The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-10-05
MADE QUICK;
WORK OF IT
Mob Had No Trouble Reach
ing Brady
BIG SLEDGE HAMMER
Made Short Work of the Jail Door.-Jailoi
Offered No Resistance Brady
Proclaimed Innocence.
BIG SLEDGE HAMMER

The following graphic description
of the lynching which took place in
Helena last Wednesday has been re-
ceivel:
The lynching was the best organ
lied and most orderly affair on rec
ord. The crowd gathered quietly. In
,.mations that there was something
brewing were given out early in the
evening, but there was no loud talk
no cursing of the prisoner as there
had been the night before, and those
who were not supposed to be aware
OF what was going on thought that
public feeling had abated somewhat,
and that the law would be allowed 10
lake its course. The only thing 10
cause any suspicion whatever was
that at Midnight there were many men
on the streets, men who are in the
habit of retiring early
Shortly after l o'clock large num-
Der of men could be seen walkink
down Main street. They were going
in groups Of two ana three, and no
body seemed to know where they
were going. When they reached the
Haymarket, everybody. by apparent
general consent, stopped and waited
for more to come. They still came,
and by $40 ther were, approximate
ly, 100 people in the crowd. Leaders
soon appeared and The crowd seemed
willing to follow them. Two men in
the crowd carried ropes. another car
riei large sledge hammer. AS the
crowd started up Main street and
turned up Seventh avenue, there We're
some who wanted to raise a whOop in
order to raise more. Word was
quietly passed along the line that
everything was to- be quiet-not a
word was to be said.
BY the time the crowd reached War
rem street, several had begun to tie
handkerchiefs about their faces, and
this action was followed ny others
ana soon the entire party was masked
in this fashion. They reached Ewing
street, and up the street toward the
court house they marched, two and
three abreast, with the men with the
ropes and axes in the lead.
When the crowd reached the JAIL II
had formed rather close, as several
of those in front walked up the big
stone steps which form the main en-
trance to the Lewis and Clarke coun.
ty jail. Others, by what was appar-
emily a mere coincidence, stationed
themselves at each corner of the jail
10 see that any effort to steal the
prisoner out by the back way was not
successful
One of the leaders pressed the big
electric door bell on the big hard
wood front door. 1t seemed that he
pressed it for a long time, and there
was no answer. Inside the little call
bell could be heard ringing family
through the stone walls, but aside
from this everything was as still as
tomb. Not a word was spoken as
the crowd expected each minute to see
The jailer open the door. AS the bell
continued to ring, and there came nc
response, the crowd finally grew i'm
patient
Break the door down. shouted
someone.
The leader reached for the big
sledgehammer which had been
brought up by some thoughtful per
son.
Crack" went the hammer as the
strong man welded it against the
door. The door never budged, and
.ne hammering was continued for
| minute or two, but minutes seem
mighty long in times like that, and the
| crowd grew impatient. Someone sug
gested getting telephone pole and
battering down the loor in that way
No telephone pole seemed available
and a less determined crowd would
have given up the attempt. Someone
suggested cutting the telephone wires
to prevent the imprisoned jailer call
| ing for ald but this suggestion die
not meet with favor.
let me have that hammer" The
man who spoke was masked, but who
| ever he was he was big man, and
as he took the hammer, everyone fell
hat something would happen.
The first blow he dealt the dool
seemed to have effect. The ioo1
sprung and a stream of hight shont
| through for an instant. Blow aftel
blow was dealt, and it was clearly ap
parent that the door would not las
much longer at that rate, and it die
not.
! They had battered down, or, rather
had forced the big oak and irol
bound door, and were then ready tt
batter down the light door that leads
directly into the Jail Office. Jailo
Mahrt knew they would have it dow
in a second, and he swung it open
still leaving the grated iron door clos
ed and locked. He had not more thai
opened the door when two revolver
were showed into his face and he wa
ordered to open the door quickly o
he would be shot He was at tn
mercy of the mob, or he must shoot t
kill. AMI then not save the prisoner
for he knew that the crowd cOul,