The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-29
LYNCHINC IN WYOMING
CONDEMNED MURDERER HANG
 ED DY 4 MOB.
Charles F. Woodward Was to Have Been Executed Today-Stay
 Granted by Court Fails to Save His Life.

Casper, Wyo., March 8.--Charles Fran cis Woodward. the condemned murderer of Sheriff William C. Kicker, was hanged early today by an infuriated mob of 2oc men. Cnder cover of darkness an organ ization was formed during the night. Crowds began to gather in the vicinity of the jail early in the evening.
 About 3 o'clock the mob descended on the jail and the leaders demanded the keys of the sheriff. He refused to give number of sledse hammers and beat down the jail ,i05r. Once inside the jail, rope was quickly thrown around Wood- wards neck and he was roughly dragged from the butidina He was taken 2 block
 Before the drop Woodward began mak. He said:
 ga sage s to 'nr my b blessed @ iittie wife. love her dearly and want you to tell her that. I pray that you will have the papers
 Il pray for you. Charles Kicker. and against Sheriff Kicker. never in Gods world. I never meant to shoot him For Gods sake don't choke me to death. Oh" and ther Woody ard leaped of be-
 
 Sheriff Tubbs this morning found pin- ned to the scaffold this note. reading as follows: The process of the law is . little slow. This is the road you will all have to travel Murderers and thugs. be- No one could be found. today who could identify any member of the mob. Woodward was sentenced to be hanged at Casper today for the murder of sher- in Kicker. but a stay of execution was granted by the Supreme Court last Tues day which would have given him three months more of life.
 The crime for which Charles Franei, fife was committed on the evening of January ? last at Woodward's raucn near Garfeld Peak. in the Rattlesnske Mountains. seventy-fvc miles west of Casper. when he shot to death anc C. Kicker of Nacona County.
 Woodward, with his wife Bertha and brother Clarence. were arrested last Ncvennber on the charge of stealing clothing and provisions at ranch. IL was alleged that Woodward's ranch waa the headquarters of band of cattle and hc rse thieves. At the preliminary trial Bertha Woodward was released from cus- trict Court, but were unable to furnish bend.
 On the night of December si. 1901. they sawed the bars off their windows and CcllS ana got out. AL the SLoCk var us east of town Charles Woodward secured d pistol which had been placed there by a friend.
 Near Casper he stole a horse and rode to his ranch. reaching there on the even- ing of January ?, 1902.
 Instead of finding friends ready to as. sist him he found Sheriff Kicker and two deputies at the house who were look ing for him. He went to the barn infend. ing to aband ,n his horse and steal one cf the officers animals. It was o'clock TIT m the evening and was quite dark He mounted one of the Sheriff's horses and was ready to ride away when the Sher. fir came out of the house and approaching the barn ordered him to surrender. Woodward instantly shot the Sherin through the body and the officer fell to the ground mortally wounded. Woodward then, 1t Is said went to the dying man and struck him in the face with hi, his s.., six pocket and rode off He was captured by a posse sever,l weeks afterward near Billings, Mont. md brought back to Gas per. He admitted the killing and was con- victed and sentenced to hang today.