The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-08-05

were arrested at the saloon in New
Ulm known as the National Hall.
The arrest was made by the sheriff
and other officers of Brown county.
The two prisoners were taken to and
confined in what was then the Brown
county Jail, the latter being but a
short distance from the saloon.
At the time the arrest was made a
report was very generally circulated
through the town that two half breeds
had murdered one John Spinner. In
about 80 minutes after the story had
been circulated, and the arrests made,
crowd of over 100 men, very much
excited, assembled at the Jail, fol-
| lowed by great noise and confusion in
the crowd, and the prevailing cry was
that Campbell and Liscome, being
alf-breeds, were the two men who
had committed the crime, and the
words generally used were: Bring
/ out the half breeds!" "Hang the
half -breeds!" "Out with the Indians."
! One of the members of the crowd
called out that Campbell was the
brother of a half breed named Camp
bell, whom the people had recently
hanged at Mankato for the murder of
some white people.
John Gut arrived at the Jail after
the principal portion of the crowd had
assembled there, and about the time
that the crowd had broken open the
!, Jail and brought out Campbell Gut
had no knowledge of the purpose of
the crowd in assembling at the Jail un-
til after his arrival there, and all he
learned concerning the intention and
purpose of the crowd was from its
outcry, and what he say after his ar
rival.
Assault on Campbell
When the prisoner Campbell was
taken from the Jail he was naked, ex-
cept part of shirt about his Shout
ders. Gut, who had previously be-
come intoxicated at the saloon, and
who had arrived about this time, made
dash for Campbell, and stabbed him,
and upon being reproved by a by
stander he replied: "These two half
breeds killed my best friend, John
Spinner, and l will kill them; let me
alone or | will stab YOU"
The crowd took Campbell to tree
~, onI away, Of ha hoI hoo,,
stabbed by Gut, a rope was placed
around the prisoners neck, and he was
hanged to tree until he was dead,
Gut stabbing Campbell even after the
hanging. Liscome was likewise hung
by the crowd, but from the evidence it
appears that he was not put through
double death.
The whole time from the arrest by
the sheriff and other officers of Camp
bell and -Liscome, until the time that
they were suspended from the tree in
death did not exceed over thirty min
utes. The evidence also indicated
that the two men were brutally treat
ed while they were in the Jail, their
faces being bloody and dirty from the
second that they were brought forth
by the lynchers.
Case Brought to Redwood Falls
The sentiment in New Ulm and
Brown county was strongly against
any criminal prosecution of Gut and
the other people who had participated
in the lynching, and when Judge Aus
tin held court in that town he realized
that it would be impossible to have an
indictment, or a number of indict-
ments, returned, and consequently, on
May 25th, 1867, five months after the
crime was committed, failing in met
ing out justice in Brown county, he
took advantage of the statute above
referred to, and directed a special
term of court in Redwood Falls, where
the grand jury met, in the face of the
New Ulm Acknowledgement sentiment
creators, and eventually returned an
indictment against John Gut for muir
der in the first degree for his part in
connection with the affair. I believe
that other indictments were returned,
but Cuts action made the case against
him particularly strong.
Cuts attorneys asked for change
of venue in the case, and consequently