The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-28
WOODWARD
IS LYNCHED
Incensed People Could Not
Brook Laws Delay in
His Case.
Wyoming Cattlemen Help to
Hang Sheriff Ricker's
Brutal Murderer.

Casper, Wyoming, March o. Charles
Francis Woodward, the condemned muir
derer Of Sheriff William c. Kicker, was
hanged early to-day by an Infatuated mob
Of twenty-four men.
Under cover of darkness an organiza-
ton was formed during the night. Crowds
began to gather in the vicinity OF the
Jail early in the evening.
About 8 o'clock the mob descended on
the Jail and the leaders demanded the
keys Of the sheriff. He refused to give
them up, and the crowd then secured
sledges and hammers and beat down the
jail door. =.
Hanged Himself.
Once inside the jail, rope was quick
ly thrown around Woodward's neck and
he was roughly dragged from the build
ing. He was taken to the scaffold which
aad been erected for his legal execution.
Some one pushed him on to the trap but
he gave a(leap before the trap could be
sprung. and fell off from the gallows.
hanging himself. Less than half an hour
was occupied in the hanging. Much ex-
element prevailed, but little was said.
Woodward attempted to talk to the lead
ers, but they refused to hear him.
Several hundred sheep and cattle
men came to town during the day yester-
DAY and every corner was the scene of a
discussion of the reprieve granted by the
supreme court. :
After the lynchtng the mob dispersed
and the greater part of those from out OF
town left for their homes
Woodward's Crime.
The crime for which Charles Francis
n 6NypTs
was committed on the evening of Jan.
last at Woodward's ranch, near Garfield
Peak in the Rattlesnake mountains, sew
enty-tlve miles west of Casper, when he
shot to death and muti1ated the body Oh
Sheriff William c. Kicker, OF Natrona
county. =.
Woodward, with his wife Bertha and
Brother, Clarence. weS arrested last No
vember on the charge of stealing clothing
and provisions from a ranch. It was al
legged that Woodward's ranch was the
headquarters of band of cattle and horse
thieves. At the preliminary trial Ber-
tina Woodward was released from custody.
The two brothers were held to the dis
trict court, but were unable to furnish
bonds. On the night of Dec. 80, 1901, they
sawed off the bars of their cells and got
away. At the stock yards east of town
Charles Woodward secured pistol which
had been placed there by friend. Near
Casper he stole horse and rode to his
ranch, reaching there on the evening OF
Jan. 2, 1902. Instead of finding friends
ready to assist him he found Sheriff
Kicker and two deputies at the house
waiting for him. He went to the barn
Intending to abandon his horse and steal
one from the sheriff. He mounted one OF
the horses and was ready to ride away
when the sheriff came out Of the house
and ordered him to surrender. Wood
ward Instantly shot the sheriff through
the body; mortally wounding him. He
then, it is said, went to the dying man
and struck him in the face with his six
shooter. He took $45 out of the officer S
pockets and rode off.
He was captured by posse several
weeks afterwards near Billings, Mont,
and brought back to Casper. He admit
ted the killing and was convicted and
sentenced to hang to-day. Last Tuesday
the supreme court granted stay of exc
cution which would have given Wood
ward at least three months more of life.