The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-20
MAD WYOMING MOB
,,uIs TWO PRISONERS AND A
DEFENDING DEPUTY.
ASSAULT UPON THE JAIL
CARRIED 1T AND PRISONERS WERE
AT MOB'S MERCY.

~, German, Who Murdered His
urother and Ran Away With His
Brother's Widow, and Man
Named walters, Also a Murderer,
We're the Prisoners hiIIed-Depu-
~ sheriff G. L. Pierce Was Shot
Through the Administrations TrOu-
HE With CattIemen Is Threatened.
Red Lodge, Mont, July 19.-Jim Cor
man. who killed his brother about
wear ago and ran off with his brothers
widow. and a man named Walters who
killed a widow named Hoover at Hot
springs two years ago, because she
refused to marry him, were lynched
at Basin, Wyo., to-day. c. E. Pierce, a
deputy sheriff, was killed during the
attack on the Jail.
state of lawlessness now prevails
in Northern Wyoming, as a result Of
which all law and order seems to have
been abolished.
From President Moffatt of the Mon
tana and Wyoming Telephone Com
pany, who is now making a tour of
inspection of his companys lines, comes
the news of the lynching and of an
appeal for help from Sheriff Fenton, of
Big Horn county, who has arrested a
number of prominent cattlemen near
Thermopolis, and has appealed to the
Governor of Wyoming for assistance
of the militia in getting his prisoners
TO the basin.
Hid His PrisOnera
1t was reported to Sheriff Fenton
last Wednesday morning that a mob
was coming up to Basin from Hats
vile and Tonslip to lynch German and
i Walters, and the sheriff took these two
men and a horse thief from Jail and
secreted them in a gulley near town,
under guard of Deputy Sheriffs Aston
and Pierce.
German managed to slip his hand
cuffs and make his escape. He swan
the Big Horn river, an unprecedented
feat, and made for the mountains. A
4 posse was quickly organized and Cor
man was recaptured early yesterday
morning about fifty miles from Basin.
Last night a mob of about fifty I'M
masked men rode up the east bank
a of the Big Horn and compelled the
n ferryman to carry them across the
$ river They made no demonstration
& until they entered Basin, when five
shots were fired as warming.
Fired Into the Jail.
The mob proceeded at once. to the
county Jail and fired a volley into it.
8 Deputy Pierce and Special Deputy
s Meade were guarding the prisoners at
the time One bullet grazed Meade's
shoulder and entered Pierce's heart.
Members of the mob then tore up
the telephone poles and battered the
Jail doors down They first came to
Walters, who was crouched in his cell,
less torture was resorted to. Walters
was shot instantly.
The mob next found German, whose
body was pierced by five bullets. and
he was left, presumably dead. He
fingered, however until this forenoon.
CattIemen Up in Arms.
A still more alarming state of affairs
is reported from the vicinity of Their
mopolis. About six weeks ago, as
result of the range feud that has been
so bitterly waged, a sheepman, Ben
Minnick, was killed by cattlemen. The
Sheriff, it is asserted, has captured the
murderers, who are all prominent cat
tlemen, and whose names have been
withheld, owing to threats made
against the sheriff.
Sheriff Fenton is unable to get his
8 prisoners to Basin. 1t is said that the
same mob that lynched German and
Walters are sympathizers and have
declared Eat Sheriff Fenton will never
get out q ''o locality alive with his
Prisoners
Sheriff Fenton has wired the Cover
nor OF Wyoming for permission to use
me state militia at Lander. and has
also sent telephone message to Basin
ana other towns. asking for volunteers
70 assist HIM in upholding the law.
everywhere hardy Westerners are
responding to the CALL arming them
serves and fastening to Thermopolis.
~ probable the militia Will be or
uered to the scene, and a bloody bat
We may be fought. The country about
ihopolis is q wild and lawless one.
ne last message from Sheriff Fen
s0iI' Which was received this morning,
s sns That he still held the prisoners,