The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-12

Every community has its abundance
of Observation-Disclosures Of Indian raids,
of storms, of cold winters and of SEN
sational happenings. Grand Forks
and Vicinity is not lacking In this re-
spect.
Sensational and blood curdling
tales of mobs and murder trials which
stirred the community in the olden
days are continually being brought
down to the ears Of the younger gen.
Grafton. Chief among these is the
story of the lynching of the famous
negro criminal, Thurber, which took
place in 1882 in this city.
Strung from Bridge.
Thurber was arrested for an at
tempted criminal assault on Mrs.
Samuel Burbank, whose husband was
at that time conductor on the st. Paul,
Minneapolis and Manitoba (now the
Great Northern.) The assault took
place in the western part of the coun-
ty where the wife was holding down
claim. The details were most re-
voting and wave of indignation
surged through the breast of the peo-
pie. Thurber was arrested in East
Grand Forks by Dick Fadden, now
chief of police at Larimore, and by
P. w. Hennessy Of this city. and was
brought to the city hall in Grand
Forks. During the forenoon a mob
gathered at the Jail, and but for the
courageous efforts of DR.. Collins, city
clerk. at that time partner Of DR..
H. M. Wheeler, the Jail would have
been torn asunder. DR.. Collins stood
the crowd off with two wicked horse
pistols.
In the afternoon the prisoner was
removed to the court house but the
sullenness Of the men that thronged
the streets and congregated on the
corners grew ominous toward. even
ing, until culminative point was
reached, and the combined mob made
a ferocious assault on the old bas-
tile. A telephone pole was secured
as a battering ram and despite the eff
forts of the sheriff the doors Of the
prison were rent into pieces and the
blood thirsty crowd swarmed into
the prison. The covering negro was
seized by hundred hands, hurried
to the street, where rope a half a
block long was attached to his neck
Two or three hundred pairs of hands
laid hold of the rope and the doomed
creature was snatched from his feet
and dragged through the streets to
the Great Northern bridge where he
was launched into eternity, with the
curses of the multitude over his head
R. M. Cults was city justice at the
time, but in his absence Attorney J.
H. Bosard Of this city assumed the
judicial toga. The morning following
the lynching Judge Bosard wrote
across the docket which to this day
reposes in the city hall:
10 a. m.-Case called pursuant to
adjournment.
Niger LYNCHED.
Requiscat in Pace j. II. BOsard,
Another early day murder trial OF
Importance was that of Gillen who
was accused of the murder of a man
named Snyder in an East Side sa-
loon. Gillen beat the victim over the
head with beer faucet and crushed
in his skull.
Gillen Acquitted.
The accused was taken to Crooks
ton to his old boarding place for
identification. Judge Mclaughlin Of
this city was firing on the railroad
at that time and lived next door to
the murderer for some time. Judge
stearns of Duluth presided at the
trial and distinguished men as w. w.
Irwin, the insanity expert of st. Paul,
were on the witness stand for the de-
tense. The jury in the case were out