, 1902-01-31
NOT HANG HIM
LYNchING NOT FEARED IN THE
WOODARD CASE At
CASPER.
Evidence Against Prisoner Said to be
SO Strong That He Cannot Escape
Convietion-WilI Reach Casper
Tonight or Tomorrow Morning
LaushabIe Incident Of the Chase
Confessed Killing Before His
Captive.

Casper, Wyo., Jan. ENLIGHTENMENT
over the capture of Charles W. Wood
ward, the alleged murderer of Sheriff
Kicker Of Natrona county, ear Bill
ings Sunday evening. is rapidly sub
siding. There Is less talk OF lynch and
more talk of letting the law take its
course. The best element Of the city
is against summary punishment being
melted out to Woodland, believing that
the stigma attaching from such an act
Of lawbreaking would react unfavor-
ably Upon the good name of the com
munity. Lynching is considered just
punishment for Woodland. but the evil
dence against him is said 10 be SO
strong that he cannot escape convic-
ton, in which case the death penalty
is sure to be imposed. Woodlands trial
will be rushed to a speedy conclusion.
and it seems more than probable that
he will expiate his horrible crime upon
the gallows.
The announcement made by Acting
Governor Chatterton that he would
prevent the lynching of Woodland
ever If he found it necessary to call
out the state militia, has not been
without effect Casper people do not
care to live under practically martial
law conditions and rather than have
the troops quartered here are willing
that Woodland be given a fair trial,
Woodland will probably be returned
here tonight or tomorrow morning.
The fact that Woodland was not
captured until he had led the pursu-
ing posses a merry chase, and then by
strangers, may be accounted for by the
invitations to hurry up and come on
which he kept sending back by those
he passed. 1t is said that in one of
two instances at least the pursuers
had no desire to get within range of
his rife.
During the long flight across Wyo-
ming and into South Dakota and Mon
tana Woodland alternately showed re-
markable nerve and weakness. At
one sheep camp he broke down and
cri i. like a child, but a short time af-
terward walked into a saloon, and,
picking up a newspaper, read a de-
scription Of himself and the offer Of
reward for his capture out loud to the
loungers and then announced that he
was Charles Woodland. Not a man
in the place had nerve enough to at
tempt to capture him, and he rode
away unmolested.
The pursuing posses furnished sew
eral laughable incidents. Shortly az
ter the chase was started a posse was
caught by night within sight Of a
ranch, but on the opposite side Of a
barbed wire fence. One man vas sent
ahead to look for a gate and the rest
of the party camped to await his re-
turn. It was almost dark when he
came back and in the dusk his com
panions did not recognize him. They
called him to halt and give his name.
He called out that he was Woods and
continued to approach.
Woods sounded like Woodland to the
members of the posse and Instantly
there was a wild scramble for guns
and shelter. Woods seeing what was
up, jumped from his horse and made a
run for . wagon for the same purpose.
Each seeing the supposed desperate
run to the wagon and catching sight of
the man on the other side at the same
instant, supposed that he was face to
face with the murderer and unslung
his guns. A tragedy was only averted
by n the men dropping to the ground
with the intention Of blowing the legs
off Of his antagonist. The intended vic
tim seeing the move shouted lip fright
and revealed his identity.