The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-21
MOB ATTACK FEARED
Ed Christy Brought to Wichita
for Protection
MURDER Is CHARGED
COroner'S Jury Returned Yer
dict of First Degree Murder
PEOPLE WERE EXCITED
There Was Much Talk of
LynChing Yesterday

Ed Christy, charged Iy Sumner
county coroner,s jury with the murder of
L. D. Pierce, near Peck, Friday after
noon, is confined in the Sedgwick county
Jail to protect him from the wrath Of
the indignant neighbors Of the dead man
Sheriff Lingenfelter of Sumner county,
accompanied by deputies, brought Christy
to Wichita late last night and he will be
heid here until the district court meets
in Wellington, when he will * tried on
the charge of murder in the first degree.
Yesterday morning the coroner called a
jury together and the evidence as far as
it could be secured vas gone over. The
jury was out but a very few minues when
they returned with a verdict that L. D.
Pierce died from q revolver shot pene-
trating the brain and charging that the
revolver was in the hands Of Ed Christy
when the fatal shot was fired.
Christy was Immediately arraigned on
the charge of murder in the first degree
and pleaded not guilty He was bound
over TO the district court for trial
The threats OF lynching from the
neighbors and friends of the murdered
man were So numerous Friday afternoon
that the deputy sheriff in whose custody
Christy was held at Mulvane decided to
take him to Wellington immediately Tn
der cover Of darkness Inc officer and his
prisoner drove TO Wellington. The in
tention was to keep the prisoner in Null
vane until the Wellington train came
through. The train was several hours
late, however, and a messenger. came to
the sheriff from the marshal at Peck
that a mob was being organized in the
latter town to take the alleged murderer
and hang him. The officer hired a rig and
with several hours start eluded the mob
and landed his man safely behind the
bars at wellington
Many Peck people attended the coron-
ers inquest as witnesses and spectators.
The feeling was very intense against the
accused man and it needed only a leader
and word to have started a mob The
people of the little town discussed the
matter among themselves, and the more
they heard of the shooting as brought
out in the inquest the more angered and
excited they became Sheriff Lingcnfelter
became alarmed at the numerous threats
of lyEching reported 10 him. The Well
iDgtOn jail is only a small affair and not
any too strong when it comes to with
standing the onslaughts of a frenzied
mob. and the sheriff did not have any
too large a force of deputies.
As night grew near the reports of mob
grew and the sheriff concluded that should
a mob form it would be almost impossible
TO protect the prisoner in the Jail with
out injury 10 some one, so he decided
To take his man away. The officer and
prisoner wer spirited from the Jail dur
ms the evening and brought to Wichita
for safe keeping.
During the inquest yesterday Christy
feigned partial insanity caused by his
domestic troubles.
L. D. Pierce. the murdered man, is
cousin of Mrs. D. E. DeRoss OF this city.
He was the father Of no children but a
few years ago married a widow named
Davis. with three sons. one of these
cons lives in Hutchinson, one in Osa-
watOmie and one in Kansas City. The
murdered mans wife was staying with
her son in Hutchinson and attending the
Jubilee when the murder occurred. She
and Mrs. DeRoss were notified by teIe-
phone of the tragedy.
Mr.. Pierce was born in New York state
and lived there until after the war of
the rebellion. He came to Kansas thir-
" years ago and pre-empted a claim
near oxford. and later moved to Milan.
lie came to Wichita three years go and
made his home here until a year and
half ago, when he purchased the hotel at
10 10
in this city and was considered wealthy.
The funeral viii be held this morning
at 10 o'clock from the home at Peck.