The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-28
DEATHS OF FOUR
MEN AND A BOY
LynChing in California Is Not to
Be Avenged by the Law.
ALL TRY TO SET THEM FREE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY CoNSPIRES
TO PREVENT CONVICTION.

IN
Il remarkable criminal trial in the
history of California was ended
today, when the jury in the case of
James w. Brown brought in verdict
of acquittaL Two ballots were taken.
On the first, one juror was for convic-
ton and one voted blank.
Shortly after l O'clock on the morn
inG of May 81 last four men and a
boy were lynched from the two bridges
which span the Pitt river at Lookout,
in Modoc county The men hanged by
the lynchers were Calvin Hall, an old
man, "A years of age; his half-b
sons, Jim and Frank Hall; Dan Yantis.
a white man. and Martin Wilson, a 10
year-old Indian boy.
The victims of the mob were held as
prisoners at Myers hotel in Lookout,
pending their preliminary hearing for
petty larceny The county officials
showed no disposition whatever TO
trace the authors of the outrage.
Attorney General Takes 1t Up.
Attorney General TREY L. Ford sent
Assistant Attorney General Charles L.
Post and Deputy Attorney General
George Sturtevant to Alturas to work
county peace officials did everything in
their power to Illustrate Post and
Sturtevant in their mission, according
them no assistance whatsoever in their
investigation.
The grand jury was in session when
Post and his assistant arrived at Al
turas, and the inquiry into the Lookout
lyEching was followed into such fruit
full channels that the grand jury found
indictments against Deputy Constable
James w. Brown, Bob LeventOn and
Isom Fades Petitions, numerously
signed, were sent to District Attorney
Bonner, requesting a dismissal of the
indictments against the accused men,
and that official addressed a commu-
nicatiOn to Attorney General Ford. re-
questing permission to dismiss the in
dictments. The attorney general, in a
scathing reply, severely rebuked the
district attorney, and the officials of
ModOc county for the great laxity dis
played by them in the prosecution Of
the lyncheTs and expressed his deter
mination to bring the guilty parties to
justice.
Many Witnesses Summoned.
After the indictment of Brown, Fades
and Bob Leventon the grand jury met
from time to time and continued its
inquiry into the lynching. Practically
every resident of Lookout and vicinity
was subpoenaed to appear before that
body.
On the second day of January OF
this year John Hutton, who had APP
peared before the grand jury and who
had denied to that body any knowl-
edge of the affair. confessed to As
slstant Attorney General Post. In his
confession Hutton implicated Claude
Morris, IsOm Eades James w. Brown,
Robert L. LeYentOn, J. J. Potter, A. l.
Colburt, William J. McDaniels, Henry
KEOZ, Louis POlmanteer. Jervis Kresge
Sam Parks, L. S. Trowbridge, Orrin
Trowbridge, Fred Roberts, Harry Rob-
erts. J. r, Myers Justice of the peace
of Lookout township, r. L. Nichols
and Joseph w. Leventon.
A few days after Hutton made his
confession Claude Morris made full
breast Of his completely in the lynch
ing to Post. On the strength of these
confessions. which N the main details
( were cOrroborative Of each other. the
grand jury returned indictments
against the men named. with the ex-
ceptiOn of the last eight mentioned.
Great difficulty was experienced in
obtaining a trial jury. seventy eight
taleSmen being examined before the
| jury was impaneled. The work of Sc
curing the jury commenced on the 18th
day Of November and was not COM
pleted until the 9th day of December
| Two days later the taking of evidence
in the case of James w. Brown, who
was the first of the accused men to BIZ
/ placed on trial, commenced. He was
| charged with the murder of Martir
/ Wilson. Pie trial of Brown has pro
| ceeded almost uninterruptedly since
/ Dec. IL. 1t was notable for the fire.
I quent clashes between Judge Harring-
/ ton and the counsel for the defense
| Each Of the counsel for the defense
/ was adjudged guilty of contempt many
/ times and sent to Jail and fined