The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-28
woMAN's DESPERATE DEFENCE
Coustabes Sent to Arrest Mrs Dr. Wright to
Meet Bullets.
(By the Associated Press.)

Gilman, Ills, August 27.-Two men
killed. three wounded, two of them per-
haps fatally wounded. and her residence
burned are the results of an all night
battle between a mob and Mrs. DR.. C. w.
Wright, who was accused of the murder
of Bessie Salter,, the 16-year-old daughter
of citizen of Gilman.
The dead are:
Mrs. Wright.
MICHAEL RYAN, citizen, serving as
deputy constable.
The fatally wounded are:
LAWRENCE RYAN, brother of the
dead man, wounded in the abdomen.
GEORGE WILLOUGHBY, citizen, shot
through left lung.
MRS. DR. C. w. WRIGHT, shot through
the right shoulder, the bullet taking a
downward course.
Seriously wounded:
PETER LAUER, member of the citizens
attacking rarty, shot through stomach
A ooroner's jury found Bessie Salter had
died Friday night in Mrs. Wrght's lying
in hospital and a warrant for Mrs.
Wright's arrest was placed in the hands
CT Constable Milstead who went to Mrs.
Wright's place on the outskirts of town
to serve :t.
A number of deputies gathered up in
the street, ACCOMPANIED Constable Mil
stead. Mrs. Wright barred the door, The
conStables broke the outer door open and
entered the rooms. Michael Ryan felt
his way across the first room and was
about to enter the door of the inner
apartment when a shot rang out and he
fell dead. The constable made hurried
exit and formed a picket line around the
building.
At regular intervals they fired into the
building in the hope that the occupants
would surrender, but without success.
About O'Clock the family of Michael
Ryan arrived and the scene 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 a mass OF
flames. Shot after shot rang from the
upper windows, and George Willoughby,
local representative of the Standard
Oil Company fell with a bullet in the
left side. The next victim was Petvr
Lauer, a member of the attacking party.
These casualties so angered the crowd
that they vollied the house as fast as they
could load their fire arms.
Contrary to expectations no screams
followed the progress of the flames and
the mob began to think that the inmates
of the burning house had been cremated.
Suddenly from a bunch CT timber in the
IN, fhn ION
Of the mob, they answered a hundred to
one, and the fire was quickly silenced.
Members of the mob rushed to the timber,
and in the dim light of the coming dawn
found the body of John Myers, black
smith, who had been employed 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 enc
mics when he met death.
Nearby lay Mrs. Wright, ragged hole
in her right shoulder. She had been
wounded while lying down in the same
position as Myers. The mob carried her
down town, ieering as they went. She
was taken to the council chamber and
later to the Watzke jail. The mob imrne-
diately dispersed.
The Wright house was destroyed with
it's contents.
Mrs. Dr. Wright is about so years old.
1t is stated that she was formerly an
actress.
The eoroner's inquest over Myers ard
Ryan resulted in verdict of death ~
bullet wounds from parties unkn 'wn.
Mrs Wright is held to the grand jury
without bail.
The removal of Mrs. Wright to the
Watzke Jail seems to have annulled all
mob talk.