The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-06-13
WORK OF
MOB DONE
QUIETLY
Black is Taken from Old Jail and
Hanged on Cottonwood Tree
Near AnadarkO Bullets
in Body, Clothing F ired

When the inhabitants Of Anadarko
awoke this morning they learned that
during the silence Of the night while
they slumbered peacefully in their
homes, q band Of 300 Or more deter
mined men, proceeding quietly about
their gruesome business, had meted
out swift and terrible punishment to
Denny Simmons, arrested for killing
Miss Susie Church, the l6year-old
daughter OF a farmer near the village
OF Cogar, whose murder last Tuesday
constituted the blackest crime IN the
annals 81 caddo county
Simmons was taken from the old
stone jan at the Indian agency about
2 o'clock this morning and was hang.
ca on TAN cottonwood tree, three
quarters Of a mile north OF Anadarko,
just across the bridge over the Wash
ita There the body. suspended fif
teen feet above the ground. and pierc
ed by number Of bullets, dangIed 10
the air tin nearly O'Clock this morn
Ing, when It was cut down By the
sheriff and conveyed 70 an undertake
ing room.
It was about O'Clock q m when the
mob. believed to have been recruit
ed mainly from the locality IN which
the crime was committed. and mask
ed for the most part, rode UP to the
Caddo county Jail and awakening
Sheriff Blankenship, whose living
quarters are in the iail building, de-
mauded the keys Whatever reluct-
ance the sheriff had was overcome
when he looked down the cleaning
barrels Of numerous Weapons that
we're pointed toward him by cool bun
earnest looking men
aavng obtained the keys, the mob
rgusackrd the county prison but failed
10 nnd their victim Foied III their
purpose of The time the mob went
away but returned hall and hour later
and made another search with The
Same rcsult They then went 20 the
city JAIL which lhey searched in vain
for their prey ana their next move was
to bead Cor The OLD ta a ihe Indian
agency where the sheriff evidently
having anticipated trouble, had placed
the prisoner for safe Keeping
ExactlY what iranspred az the old
Jan Is largely a matter OF speculation,
as none of the guard will tain and only
they and members OF The mbb kno@
what happened All lhat is known q
certainty is thai simmons ten into
the hands Of the mob was carried C
the cottonwood tree and there caused
10 pay the awful penalty for helnoui
crime. So far az known. no eye-wit
ness has told the details Of the exeeu
tion OF the black
Soon after daybreak, as news Of th'
! lynching spread in Anadarko, crowd
began surging 10 the scene and hun
dre9s had gone ont % the spot betor
(. the sheriff removed lhe body An y
quest was heid, but \ was purely
matter 81 form.
The mob departed from Anadarko a
quietly as il entered and carried ou
It's mission Not even people Twin
near the jail knew that anything OF
OF the ordinary was happening Will
the band of farmers we're prosecutin
their hunt for the negro.
An noon today the officers at An
darko were still saving little'about Il
events Of the night and u there rs an
disposition to endeayor to identi
and prosecute members OF the mo
nothing is being said about it
The evidence against Simmons wi
regarded as sufficient to be conal
sise and the crime was peculiar
revolving one. Miss Church on b
way home from the store q mile a.
half rom her home, was dragg
from her horse. her clothing torn, b
throat cut and her body otherwi
slashed when found ia the bushes
the roadside. Simmons had been Sc
on the road about the time the quito