Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-18
The Big Guns the Political Campaign Beginning


wanted linn to as he was unable to
make enough Of a living to support
his family. He described his act
In detail and said that Parker had
written to his wife telling her that
he was tired Of life. The murderer
was found In possession of diamond
ring, diamond pin and gold watch
and chain belonging to his victim,
and also some Of the latter's clothes.
On Thursday, April SOth, Sheriff
Dalziel and Marshal Cal Crilly re-
turned from Kansas City with the
murderer. Fearing mob they had
the train stopped a mile and one-half
east of town where they alighted.
1t was still, moonlight night and
they could plainly hear a mob at the
depot. AS the train moved on and
the officers were standing alone with
the prisoner body of men swo0ped
down upon them from a nearby
grove and taking the prisoner, one
end of thirty foot rope was tied
to his neck, the other end being
fastened to a saddle horn and the
mob started for town on the run,
the prisoner being dragged along
with scant ceremony. The mob at
the depot had heard the train stop
and divining what had happened
started for the scene yelling and
firing revolvers. The two mobs met
at the east side Of town and the
negro was drawn around the square
a few times and then hauled to the
front Of the building where he had
committed the crime and his body
hung to the awning. As 1t was
being pulled in the air it was rid
died with bullets but it is thought
that life was already extinct. The
coroner stepped to the front when
the body was hauled down and pro
nounced the man dead. A coroner's
Jury found that the deceased had
come to his death through strangu-
lation caused by a rope placed about
his neck by parties unknown" There
are a good many people in this vicini
Ity who were members of the mob bu
to this day the secret as to the iden-
tity of the leaders and members has
been carefully preserved. The body
was taken in the billiard hall and
laid in the exact spot where the
body of his victim had been found.
The affair of the mob had been
. carefully planned and only a few
knew Of its intentions. At the time
the incident occurred the band was
serenading Chas. Beye and bride at
their home a few blocks away. The
Tribune of that week said concerning
the mob, at the conclusion of a
article in regard to the murder and
death of the murderer,
"Mob law is not the safest method
of melting out punishment and the
people should be exceedingly slow t.
encourage it. While in this instance
no harm has been done, yet Our peo
pie should be slow to boast owe
what has taken place, or speal
lightly of taking the law in their ow
hands. There are always too man,
lawless people in the community VIII,
delight in such things, and who pre-
fer to live amid such violnece. Tn,
least encouragement to such person
is a license to go still further an,
the danger is that the better elemen
= may sometimes fail to manage tn
bad element. This is the serious as
i pect of the mob law"
The building was located in such
position, that as the town grew,
became more valuable and con
manded such a price for rental tina
it was occupied always by a saloor
except at such times when tn
"dry" controlled the city. The las
few years it has been used as a res
taurant building and the rent droJ
: ped from $125 a month to $50. Tn
building was hardly worth fou
months rnetal. Plans for a larg
Il building on this corner, modern
T. every respect, have been prepare
d and it will doubtless soon be erectet
. And so passes one Of the last buil(
II ings Of the early days: a buildin
+ with hardly heroic history but a
u interesting one. In an early day
? was scarcely less widely known tha
Il the "Oh Rome" saloon which burr
{ cd a few years ago.-Item-Rustler.
Modern Woodmen