The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-28
A Mob From Mayetta Takes
Henry SandersOn
From His Guard at HOlt0n and
Hang Him.
THE MURDERER DIES
just as Mrs. Fleisher, His Vic
tim, Expires.
No One Identified Amy of the
Mob.

Holton, March 2s.-Henry Sanderson,
the young man who attempted to muir
der his sweetheart Myrtle Fleisher,
near Mayetta Sunday afternoon but in
stead wounded Mrs. Fleisher. her aunt
at her side so that she died at o'clock
this morning, was lynched at o'clock
this morning by mob from Mayetta.
Although nominally in Sheriff Geo. N.
Hass' hands, Sanderson was under the
guard of one man in a back room of
Nate Forr's restaurant. This was for
Two reasons During Sanderson's at
tempt to escape Immediately after
shooting Mrs. Fleisher he started to
extract some shells from his Winchester
and one accidentally exploded. the ball
shattering his right arm Again there
had been a Jail break at Holton the
previous night and the prison was not
thought safe. The story of the lynch
ing IF Sanderson was brief and tragic.
About , O'Clock Nate Horn, keeper of the
restaurant. alone on night duty, sat
nodding sleepily. Hearing footsteps he
looked up and discovered two large Colt
revolvers staring him in the face from
he hands of two determined looking
they said. I'VE want Sanderson, not
you" Horr made none
At the same moment men burst in the
back door of the restaurant with drawn
revOlvers- The single guard. a laboring
man of this city, was paralyzed with
fear and made no resistance.
Sanderson was lying in bed asleep at
the time but was awakened by the noise.
An aged man who appeared to be the
leader walked up to Sanderson who had
half arisen in bed and said, Come, we
want you"
Without a protest Sanderson arose
partially dressed and conducted by the
silent guard, passed out of the door to
his death While the guard sat stupefed,
unable or unwilling to give the alarm.
The mob with Sanderson in their
midst marched out to Banner creek. tied
rope around Sanderson's neck faster-
ed the other end to a beam, gave him
kick and with a few convulsiVe jerks
Sanderson was dead.
His neck was disjointed by the fall
OF u feet and death came instantly 1t
is said that he died without a plea for
mercy.
The mob then disappeared.
The lynchers were unmasked and ap-
peared to be equally divided between
young and aged men. Some We're mere
boys, others men with gray boards and
white hair.
Advices from Mayetta say that the
mob began forming shortly after dark
last evening and went on horseback
and in buggies to HOltOn. Some were
from Hoyt. more from Mayetta but the
majority were from the country within
a radius of two miles of the scene of
the ira gedy.
When the crowd was forming to move
to Holton. and in fact when they com
mitted the lynching they were unaware
of the death of Mrs. Fleisher which
strangely occurred at the same hour of
the passing of Sanderson.
The body of Sanderson was cut down
by Sheriff HaSs and deputies about
O'Clock this morning and taken to a To-
cal undertaking establishment where it
lies awaiting disposition by relatives
None of the mob is known by the
officials.
Both Nate Horr and the guard were
unable to recognize any of the men and
they were the only ones who saw the
lynchers- The town was asleep and the
affair was conducted quietly that no
inkling of it reached the public until af-
ter the mob had scattered.
Last evening Sanderson, when asked
of the shooting. said:
After the shooting I simply left the
place on foot and started to walk to
town to give myself up. After going
some distance ] stopped to extract the
empty shells from my Winchester and
one of them caught and refused to come
out l stOmped tie gun on the ground
TO loosen the cartridge. and in some way
the shell was exploded, the ball going
through my right arm. After this the
conStabIeS came up and took me in
charge. and 1 was hauled to town in a
spring wagon
When asked what led up to the shoot
ing. he said:
We were all sitting in the house
chatting pleasantly. and presently nv
cousin. Emmett Donnelly, Mrs. Rudolph
Fleisher, Myrtle Fleisher and myself
went out towards the barn. Having
been hunting all day, 1 had Winches-
ter rifle with me. In the garb the folks
made fun of me and became so angry
that ! simply pulled up and fired four
shots at Myrtle. The first shot struck
Mrs FIeisher and she dropped. Myrtle
and DOnnelly ran towards the house
and fired three shots and then walked
Of"
Sanderson denied that he was crazy
or that his mind was affected in any
way He showed no grief or remorse
and betrayed no feeling whatever
The feeling in this community is that
Sanderson was given his just deserts
ana no attempt was made to discover
the lynchers. Mrs Fleisher was about
L years old. and with her husband a
santa Fe engineer of Arkansas City.
was visiting relatives in North Topeka
MI and Mrs. Fleisher were married
less than two months ago.
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