Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1913-12-19

sifiock this morning well organized
Aob Of so men. heavily armed. sur
rounded the county Jail here, smash
in the door with four inch water:
pipe which they had picked up on the
street, took Cleve Culbertson. the con-
viceed murderer of the D. T. Dillon
family out. put him into an autono-
bile. drove down to the Little Muddy
river bridge and strung him up to
6Met Of the overhead girders.
Riddle Body.
As he hung there members Of the
mob fred eleven shots into him. FIVE of
them passing thorush his body. 1t is
believed that life was extinct before
any shots were fired. death being due
to strangulation.
Sheriff Erickson. States Attorney
burdick and the coroner were on the
scene within 40 minutes and took the
body back to town. The coroner OK
&anined the mans brain and found it
"a be perfectly normal and it was also
SO pronounced by several other physi-
clans today. Culbertson's defense in
his trial was insanity.
Hold Phone Office.
The mob was evidently all from out
of town supposedly from the locality
where the murder was committed. near
Ray. and was thoroughly organized.
They cane into Williston quietly and
no one knew Of their approach until
shey were we'll in the center Of the
town. They took possession Of the
telephone Office and the city FIRE hall
aud also covered the power house 80
the engineer could not give an alarm.
Prisoner A Witness.
"A trusty at the Jail was just start
iAx down town when he was covered
with gun and told to stand still. He
saw the mob break into the jail and
get Culbertson. but feared to raise an
alarm. He says the mob took Gull
ber.son down the street. eastward. un-
til they came to an electric light. when
the crowd opened up and shot was
fired. supposedly at Culbertson's legs.
Then the mob closed up again and
kept on going east until they came
to an automobile which was in wait
ing. and loaded their victim in. The
Il .jAlrney to the bridge was made and
II within few minutes the triple MUIR
u 'derer had paid the extreme penalty.
IT, # Mob Works Quietly.
81 The work of the mob was quietly
@ done but they were determined body
MI Of men and went about their task as
E If it had all been planned beforehand.
ssa heriH Erickson was powerless to re-
III sist them and they brooked no inter-
s ference.
sN The crime for which Culbertson was
aAM lynched was one of the most revolt
@ ing in the history of the state. 1t oc-
sss sss Cured Oct. IL, about 9o'clock in the
Mr.. Dillon. familiarly known
(as Doc" was in the barn STOPPING
gsssoyer to get oats from bin, when he
shot in the back.
ss Kills Entire Family.
2isssfS sis Mrs. Dillion's body was found in the
half way between the house and
5,ss the barn and her death was evidently
s$ss sfs5 5;i;ns.,2taneous. The third member ol
Ne murdered family was Leila. the ;.
Il year-old daughter. whose body wa.
found in bed room lying at the foo
ef the bed in pool Of blood. She
#S'gs nes. shot through the breast.
,sSs ,4sas Doc" Dillon did not die at once
s5sg ind the crime was first discovered b,
Ss ;ssass neighbor passing who heard tn.
founded mans cries for help. Dill
ion was taken to the home Of cousin
Dillon. about eight miles from
ElAey. where he died the next day. H,
sade an ante-morten statement il
hich he named Culbertson as tn,
iaS Surderer.
Ess@ Escapes on Train.
Culbertson was not known abou
neighborhood and had come Their
MY few days previously looking fo
s4sk. The evening Of the murder h
hired by Dillon and had just be
his duties when he committed tn
After the killing he went t
and going to the hotel went 4
About midnight news Of tn
Tder reached the hotel and although
the guests were excited Culber,
sssss i ea remained in his room. When th
sgssss wd had left he came down stair
no one being about. tore out th
We Of the register bearing his nam
va then went to the depot to tax
4 y y . 8 + :. i ~