The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-06-09


guns and the clerk was ordered to take charge
of them The big man under arrest promised
all manner of things If Captain Bill would let
him go. He was set free, with warning
Peace now seemed to be restored and In the
general gratitude of the community refresh
ments and invitations were rendered to Cap.
tain Bill from both sides He decided how
ever, to remain on duty during the rest of the
day and might. His two men arrived next
morning. but everything was still quiet and
there appeared no sign of a renewal of hostii
ties. The Reece-Townsend trouble for the
time, at least over.
Captain Mcdonald was still at Columbus
when he received telegram ordering him to
report at once to Assistant Attorney General
Morris and the local officials at Athens. Hen.
qerson county, Texas. for the purpose OF in.
vestigating the lynching of three respectable
citizens--a father and two sons, named Hum.
phrey-in a timbered tract between Trinity
river and Cedar Creek known as the Trans.
cedar bottoms
The Humphreys were honest sturdy men
fearless and open in their dealings They were
menace to gang who made moonshine
whisky, stole whatever they could lay hands
on and would swear mans life away for a
lean hog. II was necessary for the welfare of
the neighborhood that the Humphreys be dis
posed of. and they were taken by a mob one
night and hanged-three of them to one tree
they having been placed upon horses and the
horses driven from under them Then, when
the ropes had proven too long and the feet OF
one OF the three Humphreys had touched the
ground the mob had bent back the legs nj
the victims at the knee and tied the feet up
ward to the hands. so that the Humphreys
might swing clear
BIZ Mcdonald knew something of the
lrans-cedar country and the character of its
settlement, for he had passed his youth and his
early manhood at Henderson and at Mineola
poth within rs miles of that very district He set
out by first tram and arriving at Athens he
learned the details of the CHASTITY crime which
already, through the telegraphed repsrts. had
stirred the entire state. He learned that the
iynchlng had taken place about 25 miles from
Athens, near a little postoffice named Aley
ana he hurried to that place without delav
taking with him Guy Green, an Athens
lawyer, FAMILIAR with the neighborhood With
ureeh' the Rangers went straight to the scene
OF the murder and made such examination of
the tracks and various clues as remained Two
days had passed since the crime and MANY
or the sigma had been obliterated Still tbare
was enough for man with the faculties NJ
captain Bill He identified no less than four
tralls-one, as he decided made by five horses
another by three, third by two and a fourth
the track of single horse The trails wound
IN ana out crossed and recrossed, and were
evidently made with the idea of baking MIR.
suit Captain Mcdonald did not consider them
especially difficult. and having satisfied him.
SELF that they could be followed, he went ON IN
Alley, for 1t was near nightfall
AT Alley he Joined Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral Ned Norris District Attorney Jerry Cook
and others who had come out from Athens IN
aid the investigation.
He discussed the case with the officials
ana learned that one Joe Wilkerson was sus.
pected as having been connected with the muir
aer' IL Delng well known that Wilkerson had
pursued the Humphreys and bemeaned then,
finally accusing them of stealing hogs ana
swearing to some meat which the Humphreys
had earned by digging wells In the evidence
i had developed that the Wilkerson hogs
though mortgaged by him. had In reality been