Arizona republican., 1919-09-14
LYNCH MEX|CANe
 HELD FUR DEATH IF C|TY OFFICER
Irate Pueblo Citizens Take Law into Own Hands = By Clever Ruse, Kidnap Prisoners from City Jail and Hang Them to Bridge on Outskirts of City
TRepubIIoan A. p. Leased wlrel

PUEBLO, Colo, Sept. 13-Jose Con zalez and Salvatore Ortez, accused of shooting and killing Patrolman Jeff Evans, at 1 o'clock this morning, were taken from the city jail at 9;9o o'clock tonight by a mob of citizens, rushed in automobiles to the West Fourth street bridge a mile away, and hanged from the girders of the bridge. Their bodies were discovered by the police 45 minutes after the mob had taken them from the jail.
 The mob leaders used strategy to get the police officers off their guard. A riot call was sent in from the steel works district, and the patrol loaded with officers hurried to the scene As soon as the wagon was out of sight, the mob quietly marched to the city hall, a committee marched into the office, covered the desk sergeant, Gar McCafferty, with revolvers and com manded him to turn over the keys to the jail cells. They then forced him to remain quietly in his chair while they went into the cell room, took the two Mexicans from their cells and to the street. Here a portion of the mob piled into automobiles with their pris- oners and sped away for the scene of the lynching.
 Upon reaching the scene of the sup posed riot and finding nothing aniss, Night Captain Sinclair, in charge of nhe squad of officers. suspected a ruse and ordered the patrol to head for the city hall with alr possible speed. He found that the mob had been there, taken the prisoners away and possibly lynched them.
 h -f1lr a mob, the captain summoned his of ficers to get back into the patrol and search for the mob and prisoners eommehced. When the officers reached the West Fourth street bridge, the mob had dispersed and the officers found the bodies of the two Mexicans hanging 20 feet apart from the girders of the bridge. Both were dead
 It was reported earlier in the even ing that the two men had been re- moved to the county jail for safe keep ing. It was later learned that the sheriff had taken them back to the city hall where persons called in to identify them could do so more easily.
 The lynching was conducted quietly and in a heavy rainstorm which some what threw the officers off their guard believing that the rain would damper the ardor of those desiring to par ticipate in lynching-
 Was Carefully Planned.
 Further details of the lynching show that the mob formed behind the new city hall. which is a block away from the old city hall where the city jail is located. AS soon as the patrol wagon with it's load of officers left the station, the mob quietly marched through the darkness and rain to the old city hall. Just before they started on the march, one of them took precautions, ac- costed Patrolman PeZoldt, a half a block away from the place where the mob was formed, threw a gun in his face and compelled him to surrender his gun and ammunition.
 The desk sergeant's desk is near a window. One of the mob slipped up 10 the window, pointed a gun through the screen at the officer and ordered him to throw up his hands. He did.
 Then about 50 of the mob, with ;. handkerchiefs over their faces, march ed in from the rear, took the keys from the desk sergeant and ordered City Health Officer Jim Byrne, who hap pened to be in the office at the time, 10 open the jail cells. He did so, and they found the two Mexicans sleeping. They were struck over the heads with some blunt instrument to render them unconscious. They were then dragged out of their cells, into waiting automo- piles and whisked to the bridge. Here the mob tied their hands to their sides, placed ropes around their necks and pushed them off the bridge, the fall breaking their necks. The mob then disappeared.
 New rope was used showing that the mob leaders were fully prepared for the work before hand.
 The coroner was called. He cut the bodies of the two men down and
 Continued on Page Twol