The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-28
FOUGHT ALL night
a LIST OF CASUALTIES IN THE GIL
MAN BATTLE.
W0MAN'S STOUT RESISTANCE.
SHE AND AN EMPLoYE DEFIED THE
ENRAGED MOB.

Medical Malpractice, Resulting In
the Death of Bessie SnIter, Made
the Basis of IA Warrant Issued for
Mrs. DIR. WriGht-Story of Her En-
fort to Resist Arrest-Two Killed
and -Four Wounded Results OF the
Heavy FusiIIades Exchanged.
Gilman IL, Aug. 1.-Two men killed,
three wounded, two of them perhaps fatal
ly, one woman wounded and her residence
burned, are the results of an ali-night
battle between u mob and Mrs DR.. C. w
Wright, who was accused of the murder
of Bessie Salter, the 16-year-old daughter
of a citizen of Gilman. The dead are:
John Myers. laborer, employed by Mrs
Wright
Michael Ryan, citizen, serving as dep
uty constable.
Fatally wounded
Lawrence Ryan, brother of Michael
Ryan, wounded in the abdomen.
George Willoughby. citizen shot through
left lung.
Mrs. DIR. C. w. Wright, shot through left
lung.
seriously wounded:
Peter Lauer, member of the citizens at
tacking party. shot through stomach.
A coroner's jury found Bessie Salter had
died Friday night in Mrs Wrghts lying
in hospital, and a warrant for Mrs
Wright's arrest was placed in the hands
of Constable Milstead, who went to Mrs
Wright's place on the outskirts of town
to serve it.
A number of deputies, gathered up in
the street, accompanied Constable Mil
stead Mrs. Wright barred the door
The ccnstabes broke the outer door open
and entered the darkened rooms Michael
Ryan felt his way across the first room
and was about to enter the inner apart
ment when a shot rang out and he fell
dead. The constables made a hurried exit
and formed a picket line around the buill-
ing. Al regular intervals they fired into
the building in the hope that the occu-
pants would surrender, but without sue
cess.
At o'clock the family of Michael Ryan
arrived, and the scenes of grief which
followed the arrival of Ryan's wife and
children fired the crowd with frenzy.
They seized dozens of bundles of straw,
saturated them with petroleum. piled
them against the front and sides of the
so-called hospital and applied the torch.
In a moment the place was mass of
flames. Shot after shot rang from the
upper windows, and George Willoughby
a local representative of the Standard
Oil Company, fell with a bullet in the
left side. The next victim was Peter
Lauer, a member of the attacking party
These casualties so angered the crowd
that they volleyed the house as fast as
they could load their firearms.
Contrary 10 expectation, no screams
followed the progress of the flames, and
the mob began to think that the in
mates of the burning house had been ere
mated.
Suddenly, from bunch of timber in the
rear, several shots came in the direction
of she mob They answered, a hundred 10
one, and the fire was quickly silenced
Members of the mob rushed to the tim
her, and, in the dim light Of the com
ing dawn, found the body of John My
ers, blacksmith, who had been EN-
ployed by Mrs Wright, stretched in the
death agony. He was shot in a dozen
places about the head and shoulders,
showing that he had been lying on his
face, firing at his enemies when he met
death.
Nearby lay Mrs. Wright, a ragged hole
in her right shoulder. She had been
wounded while lying down in the same
position as Myers. The mob carried her
20 town. jeering as they went. She was
taken 10 the Council chamber and later
to the jail. The mob Immediately dis
persed.
The Wright house was destroyed. with
its contents
Mrs. Wright is about 80 years OF age
II is stated that she was formerly an
actress.
The coroner's inquest over Myers and
Ryan resulted in a verdict of "death by
bullet wounds from parties unknown"
Mrs. Wright was held to the grand jury
with bail. The removal of Mrs. Wright
10 the Watseka Jail seems 10 have an
nulled all mob talk.
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