The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-12
FER SWEENEYLYNCHED
telephone Pole When He Ar.
= rived at Port Arthur.
| nib BEEN ACQUITTED OF MURDER
.mont and Went Back To Port
10 acct Even with Two
of the witnesses.

,,.,s Messenger pulled into the depot
saturday night 1t was met by about
!, tbe coolest, most orderly crowd of
Lars that ever sought the life blood
sllowman.
r.y men knew that Peter Sweeney
!. sboard that train and he was the man
by wanted
vssk ago Sweeney stabbed and killed
ID Kunbach- He was at once arrested
d taken to Beaumont, a special session
he grand jury was convened, an indlct-
,,oi returned and Sweeney was placed on
II, saturday; he was acquitted.
Ne made immediate preparations to re-
IN here although he was advised not to
several members of the court.
The knife that he killed Kumbach with
4, returned to him and fifteen minutes
)HffWalds NC s"Vip 'hae nc "ouiu coHie
ak here and kill two of the witnesses
.ho gave evidence against him at Beau
bont
Partlss coming in on the train say
Sweeney swore like a trooper all the way
hon Beaumont and said he would show
/. people OF Port Arthur a few things.
When the train stopped at the depot 1t
ms met BY the crowd OF determined men
ID as Sweeney stepped from the train
10 men stepped up beside him and told
bin to come along, he was wanted.
At first be made some resistance, but
khs crowd closed around him and pushed
kn along and after short struggle he
ave In.
Mt man In the crowd wore a mask Of
boy description.
Electric light plant, but the crowd evil
Esntly changed their mind after going u
pays and returned to the corner of Hous-
loo avenue and Fifth street,
Some one had procured a rope in the
heaniime and or this corner the men pre-
pared 10 swing Sweeney.
The Moose was made and the end OF the
pope thrown over the guy wires of a tele-
krlph pole and Sweeney was swung in the
bIr
The rope proved TO be rotten and broke,
letting the man fall. 1t was quickly tied
together again, however. and he was
hplsted once more.
i was found that the rope would no.
k'ha the mans full weight, so another
fVpe was tied to his feet and tied behind
Pm to post a few feet away. thus leav-
Pc his body about foot from the ground
ssndsian angle of about forty-fve degrees
After Sweeney was pronounced dead tho
fuosd quietly dispersed.
There was no loud noise or talking Of
Esry kind
The only words heard were: I'VE must
Pave justice
At $50 this morning Acting Coroner
eolfman cut the body down and held an
FnAuest over the body.
lhe verdict was quickly rendered and
INs that deceased came to his death by
Eaanslng at the hands of parties unknown. ="
ipe body was then removed to the sam .
F0on where he committed the murder a
Ftlle over week ago and dressed for
burial
h Was taken quietly from the room
|'aaut 1880 and buried in the cemetery
|a0rlh Of town.
@serrices whatever we're held and no
III except the undertaken and assistants
'alosed the remains to the cemetery.
sweeney belonged to the local Cotton
sassmen's and Longshoremen's unions,
|'a they both refused to have anything TO
% with the case.
Public sentiment strongly justihes the
tathing
sntfifi Thomas II. Lsngham and corps
! equities arrived here from Beaumont
~ afternoon TO investigate and try and
'ppfshend the guilty parties.
oeaumont, Texas, February 11.-Sherift
Angaam returned from Port Arthur al
O'Clock this afternoon, having in custody
prominent citizen of Port Arthur. He
- been put in Jail but it can not be
''sned that charges have been preferred
asalnst him.
Nuzens who went to Port Arthur this
-1n'ns also returned at o'clock. They
~ y was impossible to find man who
,-'Sopaied In the lynching or one who
!, any member Of the lynching party
,Sue couid be found, either, who con-
slnea the act. Sweeney seems TO have
regarded by the entire community
~, dangerous character and the general
s,.ssslon Is that II he had not been
Az dealt with either he or some
~. einzen Of Port Arthur would have
~. violent death before daylight TINS
NJ. Wing The conductor OF the train on
M, sweeney returnsd to Port Arthur
a., algnt says that Sweeney told him
mi. ae was returning for the purpose Of
=, q TWO or more mea, and he would
ssss 1sal before he was twenty-four hours
d ~ Nv arthur evidently has no apologize
,ouls Tor the lynehing and no citizen
All. FOUND today who spoke OF the
iIls oeher chan to deplore the neces-
si,S,sor's are that Sweeney met his fate
s,,s, Indifference that bordered on in-