The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-12-10
LYNCH LAW OF 49'ERS IS hA0DERHIzED
THREE GANCSTERS HANGED BY MOB
ON SAME LIMB Of TREE IN CEMETERY

- U0b OS0Uue0 j 3u0 j
costly motor cars were used. Instead
of the glow of lanterns, the CHASTITY
CLEAN of automobile headlights made
the tortured, writhing bodies glow
ghostlike amid the mist which helped
,. blacken the night.
1t was done with modern eff
ciency-quickly over in half an hour:
hardly a word spoken; not shot
fired; but only orders which were,
apparently, not to be dsobeyed. The
roaring, cursing, reckless mob of the
old mining camp days had been re-
placed.
Blame on BootIesgers.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, Dec. 10
1t was with varied emotions that Ed
(K. o. Kruvosky and. Ed (Spud
Murphy, prize fighters, held here in
connection with the San Francisco
vice gang cases, today heard Of the
lynching Of their pals, George Boyd,
Terrence Fits and Charles Valento,
at Santa Rosa.
Murphy professed not to care, but
Kruvosky broke down and cried.
"That amt nothin' in my young
life," Murphy said. 'It's just the
same as a lynchin' down in TenEes-
see so far as I'm conc cerned. Those
guys weren't friends of mine.
"Spani (meaning Valento) was my
PAL" sobbed Kruvosky "He was the
only bird I knew in that layout. Miles
jackson was my friend, too"
jackson was one Of the San Fran.
cisco detectives killed Sunday at
Santa Rosa.
Murphy was much interested in
how the men died.
Boyd was game, eh?" he COM
mented when told how Boyd went to
his death. Boyd had fightin' heart.
The rest Of 'em were weak"
Murphy then shook his head little
and thought. ,-.s,-gg : .'
Bootleg, rotten whisky, is to blame
for the whole thing. That is what
got me in wrong and it got the rest,
too. Damn those bootleggers."
One Hundred Masked Men.
SANTA ROSA, Calf, Dec 10
About one hundred armed and
masked men raided the Sonoma
county Jail early today, disarmed
Sheriff Boyes and his deputies,
dragged Torrance Fits, George Boyd
and Charles Valento, all under indict-
ment for the killing of Sheriff James
Petray, of Sonoma county, and De-
tectives Miles Jackson and Lester
Dorman. of San Francisco, from their
cells and lynched them on the same
limb of an oak tree in the Odd Eel
lows cemetery.
After the bodies had swung in the
gentle breeze which was blowing a
light mist around them for an hour,
Sheriff Boyes and the county corpner
removed them.
Boyd. the gangster who fired the
shots that killed the officers, went to
his death with hardy a murmur. He
was dying gradually from bullet
wound inflicted by Detective Jackson
before the latter died.
Valento walked to his place under
the death limb with a laugh for his
executioners on his lips He laughed
in their faces when they took him
from Jail. ..
Fits, known as THE Bully.
screamed and cried like a child and
pleaded for his life. AT the scene OF
the lynching he became so violent
and screamed so loudly that he was
str7,ck over the head with the butt
of gun and quieted. A gag was
then pushed in his mouth.
The lynche were organized per
fectly Masked guards with rifles IN
their hands and revolvers strapped
10 the outside of their overcoads
we're stationed at the four street cor
ners of the county jail.
Pedestrians and autoists approach.
ing tbe iail were stopped and turned
in another direction. Sensing "nal
was taking place, no one protested
When the band. armed heavily,
,,,shed into the Jail. they were met
by Sheriff John M. Boyes, Jaller
Jewett, Deputy Sheriff Marvin Robins
and Mike Lindsey, former policeman
Guns were against the stomach or
the officers and Jewett was MADE 10
hand over the cell keys.
"We want trose keys and we mean
husiness." one of the party told
Sheriff Boyes.
Don't do that, boys the sheriff
renIied. "These men are to be ar.
raiened this morning and they VIII
he tried soon and it is certain they
will hang. Let the law take It's
"We're not taking any chances
ithe leader or the DanC repileu.
In the meantime the keys had peeh
handed to either members OF the
hand. and while the o'hcers "ete
held at bay by part of the band the
others unlocked the great doors OF
40 iai1 went to the insane ward
mere the wounded Boyd was lying
On a cot. seized him and took him
inside and into one of the thirty
waiting automobiles.
Fits and Valento were taken 1ron
+boir cells in another part of the jail
and were rushed out close behind
Boyd.
Fourth street to Mcdonald avenue
and down this, one of Santa Rosa
(Continued on page 2.)