Omaha daily bee., 1919-05-29
SLAYER OF
SH { R | F F
| Y n CHED
AT LAMAR
Confessed Murderer of Mis-
souri, Man and Son Taken
From Guards After Re-
Ceiving Life Sentence.

Lamar Mo-, May 2S.-Jay Lynch.
confessed slayer of Sheriff John Har-
low of Barton county and the sher-
ITS son, was hanged today by
mob which took him from the hands
OF officers in the courthouse and
lynched him in the yard of the
building. Lynch had pleaded guilty
to the charge and had been given a
sentence of life Imprisonment by
Judge B. G. Thurman. The murder
OF which he was convicted took
place March 8.
Lynch had been brought here from
Butler, Mo, where he has been in
confinement since being arrested at
La Junta, Colo, several weeks ago.
After sentence was passed Judge
thurman, fearing violence, had the
prisoner taken into his private office.
About 500>persons were in the court
room. Lynch was guarded by seven
officers.
Shortly after 3 o'clock, "a neil
came into the private office of the
judge, overpowered the guards and.
putting a rope around Lynch's neck,
dragged him into the yard of the
court house and hanged him.
The courtyard was filled at the
time of the hanging by persons who
had come out of the court room.
Taken From Relatives.
Lynch's wife, baby, mother and
sister were in the judges Office when
he was taken out by the mob. His
handouts had been removed SO that
he might hold his baby and he had
Just given the child back to its
mother when the men entered
Lynch is one of few white men to
be lynched in Missouri. Capital pun
ishment is not possible under law
enacted by the legislature in 1917.
Lynch was first confined at Lamar
on the request of ST Louis authori-
rles, where he was charged with box
car robbery. March 3, Sheriff Har-
low. in response to a request of
Lynch to use the long distance tele-
phone, opened his cell Lynch drew
revolver and shot the sheriff. kill
ing him instantly. The son of the
sheriff came to his fathers rescue
and was also shot by Lynch. The
son died two days later
Wife and Mother Held.
While Lynch made no confession
as to where he had obtained the
weapon which he used to kill Sher-
if Harlow and his son, his mother
and wife were supposed to have
smuggled it to him. They were held
Immediately after his escape on the
charge of being accessories to the
crime. The two women were released
on bond and their case is still pend
ing
That Lynch came to his death at
the hands of parties unknown" was
the verdict returned by the coron-
er's jury.
No warrants had been issued this
evening, the authorities said. None
of those who participated in the
hanging was recognized, according
to the coroner.
Lynch's wife and mother were re-
moved from Lamar by the author
tiles Immediately after the lynching.
Statement of Governor.
Jefferson City, Mo-, May 28-
Governor Frederick D. Gardner re-
ceived his first information of the
hanging OF Jay Lynch at Lamar
from the Associated Press late to-
day and said he was extremely as
tonlshed at such proceedings in
Missouri.
This is the first I have heard of
it." declared the governor. Il will
communicate with officials of Bar
ton county Immediately to see that
the dignity of the law is upheld and
that the perpetrators of the crime
are brought to justice. That is all
l can say at present"