The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1909-04-20
BAD MEN
LYNCHED
BY MOB
OklahOmans Take Four SIayers of
Officer From County Jail and
String Them Up in
Barn.
MURDER FOR HIRE
Miller, One of Victims of Mob, Slew
Former Officer for Money Pail Him
by Wealthy Man Who Had Been
Driven Out Of State Because of Cat
tie "Rustling."

tie "Rustling."
ADA, Okla, April 19.-At 5 o'clock
this morning mob of 200 men
stormed the county Jail here and, af-
ter overpowerlng the sheriff, lynched
four white men. The lynched men are
j. B. Miller Of Fort Worth, Tex,
charged with the murder of A. A.
Bobbit, wealthy cattleman of this
section; D. B. Burrell, Jesse West and
Joseph Allen, alleged accomplices.
West was the only prisoner who re-
sisted effectively and he fought des-
perately. Later it was learned that
there were two guards at the Jail
and both were knocked into insensi-
bility.
The mob worked rapidly and quietly,
nothing being known of the lynching
until daylight. The victims of the
mob were taken to barn within a
short distance of the jail. Bring a
rope" the leader shouted, and all
Of the men were hanged, The mob ef-
fected an entrance to the jail by tear
ing down high fence which enclosed
it. AS soon as all the men of the
vigilance party were inside the en-
closure, the leader pounded on the Jail
door, Sheriff, we mean business"
he called to The officer inside. "You
might as we'll go home, boys" the
sheriff answered. Il will never open
this door. Duty is duty. I'm here to
observe the law and protect these
men," For reply, three or four sturdy
members of the mob fell against the
door, breaking it.
Inside one of the party dealt the
sheriff blow with his revolver, fell
ing him. The mob then completed it's
work. Walter Heeler, aged II, a
nephew of Miller, confined in the Jail
for completely in the murder, was not
molested by the lynchers, He turned
states evidence week ago and was
being held as witness. The electric
wires were cut by the mob prior to
the hanging, and the city thrown into
darkness.
Bobbit was killed from ambush
while driving his wagon a few miles
out of Ada, Oh February 27 last. Two
weeks ago the prisoners were placed
under arrest at Fort Worth for the
murder and brought to Ada for trial.
The authorities alleged that Allen and
West, who We're wealthy cattlemen of
Canadian, Tex, hired Miller to kill
Robbit, Burrell paying Miller the
money. Allen, West and Bobbit were
neighboring ranchers in Seminole
county and the trouble is alleged to
have been due to an old disagreement.
When the mob removed the men
from the Jail it failed to molest Os-
car Heeler, 17-year-old boy, who
was implicated in the murder but who
had turned states evidence. The boy
confessed this afternoon. He said
that Miller killed Marshal Bobbit and
Jesse West paid Miller to commit the
murder.
1--WE find that Jim Miller, B. B.
Burrell, Joe Allen and Jesse West met
their death by being hung by rope
and that death Of each was caused
by strangulation produced by the
ropes placed about their necks by par
ties whose names are unknown"
The jury makes no recommendation
that the matter be investigated.
The county attorney declared that
he would investigate the lynching but
admitted that there is no evidence and
that there probably would be no pros
ecution.
Some of the leading business men
talked this afternoon of holding
mass meeting of protest tonight, but
this idea was abandoned later.
GUTHRIE, Okla, April 19.-Gover-
nor Haskell declared tonight that
those implicated in the Ada lynching
would be punished to the full extent
of the law il identified. An official
investigation will be made.
Was Bad Man.
FORT WORTH, Tex, April 10
While he bore the reputation of
bad man." J. B. Miller of this city,
one of the four men lynched at Ada,
Okla, was popular among class of
citizens here, His widow and three
children are held in high esteem. Re-
ports vary a5 to the number of men
Miller has killed and those intimate
with him place it at from twenty to
thirty. He was one of the last of the
old-time Texas cattlemen, among
whom it was the custom to use the
six-shooter in defense Of any viola
ton of the right. Burrell has many
relatives in Texas. He was large
cattle owner, it is said. Joe Allen
and Jesse West of Canadian, Tex, are
reported to be wealthy and own large
tracts of land and herds of cattle.
There was an old feud existing be-
tween these two men and former Mar
shall Bobbit and years ago, it is said.
Bobbit forced Alilen and West to
flee to Texas because of alleged high
way robbery AMI cattle thieying.
BATTLESHIP ACCEPTED.
WASHINGTON AnriI 1Q-Tha hat