Yesterday morning Becker was
brought from Hutchinson to be put up
on his preliminary examination. Early
in the day farmers from the neighbor-
hood of his crime began coming into
town, and by o'clock in the evening
the streets were thronged. Then, when
it became known that the murderer had
been granted a change of venue to Ly-
ons, and that Sheriff Aber would take
his prisoner east on the Santa, Fe even
ing train, there were signs of threaten
ed trouble, as a big crowd began to
gather at the railway depot.
Sheriff Aber, approaching the danger,
took Becker into a buggy and started
for a crossing east of the city, intend
ing to flag the train there. By this
time the crowd at the depot were open
" threatening a lynching. When the
train pulled in the purpose of the sher-
ifs strategy had become apparent to
all. The would-be lynchers, quick to
act, boarded the train and rode on
When Sheriff Aber at the crossing saw
that the train was crowded to the
guards ne did not flag it, but hurriedIy
drove back to Great Bend with his pris-
oner- At Dartmouth the lynching par
ty left the train and started back to
this city. having hired all the convey
ances available there. In the mean
time Sheriff Aber had hurried back, and
had lodged his prisoner at the county
Jail.
A few minutes before o'clock the
mob was sWarming around the Jail.
wit the lynchers by flight, the sheriff
rushed Becker out of the Jail to his
buggy, which was in the street, but he
mad no sooner done so than he and his
men and the prisoner We're surrounded
The sheriff, aided by his deputies, made
a stubborn defense, and the prisoner,
realizing the fate that threatened him. |
fought desperately with them. After !
they had fought their way back almost |
to the entrance TO the jail, the mob,
through sheer force of numbers, pre-
vailed. Securing the murderer they
bore him away to the public square. |
There rope was drawn around Beck |
er's neck, and, after he had been beaten |
almost to insensibility, the rope was
thrown over a 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 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 Is minutes |
when, it being apparent that Becker |
was dead, the mob quickly melted away |
and the murderer's body was cut down |
by the sheriff and the coroner.
Though guns were drawn and threats |
were made, no shots were fired by the |
sheriff and his men in their struggle |
against the lynchers. Many of the /
lynching party must be known to the |
county peace officers, but there is no |
very strong talk of arrests. The senti- |
ment here seems to be that if ever a |
man deserved lynching, Becker did. !
Becker is said to come of prosper |
Gus family at Marion, III. Attorneys !
w. W. Duncan and John W. Roberts of |
were here to defend him, |
and it is stated that insanity was to |
have been the murderer's defense.