The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-22
Elk RIVER TOO
WARM FOR THEM
Alleged Murderers Of Lundeen
Brought to Minneapolis for
Safe Keeping.
LUNDEEN IS COMPANIONS
SAY THEY RE RIGHT MEN
Prisoners Hide Their Faces When
Visited IN Jail Their Out
look Dark.

lOOh 1ydA A. IS s. 81
There came near being a llynching
in Minnesota late yesterday afternoons
Had it not been for the quick, firm
resistance Of the sheriff county attor-
ney and court officers of Sherburna
county, it is likely that Scrawford and
Farmer would have been taken from
the courtroom at Elk River and hanged
by small mob after the preliminary
hearing at which evidence was adduced
indicating conclusively that they were
guilty of the murder of Fred Lundeen
in railroad car near that town Sunday
morning.
AS result Of the threatening dem
onstration and the apparent insecurity
Of the jail in Elk River, Scrawfords and
last night and locked in the Hennepin
county JAIL And now evidence has
been gathered by Deputy Sheriff 10th
which connects the prisoners with az
least two, and may be four, of the
boxcar murders committed in the yic1n-
ity Of Minneapolis in the last eighteen
months.
Elk River Excited.
Elk River has been much excited
over the tragedy which occurred near
the town. Many of it's citizens Joined
Sheriff Ward in the hunt for the muES
derers Sunday, and all others, on street
corners or in their homes, discussed the
cold FLOODED crime.
Yesterday, when the men captured
bv Sheriff Ward at Rogers Siding were
taken to Elk River, there was large
crowd to greet them. All day persons
hung around the Jail, and when the
sence Of the county attorney, was heidi
the courtroom was filled, while other
curious persons, unable to gain admlts-
| lance, waited in the corridors.
A "Fire-eater Gets Busy.
Moving about in the crowd that hung
around the jail all day was a little,
black-haired man who talked lynchlng
to everyone who would give ear.
! some eloquence, upon the horrible charI
acter Of the crime which had been
committed, relating the shuddersome de-
J tails Of incident and description, and
discussing the desperate character OF
I the murderers in a way which lndl-
Gated either surprising Familiarity
with the men or an interesting imagina-
ton. j. -
He declared time and again that the
slow.moving machinery of the courts
was never intended for such men as
these. They were inhuman beings and
should be treated with the same in
consideration they had given the poor
young man whose life they. had taken
SO cruelty. Lynching was the only
method Of Furnishing such criminals as
these, he said.
When the crowd shifted from the
jailyard to the courtroom to hear the
examination Of the men, this agitator,
whom the authorities described as a
s'fre-eater,' was there. It was evil
dent from the opening that there were
others in the room who were thinking
Of violence.
The father of the murdered young
man was in court and told the story
Of his son IS life, and Of his leaving
Moorhead on the trip on which he lost
his life. The three companions of Lun-
deem in the car where the shooting oc-
Cured positively identified the accused
men. Then the sack of plumber which
was taken with the prisoners at Rog--
e1s Siding, was put in evidence and
some Of it as that taken from them
lust after Lundeen was shot. Every
thing pointed to the guilt Of the pris-
oners. . d
/ Cries s'Lynch EN-
At the close of the trial, after Justice
Davis had committed. the prisoners to
term Of court, the little, black-haired
man shouted out:
His preaching had not been without
effect. There were gathered around
} him small mob Of men who shouted,
toward tow rit the e prisoners. Evidently they
were much agitated. There was :
great hubbub. Scrawford and Farmer
!. were standing inside the railing, near
Sheriff Ward, County Attorney White
J. w. Featherstone, editor, of the Elk
; the court officers. When the demon
, stration started, Scrawford paled visr
bly,. But the prisoners were surround
ed by the officials and the crowd war
held back, while several prominent citl
, zens, mingling among the men who were
the court room and hang them, argued
against the proposition and finally sup
pressed the leader and induced him and
the others to leave.
Scrawford and Farmer, in the custody
Of Sheriff Ward and a deputy, arrived
in Minneapolis last evening, and were
, locked up.
It was deemed best to take the mel
out of Elk River before night, so they
q were brought to Minneapolis immedii
: ately after the hearing was concluded
J They Hide Their Faces.
| ! 4 ~ 4, <
The prisoners are confined in sepa
rate cells. They are sullen and silen'
g and will have nothing to do with eithe'
y jail officials or visitors. Both Scraw
Y ford and Farmer this morning resolute
d ly kept their faces turned to the wal
:. whenever visitor was in the vicinity
= Conroy Sees Prisoners.
d Superintendent Of Police Conroy wen
to the Jail shortly after noon and spen
more than an hour and half wit
Scrawford and Farmer. 1t was not dis
closed whether he had confession froI
the prisoners or any information of IN q
portance.
u The air was full Of rumors. One wa
that the men had made complete cor
fession to Tailor Clausen. Mr.. Clause
said later that he had not heard wor1
e from the men.
Is It was also stated that some one ha
ID overheard the two men talking an