Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-08-31
scandal ENDS N TRAGEDY
Terrible Battle in an Illinois Town
Between Officers and a Woman
and Her Sympatbizers.
TWO ARE DEAD, OTHERS WOUNDED.
a Young Girl Had Died In tho LyIng-in
Hospitai of Mrs. Wright, . Former Ac-
tress, and tho Nefghbors Wore In
censed That = Mob Was Orgsnized to
Clean Ont the Place.

perhaps fatally; one woman probably
fatally wounded and her residence
burned, are the results of an all-night
battle between mob and Mrs. DIR. c..
". Wright, who was accused of the
murder of Bessie Salter, the 16-year-
old daughter of citizen of Leonard.
Early in the evening the first act of
the tragedy was enacted. Officer
Nilestead went to the house on the
outskirts of the town occupied by Mrs.
Wright, to serve a warrant sworn out
after the coroner's jury had declared
her guilty of murder. A number of
deputies gathered upon the street ac-
companied Nilestead. Mrs. Wright
barred the doors and in forcing an
entrance the constables encountered
unexpected opposition. They broke
the outer door open and entered the
darkened rooms. Michal 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 constables
made hurried exit and formed a
picket line around the building. At
regular intervals they fired into the
building in the hope that the occu-
pants would surrender, but without
success. Finally it was determined to
set fire to the building. The recent
rains had so dampened it's timbers
that the fire would not catch and after
burning some outbuildings the posse
gave up the attempt and fell back
to their original plan of driving out
Mrs. Wright. A mob of probably $50
people had gathered. Most of them
were armed. 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 hos
pital and applied the torch. In a mo-
ment the place was mass of flames.
Shot after shot rang from the upper
windows, and George Willoughby, a To-
cal representative of the Standard
Oil company, fell with bullet in his
left side. The next victim was Peter
Hauer, a member of the attacking
party. These casualties so angered
1 the crowd that they vol1eyed 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 of timber in the rear
several shots came in the direction o1
the mob. They were 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, blacksmith
who had been employed by Mrs
Wright, stretched in the death agony
He was shot in dozen places about
the head and shoulders, showing that
he had been lying on his face, firing
at his enemies when he met his
death. Near by lay Mrs. Wright, s
ragged hole in her shoulder. The
mob carried her down town, jeerins
as they went. She was taken to tn.
council chamber and physicians en-
deavored to resuscitate her. 1t !.
probable she will die. The mob i'm
mediately dispersed. 1T had bee1f re
ported that there were three men il
the house besides Mrs. Wright, bu
J. they were not found. The hous,
was destroyed with it's contents.
Mrs. DIR. Wright was about so years
old. 1t is stated that she was for
merly an actress. For some time sh
has been conducting a lying-in hos
pital on the outskirts of Gilman. TIL
death of Bessie Salter in the hous
last Friday, and the later verdict o
the coroner's jury Saturday cause'
the issuance of warrant for her az
rest, which resulted in the wholesai
shooting and probable death of tn
: principal.