New-York tribune., 1903-05-17
LYNCHING A WHITE MAN IN MAINE.


me TO it-jIst druv 10 it. he kept repeating.
.a-chasin' OF with warrants They wanted 70
break up nv spring work and drive Of here
Bird was so frightened that he could hardly gee
his voice above whisper. but he saw that ths
only chance for him and his chum was TO side IN
with the murderer he said. That's right jim:
you did just right
Cullen seemed to be encouraged by what Bird
said and after some talk he proposed that they
should burn the bodies The boys agreed 20 help.
fearing to cross the giant. who stin fingered the
axe So they made a big pile OF brush near ths
camp. placed the bodies upon It and there was
nothing left but few bones among the enbe-s
Then the boys said they might well be going,
but Cullen afraid TO let them out Of MS sight
You want to go and tell about thisits better for
mo to finish the two OF you right here hs said
But somehow they argued him out OF it, saying
that they would never let out a word. and that X
they didn't go home that morning their friends
would be out after them Finally, Cullen allowed
them to leave. and once out Of sight % the camp
they ran for their lives knowing that Cullen would
quickly change his mind when left alone
They were right The murderer repentsi
letting the boys go. and came tearing through tins
woods after them with the bloody grpped IN
his big fist. They beat him FIVE minutes TO tbs
MapletOn main road. and notified the farmers al
they along the farmers gathered armed
with guns and pitchforks. Cullen came Out o. tbs
woods near his own house. and hid behind wood
pile until his wife came along on her way to the
we'll Then he jumped at her. saying. Tvs
killed Gran Hayden, and I'm going to XIII you
and one two others around here. Just TO square
things up" He insanely jealous % his wife.
and at odds with nearly every one else The woman
was quick witted. and that saved her life sud-
denly she cried out:
Run jim for the house, hear them coming
for your Cullen dropped the axe and ran like a
deer the house Entering the kitchen. he found
his aged mother washing dishes at the sink. Wills
hts little sat playing the fOOr. The blood
thirsty spirit came him again. and. picking
the baby up by the heels swung It alOt yelling.
There won't be OF this family LETT when m
gone"
Mrs Cullen turned around and sizing him uo
at a look screamed at him; You set that young
| one down and behave yourself. or I'll scald ye.'
That seemed to take aIIsthe sand out OF Jim, and
ne set the baby back the floor.
.Ji1n' said the old woman. Just calm as ir
nothing going on, Jim. they're after you Gic
| into that cellar. quick. and pull the door down
| after your
The cellar was nothing but hole in the ground.
covered by trap door. but Jim went down into Il
Ike woodchuck He hadn't moren slammed the
/ trap after him than dozen farmers. all armed
| came trampng in Mrs Cullen said the leader
| we're after Jim. Is he IN hereT
I hair't got nothing TO say. replied Mrs Cul-
len. without SO much as turning her head Shs
! knew was all up with Jim. though she didn' :
\ know then that he had killed The crowd
| looked around and saw the tracks OF Jim's big
moccasins leading right to the trap door. and ths
leader said: Boys. he's down cellar Then ne hol-
| Tered:
Here you. Jim Cullen. come up out or that. or
wen fill ye with bullets through the fOor.'
For while there no answer. and then tha
farmer holered jim that they would begin shoot
| ing when he had counted ten Jim found MS
| tongue and holIered up: IF I come out, viii -
use like man2
Yes we'll use ye ike man. jim. said ths
! leader.
There was a humping and grating. and them
the trap few up and the giant poked out his head
! They grabbed him and iroEed him quick as scat<
and Iugged him OF to the grocery at the corner.
/ where they set him down a tobacco box meas
the stove All day he sat there with his eyes roll
ing and the sweat streaming down over his req
face while hundreds OF people. from miles around.
crowded IN look at him and swear at HIM Ihs
farmers had their dinner and then held meeting
TO decide what TO do with the murderer Alons
toward night a man riding UD to the store
and when he entered he pug handkerchief DOWN
on the counter saying: Boys there's all that's leSs
Of Gran Hayden-right there in that handkerchie1s
all that's left Of Gran Hayden and Joel Peters,.
''CuIIen's eyes bulged out as he heard this. and
he stared straight at the who spoke. but nsvsr
once looked at the handkerchief Well said tbs
| man who had brought IN the handful OF bones.
well. Jim Cullen. now say ye're sorry as how -
cid il, ye.'
Yes I'm sorry said the giant. wrfggling in his
irons I'm sorry 1 didn't Kill six or eight more os
! the measly cusses round here
There was a dead silence for a minute. and then
one Of the crowd took out his knife, cut twenty
feet off a coil of rope and began to rub the rops
down with a bar o. soap Pretty soon. without a
| word being said. the crowd grabbed the giant and
threw him into a cart. They said when they left
| the store that they were taking him TO PresGus
Isle lookup. but no one believed it. When they
reached the top Of the first hill the stopped
under a tree and Cullen was lynched-
They left him hanging there all the next day.
and Then cut him down No woman could be found
who would make q burial shroud for the murderer.
and he was wrapped in a piece OF canvas. nailed
up In q rough box and buried in a swamp or tbs
| outskirts Of the village That was. so far as any
records show the only lynching thar ever took
place in Maine but there came near being anothsr
| one here lately.