The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-09-13
RECALLS OLD LYNcAlNG.
Sioux City Man Tells Of Former Mobs
In Nebraska

In Nebraska.
The lynching OF few days ago,
according to a Sioux City report, re-
mind John Mcdonald Of other lynch.
ings in Nebraska in days when such
affairs did not cause quite so much
excitement.
Mr.. Mcdonald recalls with special
clearness the summary execution at
ST. Helena, Neb, OF James Jameson,
who murdered Henry Locke in Cedar
county Neb in 1870. Mr.. Mcdonald,
captured the fellow and turned him
over to Sheriff Penny, OF Cedar
county.
In the crowd OF men, women and
children who participated In this affair
and who will recall it with ease were
many OF the present residents Of that
| county.
The murder was committed In for
est where Locke and jameson had
gone to chop wood. They quarreled
and Jameson hit Locke over the head
with an axe. Then he took $3.50 from
the person Of his victim and left the
country. After some months Sheriff
Mcdonald captured him on farm
nine miles from Omaha on May s,
1871, and put him in jail in Omaha.
Returning to Sioux City. he notified
the sheriff OF Cedar county of the cap
ture, and together they went to Oma-
ha. On the way back they lodged the
prisoner in the Woodbury. county jail
for a night. On May 10 they started
for Cedar county, crossing the Mis-
souri, river at Yankton at night. Upon
reaching the Nebraska shore Sheriff
Mcdonald formally surrendered his
prisoner to the sheriff of Cedar county
and returned to Yankton. During that
night at farm house Jameson took
heavy dose Of strychnine with sui
cidal intent, but failed in his purpose
| When Mcdonald arrived on the Ne.
braska shore the next day to accom-
pany Sheriff Penny and his prisoner
to st. Helena, Neb., he learned they
had gone on ahead of him and he
followed them. Upon his arrival at
st. Helena he found the prisoner lying
on the floor of a hotel, still suffering
from the effects of the poison. A
crowd of excited men, women and chill
dren stood around him and many were
on the outside. Mcdonald proceeded
to get the prisoner upstairs and out
of reach of the excited people. Arthur
Linn, editor of the Yankton Dakotan,
took a statement from the prisoner.
Jameson confessed the murder of a
man at Fort Buford at the time he was
a soldier in the Thirty-first regiment.
He said he was born in Ireland thirty
years before and that his real name
was John McBeth. though he had
travelled under four different names
during his career. BY trade he was a
wheelwright.
About half an hour after this inter.
whether the man should be hung, and
it was decided he should expiate his
crime at the end Of rope. 1t was
stipulated that those in favor Of lynch
ing should stand on one side of line
in the middle of the road, and those
who opposed it should stand on the
other side. Men, women and children
all gathered on one side of the line
with the exception Of travelling man,
who straddled 1t.
The crowd made a rush to secure
the prisoner, but the officers stood
between the excited men and the
cringing prisoner, insisting that no one
d should mount the stairs. Sheriff Nc
Donald informed the mob that the
prisoner desired to see a clergyman
and it was decided that the mans life
should be spared two and half hours
to permit the summoning OF the parish
priest, who lived three miles distant
While awaiting the priests arrival
Jameson, standing In the door OF the
hotel made a statement in cool and
deliberate manner, in spite Of the fact
that he was staring death In the face
He admitted to the crowd that he had
: assisted in the murder of a man al
Buford, and that he had killed Locke
, as the result of a quarrel. In answer
to the question as to whether he ever
had killed anyone else, he said he al
one time had killed friend in Ken
lucky by accident. After a private
session with the priest he proceeded
to make his will and then partook OF
meal of oysters, crackers and wine
At the conclusion of his repast he
coolly said:
81 am ready to go now"
Walking down stairs to the gate, he
was placed in a lumber wagon, and
at this point Sheriff Mcdonald took
) leave of him.
The priest remained at his side as
: the wagon was driven slowly away
Jameson sat on dry goods box. A
crowd numbering $50 men, women and
. children followed the wagon. In the
meantime committee had taken Sher
If Penny into custody to prevent any
possible interference. The wagon was
driven fifteen or twenty rods from the
a