Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-07-20
Two Condemned MurdererS Are
Lynched'
DEPUTY SHERIFF KILLED
Latter shot While Defending His
Charges jail Battered Down
sheriff ASKS for state militia

Butte, Mont, july ia Mluci
special from Red Lodge, Mont, says
A state OF lawlessness that beggars
description now prevails In northwest
Wyoming as a result Of which all law
and order seems to have been abol-
ished. From President l.. L. Monett
of the Montana and Wyoming Tee-
phone company, who is now making
tour Of inspection OF his company INES
comes the news Of bloody yncnlns
which occurred at Basin, Wyo.i JUS
across the Wyoming line carry THIS
morning. and OF an appeal for help
from Sheriff Fenton Of Big Horn coun-
ty who has arrested number OF
prominent cattlemen near Thermopo-
lis, and has appealed to the governor
OF wyoming for assistance of the mi
itia in getting his prisoners TO the
Basin Jail
The lynching this morning resulted
i'm the killing of two condemned muir
derers and also In the shooting OF a
deputy sheriff, c. h, Pierce, VINO died
instantly,
The murderers were Jim German
who killed his brother about year
ago and ran OFF with his brothers
wife, and prisoner named waters. d
travelling man, who killed a WidoW
named Hoover at Therm0polis not
springs two years ago because she
refused to marry him.
II was reported to Sheriff Fenton last
Wednesday morning that a mob was
coming up the Basin along the Big
Horn river from Hiattsville ana Ten
slip for the purpose OF ynching COR
man and Walters. As "a measure OF
precaution the sheriff took those two
men and u horse thief out Of the jail
and secreted them in gully near town
under guard of Deputy Sherihs Felix
Aston and G. II. Pierce,
German. who has exceptionally small
hands. managed to slip his handcuits
| and made his escape Deputy Pierce
| fired one shot at the fugitive as he
disappeared In the brush. but the bull
| let went vide 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 morning on Trappet
creek about 80 miles from Basin
Last evening a mob Of about 30
men. unmasked and In perfect order
| rode up the east bank of the Big Horn
! dlsmounted. 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 fired as warn
! ing. The mob proceeded at once 10 the
| building, which Is courthouse and jail
| combined and fired a volley into the
jan. Deputy Sheriff Pierce and spe-
| cial Deputy George c. Meade were
| guarding the prisoners az the time one
! bullet grazed Meades shoulder and en-
tered Pierces heart, killing him in
stantly ,.
Members of the mob then quickly
procured telephone poles and battered
the iail door down They first came
to Walters who was crouched on hg
cot piteously begging for mercy. NC
nee bless torture was resorted TO, wal
tiers was shot Instantly
The mob next found German, whose
body was pierced by five bullets sand
was left presumably dead, He fingered
| however. until o'clock this morning
| when ne died
A sim more alarming state Of az
! fairs Is reported from the vicinity oil
| ThcrmOpolls About six weeks ago as
result OF the range feud that has
been 20 bitterly waged, a sheepman
| Ben Minnick. was killed by cattlemen,
Sheriff Fenton, It is claimed, has cap
tmcd the murderers, who are all promi'
| nCnt cattlemen, and whose names have
hecn withheld on account Of threats
made against him. Sheriff Fenton Is
! unable to get his prisoners to Basin
Il is claimed the same mob that
lynched German and Walters are sym'
rathi2ers and have declared that Sher'
IN Fenton will never get out OF the To-
callty alive with ms prisoners
Sheriff Fenton has wired the govern
or OF Wyoming for permission 10 use
the state militia at Lander, and han
also sent telephone message to Cody
Basin. Meeteetse and other Wyoming
towns asking for volunteers to assist
him in unfolding the law. Everywhere
hardy westerners are responding to the
call. arming themselves, and fastening
toward Thcrmopclis II IL probable
that the militia will be ordered 10 tn
scene and maybe a bloody battle vii
I've fought The country about Their
mopolis is a wild and lawless one
| A message received at Cody thii
morning from Sheriff Fentou state,
that he still held the prisoners IN hi
rossessidr and that he believed h'
could hold oul until reinforcement
| came