Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1899-08-25
\ A LYNCHING BEE SPOILED
4 Too Much Attention Paid to the
Etiquette OF the Occasion.


I IL
Uncle Atkinson, as he sat on the yer.
anda Of his hotel at Fresno, Cal. talk
ing over the recent lyuchings In the
south. ut isn't entirely because | am
getting old. but the last lynching par
ty took part in Disguised me with the
whole business. You see, Pete Lam
sing stole horse and we got a party
together and started out after him.
Pete gave us quite chase. but at last
we struck hot trail near Pine hiiis.
and then we gained on him so fast that
when our little party OF vigilantes
swept around the curve nj the foot of
the hills Pete was only half mile
ahead and pushing his horse at gallop
across the prairie. We called to him to
stop. OF course. he couldn't hear us
at that distance, and as he knew we
wanted TO hang him for horse stealing.
he wouldn't have stopped u he had heard,
but II was the first time since we or
ganized that the Diamond Center Wig
ilantes had been called out, and we
wanted TO do things In proper style.
So we formally summoned Pete 10 sur
render. Dick Evans, our leader, want
ed everything done exactly right, but
| and some of the other boys think he
was too particular on this occasion. A
swell bon ton society affair is one thing
and a lynchlng bee is another, and
there isn't any use trying TO combine
them.
However that may be. after we had
called upon Pete TO stop we thought we
had done all that etiquette as Dick
called IL, required, and we began 10
pump bullets at him. Pretty soon one
Of the bullets struck his horse and IL
tumbled over. Pete knew there wasn't
any use running after that, so be lit
cigarette-he was a sort of dude in
some ways-and waited for us TO come
up.
"'Guess we've got you this time.
Pete says Dick.
looks that way replies Pete. rs
calm and unconcerned as II he didn't
nave any part in the show. What is
the next thing on the programmed
THE nearest trees were about half
way up the pine hills. and we allowed
the first thing TO be done was TO take
Pete 10 where the trees were. After we
reach tree we won't have much
trouble finding out what 10 do next.
Mr.. Pete lansing said one OF the boys
in an ugly kind OF way. The man who
spoke had lost three or four good horses
that season, and was feeling kind OF
sore over IL. but Pete looked quite hurt
at being talked to In this kind of fash
ion, and Dick Evans spoke up:
"'That'll do for you. Tom. That's
no kind Of a way 20 speak to a man
who Is almost dead
"But our troubles had only begun.
Pete's horse was dead and he swore that
he wasn't going to walk TO the pine
hills. Nobody ever heard of n man
tramping q mile TO his own hanging.
You fought me fair and square, says
Pete. and I don't kick on that, but |
amt going to hoof II across this prairie.
A man in my position ought 10 have a
little po.iteness shown him.
Jim Haly, who runs the Crescent
saloon, happened to have a deck of
cards in his pocket and he proposed
that we throw around and the low man
give up his horse to Pete. We all
agreed to this. and Pete being In one
way our guest we let him deal. That
made a delay. for Pete dealt himself the
low hand. and as he didn't have any
horse we had 10 deal again. One of the
boys got stuck this time, so Pete took
his horse and we started out for the
pine hills.
ut was pretty dark when we reached
the hills. but one of the party got out a
rope and we thought the business
would be over in a few minutes. But
here Pete made another kick. For a
man who was going TO be hanged he
was the most particular. bothersome
fool l ever ran across.
~ don't want TO be hung right here
alongside of the road where everybody !
will see me. Take me little ways into |
the woods and do the job there
but we want your body to be an
says Dick Evans, sort of
THAT made Pete mad. Example,
he snarled. 4 take horse, you boys |
catches me and strings me up. So far
All right. But l don't want my body |
used as the tag end of Sunday school
lesson. Besides, what kind of thing |
would that be TO show strangers think
ing TO invest their money in the grow
ing town of Diamond Center? You fell
lows amt got any patriotism. Ex-
ample! Example be hanged!' says
Pete, scornfully.
There seemed 10 be lot of sense in
what Pete said, so we pushed on about
\ hundred yards into the woods. II was
pretty dim outside by this time, and In
among the trees il was really dark, but
Pete was riding In the middle of the
party, and il didn't look as IL there was
any way I'm which he could escape.
Pretty soon we reached tree with big
coughs hanging low down. just the tree
Tor what we wanted.
~ guess this will do all right says
Dick, who was riding ahead.
1--WE stopped, and one of the boys
threw the end of the rope over the
cough of the tree. while fixed the
moose about Pete's neck. Pete had been
riding with his head down, AS II he was