Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-16
KIDNAPER
LYNCHED
MISSOURI MOB MAKES SHORT
WORK OF NEGRO AT
BELMONT.
VICTIMS ARE RANSOMED

Held Wife and Babe of County
Judge Hess captives In a Cabin.
While Waiting for $500 - Captured
BY Posse and BY Mob In Turns.
LynchIng Records In United States
In Recent Years.
IscS .................. 20
ISoo .......... 1U4
iSoT 49,. Oh
1905 (Jan I to May ICY ......... is
Belmont, Mo-, May 13.-For kidnap-
ing the wife and child of County Judge
Ford ]. Hess yesterday morning and
holding them prisoners, covered with
shotgun, with trigger cooked, until
ransom of $780, was paid, Robert
Weatherspoon, negro, was wrested
from a posse which captured him,
swung from a telegraph pole by mob,
and riddled with bullets.
The story Of the crime is full of
thrilling incident. Judge Hess had oc-
casion to go to his barn to hitch UP
his horse. He was in his slippers, but
otherwise attired in street garb.
Confronted by Pistol.
Entering the barn the Judge was
startled to see negro standing before
him with drawn revolver.
The negro compelled Hess and his
wife, who carried their little baby in
her arms, to get into their buggy and
drive slowly before him to cabin,
some miles out of town.
Then Get out" ordered the negro.
Judge Hess and his wife stepped from
the buggy and went into the cabin.
Mrs. Hess sat down In the single
RI ON and the negro took seat oppo-
site her, gun in hand.
Told to Get Money.
'Ill give you one hour and thirty
minutes" he said to the Judge, ito
bring me $500. If you are not here on
the minute will kill your wife and
baby"
The Judge returned to his home and
found he had only $50 there. He
brought this to the negro, but Wealth
erspoon ordered him to get the re-
naming $540 if he ever wanted to see
his wife and child alive again.
The judge started out once more,
and crossing the Mississippi river to
Columbus, Ky.,procured the money de-
manded. Fearing he would be too late
to. save the lives of his wife and
child he did not stop to obtain help,
but spread the alarm as he rode
through the streets.
Posse Gather Quickly.
Almost as soon as the Judge left on
his return journey posse hastily col
lected about the town, under the lead
ership Of Marshal Bob x. Zimmerman
known as the nerviest man in Ken
lucky" started out on horseback at a
gallop for the little cabin. They
reached there almost as soon as the
Judge.
In the cabin Judge Hess found his
wife, the baby and the negro still
seated, the latter, watch in hand,
counting the minutes until the time he
stipulated should have expired.
Weatherspoon had agreed that Perry
Thurman, negro minister living in
the vicinity, should act as go-between
and Judge Hess placed the $40 in his
hands The latter passed the roll Of
bills to Weatherspoon. who thrust them
into his pocket, backed out the rear
door of the cabin, mounted saddled
horse and galloped away.
House Is Surrounded.
Hardly had he disappeared when
Marshal Zimmerman and his posse
galloped up and surrounded the cabin
not knowing whether Weatherspoon
had fled. They were able to trace
| Weatherspoon to the spot where he
abandoned his horse and shotgun, and
there they lost the trail.
| They began an all day man hunt
which ended in the evening with the
discovery Of the fugitive hiding in a
| thicket. completely exhausted He
gave up easily.
Zimmerman and his posse arrived In
this city about O'clock. Meanwhile
the tale had spread, and the streets
were crowded with men waiting fol
the return OF the posse and prisoners
AS the procession came in sight
Weatherspoon walking dejectedly be
tween two deputies, the mob was upor
him In an instant. Little was said
The work had been planned and the
members had determined what they
were to do. The posse was overpow
cred in a moment, a rope was placed
| about Weatherspoon's neck and he
was dragged, shrieking and pleading
for mercy to the public square.
Swing into the Air.
A boy climbed telegraph pole, and
the loose end Of the rope was thrown
to him. He passed 1t over the cross
arm of the pole, and a hundred pairs
of hands c1I1tched Mt III as II fall IN tI,e
ground.
The rope frightened and Weather
spoon was pulled upward with jerk
until he hung ten feet above the
ground. Then, for the first time, The
silence OF the mob was broken The
men yelled wildly. and fred hun
dred bullets into the dangling body
Satisfied life was extinct, the lynch
ers tied the rope to the pole and wen
away, leaving the corpse danglins
there.
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