The Duluth rip-saw., 1920-02-07
TALES OF LONG AGO
The Ep-saw Historian Digs Into Doines IN the Dim, Dis
tant Past and Unearth. Interesting Incidents
Of Days That Are No More.

little ones accompanied him. Several
saw them with the dark, rough man,
but gave the matter no thought and
never suspected that all was not well.
Entering the protecting woods, Be-
lange first forced fiery whisky down
the tender throats of the little ones
and then he eriminally assaulted both
of them.
Hearing their loud cries, Mr.. Giffin
fastened into the bush, finding the
children half strangled from the ef-
feets of the liquor, and crying loudly
in fright and pain from their brutal
treatment. One was much more in.
jured than the other and, as she was
helped home, blood from her, tender
little person dripped down and spat-
tered the leaves along the trail.
Sending the children to their mother
by a neighbor who came up, Mr.. Gif
fin attempted to trail the rapist, who
headed for Virginia and made his es.
ape for the time being.
Later, the fugitive turned back,
passed through Mountain Iron and at
tempted to board the D. NJ. & N. train.
There he was seen and arrested by
deputy village marshal Mckenzie.
The prisoner, when lodged in a frail
log building used as a village jail, had
bottle partly filled with whisky
which he had bought that forenoon at
Barret & Griffith's saloon in Noun.
tain Iron. The unfortunate man un-
doubtedly was drunk when he COM
mitted his bestial deed, therefore he
was irresponsible to that extent.
A crowd quietly but determinedly
began to assemble at p. m. At $40
p. m, a pistol shot was heard. The
crowd made a rush for the Jail and
demanded that village marshal Al
Free hand over the prisoner. He re.
fused.
Before Free fairly knew what had
happened, he was brushed aside, the
Jail door battered in and the prisoner
brought out.
Deputy sheriffs Minnehan and Mel
son tried to reason with the mob, but
Winchester rifles were pointed at them
and they were curtly told that they
better stand aside. The mob was not
masked, but hats were pulled down
over the eyes of its members.
As many men as possible held to
100 feet of rope by which Belange was
led to the very tree where he had
committed his fiendish crime. Men
walked by his side and behind him.
Belange never flinched nor held back,
He seemed utterly oblivious of his i'm.
pending doom. On the way to the gal
lows tree, the unhappy man was com
PEELED to look through the window at
the grief-stricken mother as she was
lulling her little girls to sleep.
When interrogated, Belange declared
that he would like to make a confes-
sion. He said:
81 am guilty and you are using me
right. 1 was drinking and must have
been crazy"
els there any word you wish to
send your relativess'' he was asked.
''It is too Late now," was the hope
less reply.
The prisoner then asked for a priest,
but was informed that it would be i'm
possible to get one, even if there were
time.
"You will be given time to pray,
if you WISH" the ravisher was in
formed.
A hush fell on that mob of rough
but determined men as the doomed
victim of booze and lust bowed his
head.
cup with him!' exclaimed a voice
as Belange raised his head from his
prayer.
The rope was thrown over a limb of
the very tree under which the children
had been assaulted.
"That's a dead limb" exclaimed a
voice in the crowd.
"There will be four dead limbs up
there in moment" yelled some grim
joker.
Belange was hoisted from the ground
and the rope made fast to the tree. A
pistol shot was fired and the mob
quietly dispersed.
Half an hour later, marshal Free cut
down the body.
Saturday, May S, 1893, deputy cor
oner Coon, of Virginia, held an in
quest and the jury brought in YER
diet as follows:
"The deceased, known as Frank Be-
lange, came to his death from strangu-
lation by hanging by the neck"