The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-20
-FOUR WHITE MEN
LYNCHEO BY MOB
Summary Execution of Alleged
Murderers of Wealthy Cattle
man at Ada, Okla.
SHERIFF AND JAILERS
0VERP0WERED, BEATEN
Alleged AccOmplice Who Was
Not MOIested Declares Vic
tins We're Guilty.

ADA, Okla, April 19.-At 3 o'clock
this morning n mob of two hundred
men stormcd the county Jail here, and,
after ovcrpowcring the sheriff, lyncbcd
four white men The lynched men arc:
j. i. Miller Of Fort Worth, Tex,
charged with the murder Of A. A..
Bobbit. a wealthy cattlcman of this Sec
ton; D. b. Burrell, Jesse West and
Joseph Allen, alleged accompiices.
The mob worked rapidly and quietly,
nothing being known Of the lynching
until daylight. The victims of the mob
were taken TO barn within 4 short
distance of the Jail.
Sheriff Overpowered.
"Bring a rope the leader shouted,
and one by ono the men were hanged.
Jail by tearing down Il high fence
which enclosed it. As soon as all Of
the members of the vigilance party were
inside the enclosure the leader pound
cd on the Jail door. Sheriff, we mean
business. he called TO the officer in
side. "You might as well 60 home,
| bows the sheriff answered, - VIII
never open this door. Duty is duty.
| | m here TO observe the law and pro-
| tcct these men,
For reply three or four sturdy mem
bcrs of the mob fell against the door.
! breaking it. Inside one of the party
dealt the sheriff a blow with his re-
volvcr. telling him. The mob then COM
! pleted its work.
Walter Pcclcr, aged Il, n nephew of
! Miller, confined in the Jail for com
| plicitv in the murder, was not molest-
! ed by tue lynchcTs.
West was the only prisoner who re-
sisted, and fought desperately. Later
! IL was learned that there were two
guards at the Jail and both were
| Knocked into insepsibiity. Both will
| recover.
Tho electric wires were cut by the
mob prior to tho hanging and the city
| thrown into complete darkness.
History of the Crime.
Bobbitt was killed February 81. 1909.
! He was driving in his wagon few
miles out of Ada. The shot which
! Killed HIM was fred from ambush. The
assassin mounted his horse and rode
away. Bobbitt s dead body was found
the next day. There was no evidence
save the shoes on the murdcrer's horse,
which had been removed few miles
from the crime Miller and his com
panion were suspected of knowing who
committed the crime.
Two weeks ago the prisoners were
placed under arrest at Fort Worth for
Tho murder and brought TO Ada for
trial. Miller had his preliminary hear.
ing last Friday and was held without
bail. The authorities alleged that Al
len and West. who were wealthy cat
tlemcn of Canadian. Tex, hired Miller
to kill Bobbitt. Burrell paving Miller
the money Allen. West and Bobbiti
were ueighbor ranchmcn in SemInol'
county. and tho trouble is alleged &c
have been due to an old disagreement
Accomplice Confessed,
When the mob removed the men from
tho Jail it failed TO molcst Oscar Pcclc1'
a l7-year-old boy. who WAS implicated
i'm the murder. but who had turned
states evidence The boy confessed
tins afternoon. lie said that Mile
killed Marshal Bobbitt. and Jesse Wcs
paid Miller to commit the murder.
The coronerfs jury returned the fol
lowing verdict:
Eve find that Jim Miller, d. y, Bur
rcn. Joe Allen and Jesse West me
their death by being hung by Il rope
and that the death of each was cause
hy stranguIation produced by the rop
; placed about their nccks by partic
, whose names are TO the jury unknown, :
The jury makes no recommendation
, that the matter lac investigated.
The county attorney declared h
would investigate tho lynching. but ad
, mittcd that there is no evidence. an,
that there probably would bc no prose
cuticn.
: Some Of tho leading business me,
talked this afternoon of holding mas
meeting of protest tonight. but thi
, idea was abandoned later.