The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-10-19
ChiIeOOt Dan Tells His
Experience and
Sensations
Was Hanged BY a Mob, but
Cut Down After Being
Three Minutes In
The Air

Alaska has the title q being the onl
man on the Pacific coast who wa
lynched by a mob and yet lives to tel
Of his strange and terrible experience
Dan was left for dead by the enrage,
citizens Of Unga Islnand and whel
life was almost extinct one Of the mel
who helped to string him up repented
slipped back to the scene of the lynch
ing and cut the rope. Dams Iiml
body fell to the ground and fo
some time the victim of the vigilantei
remained unconscious. When he cam,
r. he was In an Indian hut being cared
for by a native Alaskan.
Dan told his story to the men Of
the Alaskan Packers Association, the
feet OF which concern recently return
ed to San Francisco, and to the
writer. He was not remorseful at
having been charged with the crime
ca robbery by the Unga Islanders
and denied the charges stating that
he was entirely innocent OF wrong
doing. The evidence against him,
however, is declared TO have been con.
elusive.
Captain Peter Larsen" commenced
Dan, owns a saloon at Unga and is
one of the principle business men Of
that section. Unga is lively during
the fishing season and number Of
pretty tough characters are frequently
found there. I got mixed up with some
Of these and the better element Of the
settlement gave me a hard name sim
ply because they knew that had had
some trouble at Nome. Larsen re.
cognized me and told a lot Of the
fishermen that was a thief and TO
look out for me. This | denied and
then tried TO go about my business.
but they kept after me all the while
and seemed determined to drive me
out Of town
zone evening when a big crowd
had been drinking at Larsen's bar
Larsen suddenly shouted that he had
been robbed. He claimed that | had
entered his private room In the rear
Of the saloon and taken $4,000 from
his coin sack. l was seized and hur-
ried out Of the place by half a dozen
men and taken 20 cabin nearby
where a guard was placed over me
and was told that II made a protest
! would be put out OF the way.
"a crowd gathered-I think about
two hundred men we're there-and
hurried away to an outskirt Of
the place and halted in front CT a
tree over which had been thrown a
rope. In a trice they had the moose
around my neck and were dragging
ne on my feet. felt a fearful pain
m the throat and my head seemed 10
lGve been severed from my body. !
My breath was, OF course. cut short
md though my eyes were wide open !
could distinguish nothing about me
lut a confusion OF shadows and an
mass OF bright spots
my limbs commenced 10 con.
ract. My arms we're tied behind my
'ack and could feel them being for
ed toward my shoulders until the
ords cut into the flesh. My lower
lmbs were drawn mp until my knees
we're on a line with my breast; the
'ower OF control would then suddenly
cave them and the body would as.
ume an upright position again.
Il cannot tell how often this per,
was repeated but do
now that during the first minute of
ny suspension suffered intense
gony The pain was as n a power
m creature had my head in his
rRsp and was trying to wrench il
,rm the trunk by twisting il first TO
ne side and then the other Sharp
aims, like knife thrusts. were felt
4 tbs chest and hack The lower
mbs did not seem TO have much feel, /
,g but this ! suppose was because OF
he terrible suffering OF the upper /
art OF my body which was SO agon.
ling that Il deprived me OF the !
over OF feeling else.
ION sudden l ceased 70 feel at
H. The relief came instantaneously.
was dimly conscious OF life but
semed 10 be falling through space at
n Increasing speed The feeling
lat followed this peculiar stage OF
y ebhlng vitality was almost identi
Al % that which a man feels when he
Ia a dreamy sleep I had lost an
ontroi over my mind and il evoived