New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-09
4 CLOSE CALL.
ONLY AN ACCIDENT LED THE LYNCHING PARTY
TO INVESTIGATE.


From The New-Orleans Times Democrat
An officer often has to risk his life to protect
prisoner remarked an old railroad detective
last evening, but generally little strategy will
OuIWIt mob. The queerest ease Of that kind l
ever heard Of happened years ago, out in Colo
RADIO al place called CarhonyfIIe II was
pretty tough mining camp, and one night, in
brawl, the town marshal was shot dead by
stranger in the place and managed TO escape;
but the marshal had been very popular, and the
miners swore- AL kinds of vengeance. About
week later a couple OF deputy sheFIns captured
Connors at pIace-some thirty miles away and
decided to take him TO the next county seat for
safe keeping. The road ran through CarbonVIlle.
and the news of the arrest had already
reached that camp and stirred il to fever pitch,
they calculated very CORRECTLY that there was
likely to be trouble when they showed up At
last one Of the deputies. d reckless sort OF chap
named Jake Higgins, suggested a scheme I
lock a deal like ConnOrs, he said, and those
folks over there hardly know him. suppose l
play prisoner. while send officer with our
man through town by a back road They amt
going 10 hang me right away sudden, and while
they are pOWwOwing about il COnnOrs viii be
through and gone Then can tell en- who
am. snow EN- our badges and papers, have the
laugh on the gang and follow on behind This
brilliant idea, which would have occurred TO
nobody but scatter Drained lUuatic like Hig-
gins, was promptly adopted He was hand
cuffed put in wagon between TWO deputies,
and the real prisoner brought up the rear with
another officer IN a buggy.
1t was about dusk when the wagon reached
Carbonviue.' continued the detective. and. Just
as they had expected a crowd Of tough citizens
were IL waiting. They promptly held up the
team. and the spokesman told the officers that
the good citizens of the camp had decided il
wasn't worth while TO waste any money giving
COnnOTs d regular trial. The only thing that was
needed. he said, was a short piece Of hemp, and
they brought a section Of shaft rope, all ready
for the ceremony. The deputy began 10 eXpostu-
late TO gain time, but they cut him short and
started to drag Higgins out Of the wagon while
some Of the others threw the loose end Of the
rope over nearby limb. That looked critical,
and the deputy got ratified. Hold on, boysH he
yelled this isn't the man" And with that he
blurted out the whole story as fast as his tongue
could Wag. AS they might have anticipated, if
they had had any sense, the explanation was re-
ctived with jeers You see, COnnOrs ha been
in camp only few hours before he got into the
stranger in that locality, so it was easy to con-
fuse them, especially they really did look
lively that the deputy was the real murderer,
and they simply laughed al his papers and star.
It's too thin said the leader; wei give you
couple Of minutes TO say your prayers, and then
Up you goH At that stage, when HIggIns's life
wasn't worth an cid button, miner came rush
ing up with the news that two men had been
badly hurt in a runaway on the edge Of camp,
and that Of them handcuffed. That
ings TO investigate II seemed that the other
officer with the bona fde prisoner had attempted
TO cur around town at top speed and ran the
buggy into little gulch. he had ms collar
bone broken. and CCnnOrS fractured his leg.
When they carried them into bar il was seen
at once that there had been a mistake, and,
somehow other, the idea that they had come
within an OF sUringing up the wrong man
took all the lynching spirit out OF the mob
Connors was allowed 10 go through spent six
months in Jail got a change OF venue and was
became Of him. Higgins died year. or so ago
That's true story. boys, and the very closest
call in my memory.