Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-02-21
JUST ESCAPED
BEING LYNCHED.
Vigilance Of officers All That Saved
"SIick" Slater
ASSAULTED YOUNG WOMAN
Captured by the sheriff Mob After
Him-Wan Was Removed from
the County JAN.

Topeka, Kan, Feb, 20,--The vigilance
Of the officers was all that saved
Slick Slater from lynching by an In
furlated mob tonight, He viii yet be
lynched If he can be found,
Slater assaulted seventeen-year-ol
Lotte Gerberlok Monday evening, and
was captured by the Topeka officers the
next day in Carbonate. The officers
kept the fact of the capture quiet, and
placed Salter in the county Jail here,
This afternoon It became known that
he was here, and Immediately the Santa
Fe shopmen, of whom the assaulted
girls father, George Gerberick, is one,
decided that he should be lynched,
They at once sent a committee to
watch the jail. while they quietly ar
ranged the details of the expected
lynching
BY o'clock there was an angry mob
OF 100 around the county Jail, demand
ing that the prisoner be delivered to
them. A brigade of sturdy Santa Fe
boilermakers, armed with heavy
sledge- hammers, stood ready to make
short work OF the jail in case the de-
mands were not granted
Sheriff Cook told the crowd that the
prisoner had been removed and Of
fered to let a committee search the Jail
Ten men, headed by George Gerberick
made thorough search, but Slater
could not be found They returned and
told the mob, but that failed to satisfy
them and twice they started TO break in
the Jail doors.
II developed that early In the after
noon the sheriff, In anticipation Of
trouble, ordered deputy to get Slater
out Of town. He was ordered not to
leave him in Jackson county or take
him to Leavenworth. The deputy drove
to Hoyt with Slater and entered a
Orthbound Rock Island train with him.
II Is thought here tonight that Slater
Is now in Jail at Atchison.
The Santa Fee shopmen are calmly
determined to lynch Slater when he Is
brought back for trial, They have APP
pointed large vigilance committee to
be constantly On the lookout, and VOW
that Slater will never leave Topeka
alice.
The Santa Fe shopmen have a past
record In cases OF this kind They
lynched John 0llphant twelve years
ago for a like offense. Slater is white
and 2S years bf age.
The county jail, which the lynchlng
party visited in search Of Slater, Is
the same one in which Mrs. Nation Is
confined Mrs. Nation was much
alarmed at the course Of the evening $
events. but fear for herself did not once
enter her mind as far as outward APP
| pearances went.
The law-enforcement army met at
the First Christian church tonight, and
on hearing Of the projected attack on
the jail, Immediately sent a message Ia
| Sheriff Cook, saying that 800 Of the
| members OF the law-enforcement or
ganization would Immediately oe on the
| spot to help protect the Jail from the
| fury of the mob. This evidence OF
| loyalty on the part Of her followers
| highly pleased Mrs Nation, and she
expressed her loyalty OF them in UNI
measured terms.
Mrs. Nation said that the action OF
the enforcement people proved that
| they were Just what they claimed Ia
| be-people anxious for the enforcement
Of law, and who would not endure the
sight of a lynching being perpetrated
| here In Topeka. Mrs, Nation was
| pleased that the officers managed tc
get Slater away from the fury Of the
| mob, so that he can receive his punish
ment in the manner prescribed by law