The Columbus journal., 1898-06-15
VICTIM OF 4 NC.
Great Bend Murderer Swings
In Public Square.
KILLED THE GIRL HE LOVED
Tragedy Follows q Refusal to
Receive His Advances.
SHERIFF TRIES TO 0UTWIT NOR
Iy,eAi,g Party Boards the Traia wAisA
u @ Bring the Murderer to Hi Pre-
lfmisary Hsaring-Earagsd Citi-
sens s.afch Their Victim From
the Sheriff and His Men.
KILLED THE GIRL he LOVED
Tragedy Follows q Refusal to
Receive His Advances.
SHERIFF TRIES TO 0UTWT N0A

GREAT BEND, Kan, June l4.-In tn
public square fronting on the principa
business street of this city . murders
was lynched at O'Clock lalt evenin,
BY mob Of probably 500 persons. I
is estimated that at least 100 men ol
Great Bend. q population Of 2, 500 per
sons. witnessed the tragedy. The vic
+; tim was John Becker, . young white
| man. who on April Sth killed Myrtl.
Huffmeister. the l6-year.old daughter
Of William Huffmeister, q farmer iv
ing midway between Great Bend apd
Ellinwood, the second station east oi
here. Becker was employed BY the
farmer and professed passionate love
for the daughter and the tragedy fol-
lowed the girls refusal to accept his
advances. When the girl came to the
stable in the evening Becker shot hs,
to death, sending eight bullets into hel
body. after which he set fire to the
farmers stables. At first it was 10
ported that the murderer had shot him
self and that he had died in the flames,
but later it became known that he had
fed and search was instituted. On
April l3 . posse Of farmers captured
the murderer near St. John, and foz
safe keeping he was taken by the sheriff
to Hutchinson, there having been many
threats that he would be lynched il
brought here.
Sheriff Tries to Outwit Mob.
Yesterday morning Becker was
brought here from Hutchinson to be
put ON his preliminary examination.
Early in the day farmers from the
neighborhoodlo his crime began coming
into town and by 9 clock last even
ing the streets were thronged. Then.
when it became known that the mur.
|, dererer had been granted . change of
venue to Lyons, and that Sheriff Aber
would take his prisoner east ON the
Santa Fe train last evening. there were
signs of threatened trouble. as . big
crowd began to gather at the railway
depot. Sheriff Aber. appreciating the
danger. took Becker in . buggy and
started for q crossing east Of the city,
intending to flag the train there. By
this time the crowd there was openly
threatening a lynching. When the
train pulled up the purpose of the
sheriff's strategy had become apparent
to all. The wouldbe lynchers, quick to
act, boarded the train and rode on.
When Sheriff Aber, at the crossing,
saw 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 lynching
party 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 in the
county Jail.
A few minutes before O'Clock the
mob was swarming around the Jail.
Evidently believing that he could out
wit the lynchers by fight, the sheriff
rushed Becker out of the Jail to his
buggy, which was in tho street. but he
had no sooner done 80 than he and his
men and prisoner were surrounded -
Secure the Murderer.
4AO OAOAAAs oAuCu " 0A0 uCput4Cos
made stubborn defense. and the pris-
oner realizing the fate that threatened
him, fought desperately with them.
After they had fought their way back
almost to the entrance of the Jail. the
mob, through sheer force Of numbers.
prevailed. Securing the murderer.
they bore him away to the public
square. There q rope was drawn
around Becker's neck and, after he had
been beaten almost into insensibility,
the rope was thrown over the limb of
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.
scraping upon the trunk Of the tree.
The sheriff and his men kept close upon
the track Of the lynchers, but they
were held back fully j5 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 fred by the
sheriff and his men in their struggle
against the lynchers. Many Of the
lynching party must be known to the
county officers, but there 10 no very
strong talk of arrests. The sentiment
here seems to be that If ever man de-
served lynchlng Becker did. Becker
Is said to come Of q prosperous family
at Marion. III.
Attorney w. w. Duncan was here
from Marion to defend him, and it is
stated that insanity was to be the muir.
derer's defense.