Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1903-07-22


Red Lodge, Mont, July 20.-A state
of lawlessness that beggars descrip-
tion now prevails in northwestern
Wyoming, as a result Of which all law
and order seems to have been abol.
ished.
From President l.. L. Moffett Of the
Montana & Wyoming Telephone com
pany, who is now making tour of in
spection of his company's lines, comes
the news of a bloody lynching Of two
men which occurred at Basin, Wyo.,
Just across the Wyoming line. News
also comes of an appeal for help from
Sheriff Fenton of Big Horn county,
who has arrested number OF promi-
nent cattlemen near Thermopolis and
has appealed to the governor Of the
state for assistance Of the militia in
getting his prisoners to the Basin jail.
The lynching resulted in the killing
of two condemned murderers and also
in the shooting of deputy sheriff,
c. E. Price, who died instantly. The
murderers were Jim German, who
killed his brothers wife, and a prison.
er named Walters, a travelling man,
who killed a widow named Hoover at
Thermopolis hot springs two years
ago because she refused to marry
him.
Sheriff Did His Duty.
It was reported to Sheriff Fenton
last Wednesday morning that mob
was coming up to Basin, along the Big
Horn river from Hyattsville and Ten
sleep, for the purpose Of lynching Cor
man and Walters. AS a measure OF
precaution the sheriff took the two
men and horse thief out Of the jail
and secreted them in a gully near
town under guard of Deputy Sheriffs
Felix Alston and c. E. Price. German.
who has exceptionally small hands,
managed to slip his handouts and
make his escape. Deputy Price fired
one shot at the fugitive as he disap-
peared in the brush, but the bullet
went wild. German swan the Big
Horn river and made for the noun
tains. A posse of seven men quickly
organized and German was recaptured
early yesterday on Trapper creek,
about SO miles from Basin.
Mob's Work.
Last evening a mob of about 30 men.
unmasked and in perfect order, rode
up the east bank of the Big Horn, dis
mounted, tethered their horses and
compelled the ferryman to carry them
across the river. They made no dem
onstration until they entered Basin,
when five shots were fred as a warn
ing. The mob proceeded at once to
the building which Is courthouse
and Jail combined, and fired a volley
into the jail. Deputy Price and Spe,
cial Deputy George s. Meade were
guarding the prisoners at the time.
One bullet grazed Meade's shoulder
and entered Prices heart, killing him
instantly. Members Of the mob then
quickly procured telephone poles and
battered the Jail doors down.
They first came to Walters, who
was crouched on his cot piteously
begging for mercy. No needless tor
ture was resorted to. Walters was
shot instantly. The mob next found
German, whose body was pierced by
five bullets and was left presumably
dead. He fingered, however, until 8
o'clock in the morning, when he died.
A still more alarming state OF affairs
is reported from the vicinity Of Their.
mopolis. About six weeks ago, as q
result of the range feud that has been
so bitterly waged, sheepman, Ben
Minnick, was killed by cattlemen
Sheriff Fenton, it is claimed. had cap.
tured the murderers, who are all
prominent cattlemen and whose
names have been withheld on account
of threats made against him. Sheriff
Fenton Is unable to get his prisoners
to Basin. 1t is claimed the same mob
that lynched German and Walters are
sympathizers and have declared that
Sheriff Fenton will never get out OF
the locality alive with his prisoners.
Sheriff Fenton has wired the cover.
nor of Wyoming for permission to use
the state militia at Landers and also
sent telephone message to Cody, Ba
sin, Meeteetse and other Wyoming
towns asking for volunteers to assist
him in upholding the law. Every
where hardy westerners are respond
ing to the call, arming themselves and
fastening toward Thermopolis.
It is probable that the militia will
be ordered to the scene and that q
bloody battle will be fought. The coun
try about Thermopolis is a vile and
lawless one. A message received al
Cody this morning from Sheriff Fen
ton stated that he still had the prison
ers in his possession and that he be
lieved he could hold out until rein
forcements came.
Record Of Walters.
Walters was editor and proprietor
of the Lead Democrat at Lead, 8. D..
from 1891 to 1892. and was one of the
prominent men Of South DAKOTA. From
Lead Walters went to Deadwood
where he was appointed United States
deputy marshall. This Office Walters
later lost through excessive dissipa
ton and some alleged crooked work