The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-07-24
METE
OUT PUNISHMENT
sheriffs and Courts Are Not
Given a Chance in Nor
thern Wyoming.
TWO MEN ARE LYNcHED
He,s Both Murderers and Despsradoes
and the Mob Broke Into the Jail,
Killing q Deputy and Then
Quickly Shot Prisoners.

D0llo, hO1lt.s July ll.-A SpeCldA "
the Miner from Red Lodge, Mont,
says:
Jim German, who killed his brother
about a year ago and ran off with his
brothers wife,, and q man named Wal
ters, who killed a widow named Hoover
at h Hot Springs W. years ago be-
cause she refused to marry him. were
killed by a mob at Basin. Wyo.. early
Sunday morning.
c.. E. Pierce, q deputy sheriff, was
killed during the attack on the jail.
A state of lawlessness now prevails
In northern Wyoming. From President
Moffett, OF the Montana and Wyoming
Telephone company, who is now max
Ing a tour Of inspection Of his COM
pany's 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 ThermopOlts
and has appealed to the governor OF
Wyoming for assistance of the militia
in getting his prisoners to Basin. s
It was reported to Sheriff Fenton
last Wednesday morning that a mob
was coming to Basin from Hyattsville
ing Command and Walters. AS a meas
ure Of precaution he took these two
men and a horse thief put of the Jail
and secreted them in a gully near town
under guard OF Deputy Sheriffs Felix
Aston and c. e. Pierce. German man
aged to slip his handouts and make his
escape. He swan the Big Horn river,
the mountains. A posse of seven men
was quickly organized, and German
was r~ecaptured early Saturday morn
ing about fifty miles from Basin.
Killed a Deputy Sheriff.
Saturday night a mob of about fifty
men rod up to the eeE bank Of the
Big Horn n compelled the ferryman.
to carry them across the river. They
made no demonstration until they en-
tered Basin, when five shots were fired
as a warning. The mob proceeded ut
volley into the Jail. Deputy Pierce
and Special Deputy 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 telephone poles
and Battered the jail doors down. They
first came to Walters, who was
crouched ii his cell piteously begging
for mercy. No needless torture was re-
sorted to. Walters was shot Instant
ly.
The mob next found German, whose
body was pierced by five bullets and
was left presumably dead. He lin
6clSu, 1OWSSS1 O1lll ILLS 1O1SllOOI. 5Ela
A still more alarming state Of affairs
is reported from the vicinity Of Their
mopolis. About six week ago, as a
result Of the range feud that has been
SO bitterly waged, a sheep man, Ben
Minnick, was killed by cattlemen. The
sheriff, 1t is asserted, has captured
the murderers, who are all prominent
whose names are withheld owing to
threats made against him. Sheriff
Fenton is unable to get his prisoners
to Basin.
1t is said the same mob that lynched
German and Walters are sympathyzers
and haye declared that Sheriff Fenton
will never get out Of the locality alive
with his prisoners.
Sheriff Fenton has wired the gov
ernor Of Wyoming for permission to
use the state militia at Lander, and
has also sent q telephone message to
Basin and other towns asking for VOL
unteers to assist him in upholding the
law. Everywhere hardy westerners
are responding to the call, arming
themselves N fastening toward Their
mopolis.