Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-04-22
four mem
TWO HUNDRED CITIZENS OF ADA.
OK. BROKE INTO JAIL AND
HANGED THEM.
NOEFFoRT CONCEALMEN1
The Victims Were Accused Of Killing
a Deputy Marshal-4Wers
Ranch Owners and
9tockmen.

-
Ada, Ok, Apr. 2O.-Two hundred de
| termined citizens OF Ada, practically
all Of them OF the better class who
were thoroughly disguised with the
kind Of Justice melted out to crimi.
nails In the smaller towns OF Oklahoma,
early yesterday took the law into their
own hands and hanged four men for
the murder Of United States Marshal
A.. /. Bobbitt. The lynchers' victims
are:
J. B. Miller, Fort Worth, Texas, cat
tleman; B. B. Burrell, Duncan, Okla
homa, ranch owner; Jesse West,
Canadian, Texas, ranch owner, and
Joe. Allen, Canadian, ranch owner
A few minutes after three o'clock
yesterday morning. the few persons
then awake saw Ada's electric lights
suddenly shut off and the city tele-
phone communication was also cut OF.
Suddenly few stragglers began to ap-
pear near the jail building. Good
morning, neighbor." Was the greeting
Its q fine day for Ada" And the new
conner admitting that it was, soon
found himself challenging those who
strobe in apparent leisure to the spot.
The crowd grew larger. There was
little said. A tall heavy set man In a
SLOUGH hat soon appeared. "Glad to
see you boys" he said. Are you all
ready" A suppressed cry was the on
ly answer. The men silently made
their way to the jail a few blocks
away.
Only one man, Guard Mccarthy, was
on duty.
"McCarty," said the leader. open |
this door at once We mean business.
Hurry, its near daylight"
you might as well go home, boys"
responded the officer, this door will
never open from this side"
Another whispered conference and
then three of the mob threw them.
selves against the frail Jail door and
the mob rushed in. Guard Mccarthy
was struck with revolver and rem
dered unconscious. West fought des-
perately. The others made no resist
ance.
The mob led the four men to a
barn a few hundred feet away. Car
ried them to a beam and strung them
up.
The mob then dispersed. At day
light the bodies Of the lynched men
were cut down. ~
When the mob removed the men
from the Jail they failed to modest
oscar Peeler, a II year old boy, who
was implicated in the murder, but who
had turned states evidence. The boy
confessed yesterday afternoon. He said
that Miller killed Marshal Bobbitt.
Jesse West paid Miller to commit the
murder.
The coroner's jury met yesterday az
,ernoon and returned the following {
verdict: -9A
I'VE find that Jim Miller, B. B. Bur |
ell, Joe Allen and Jess West met their 1
ieath by being hung by rope and
nat the death Of each was caused by '
produced by the ropes
'laced about their necks by parties
whose names are to the jury I'M
inown." e
The jury makes no recommendation
hat the matter be investigated. The
ounty attorney declared yesterday Il
hat he will investigate but asserts 9
hat there is no evidence and that Y
here probably will be no prosecutions. II
Some Of the leading business men e
alked yesterday afternoon of holding
mass meeting Of protest, but this u
lea was finally given up. N
- Il
Guthrie, Ok Apr. 20.--Gov. Haskell u
| an authorized statement last night (
Ssures the people of Oklahoma that le
lose who were implicated in the Ada v
Tnching would be punished to the full D.
Etent Of the law II identified. A p
omplete oficial investigation is to be D.
lade of the affair. H. a
All Of the men hanged are said to be II
ssperate characters with killing rec o.
IDS in three states. Ct
Adtutant General Canton stated that le
} his personal knowledge J. B. Miller 81
I'd killed Is men in Texas and that he 81
I'd always escaped punishment. He ul
grounded himself, the general says,
It'll q rough and desperate following