Omaha daily bee., 1907-08-27
GAVE NO REASON FOR HIS DEED
New Found Religion is His Stay in
Last Hour.
ANOTHER CRIME ADDED TO LIST
Assaulted Daughter of COpples After
Numbering Parents.
SECRECY MAINTAINED AS TO THIS
Higgins Taken North from Omaha
ON Early Morning Train, but
Secrecy Was Not Preserved
Little Criticism.

BANCROFT, Neb.. Aug. 26-(By Lon
Distance Telephone. )-Loris Higgins. aliaA
Fred Burke, who shot and killed Mr.. and
Mrs. w. L. Copple, farmers OF Rosale,
May 12. was lynched one mile from this
town at about a. m. by mob of twenty
masked men.
Higgins reached Bancroft on the North-
western train In custody of Sheriff Sid
Young of Thurston county and Deputy
Sheriff Newell at S;S7 from Omaha, where
he had been confined in the Douglas county
jail since his arrest soon after the murder.
The masked men met the train. brushed the
| sheriff and his deputy to one side, threw a
rope around the murderer's neck and led
him forth. He placed in a dray and
hauled to the Logan bridge, a mile out Of
town, where the lynching was performed.
Murderer Thrown on bridge.
The rope was tied to the highest beam
of the bridge and after the victim made a
statement he was thrown by the mob into
the air and reached the end of the rope
with a terrible bound, swapping his neck
and producing instant death Forty bull
let's were then shot into his body, which
was left dangling In the air for the officers
to care for while the executioners un-
masked themselves and scattered In all
scene of the lynchng.
| The whole affair was performed with 1T
tie excitement and was over before most
of the people Of Bancroft knew Il was con-
templated, but reports of It spread repldly
| in all directions and soon It was known
throughout this section of the country
| The mob had gathered before daybreak.
| disguised in overalls and black masks.
About daylight they entered the elevator
on the sidetrack and lay quietly until
! the arrival of the train. Two men forced
the engineer to uncouple the engine and
run It ahead, while the remainder of the
mob boarded the train.
! Sheriff Young jerked the prisoner to his
! feet and tried to hustle him into the irons
/ end of the car, which was combinatieo
affair Several men seized him, threw hifA
to the floor and severely choked him.
The sherin's deputy pulled his revolver
when the mob appeared The men told
! him to put up his gun and when he refused
they knocked 1t out of his hand and
knocked the deputy down and told him
mot to be foolish"
Higgins appeared little concerned, and
when the rope which was to send his to
his death in few minutes was slipped over
his head he did not even flush move. but
stepped lightly from the train to the plat
| form, surrounded by the masked crowd
He prayed as he alighted, and continued
his prayer until the train had gone and he
was loaded into a dray which was standing
conveniently by.
Sheriff Young, finding himself confronted
by a resolute mob of masked men, offered
no forcible resistance to the taking OF the
prisoner The sheriff was visbly affected
by the demonstration. far more 80 than
was Higgins Higgins appeared little con-
cerned. and when the rope which was TO
send him to his death in few minutes
was slipped over his head he did not even
flush or move. but stepped lightly from
the train to the platform. surrounded by
the masked crowd He prayed as he
alighted, and continued his prayer until
the train had gone and he was loaded
into a dray which was standing convent
emily by.
statement Before Death.
None of the mob had much to say to the
victim and he was not assaulted until the
bridge was reached. At the bridge, after
the rope was tied and Just before he was
thrown into the air, he was given permis-
sion TO make a statement. He availed hm-
self Of the opportunity, saying he had lo1n
ago repented for his terrible deed, that mo
had made his peace with his God and was
now ready to go and face Him, feeling
that all would be well hereafter He said
he had tried to atone for his wanton muir
der, but had no excuse TO offer as he had
no cause for committing 1t. He reavowed
his faith In the religion he had found
through the help of the good women" in
Omaha who came to his cell and prayed
with him.
His statement was cut short by the im-
patience of the mob to do its work.
The mob kept spectators at distance
Of eighty rods from the bridge This was
accomplished with drawn firearms, which
no one seemed to doubt would explode IL
the dead line was violated.
Hard to Fix RespOnsibility.
He asked God TO bless the little children
whom he had left without parents by his
deed and then to the masked men about
him he requested that note be sent his
mother asking her to write to his father
at Nanta, Idaho.
'The identity OF some OF the men taking
part is known, is II not2" was asked OF a
prominent citizen here.
"Oh, / suppose some persons here have
an idea. but they will never swear to IT,"
he replied
No one is standing on street corners con-
demning them, nor protesting that he
, knows a single man who engaged In the
, affair So far as Sheriff Young Is con-
, cerned. he does not appear 70 know them.
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