Imperial Valley press., 1933-11-27
SAN JOSE CITIZENS HANG TWO
SLAYERS Of HART AFTER LONG
FIGHT To STORM COUNTY JAIL
Lynchers Overcome Resistance Of Officers
Who Relied Upon Tear Gas; Attackers
Spurred On By Finding Of Youths Body.


Tear bombs held the attackers off
until 11:20 p. m, when they bat
kered down We main door and
surged into the jail proper.
Emig fell, seriously wounded. He
was struck by a brick while de-
Tending another prisoner whom the
mob miStook for Thurmond Eight
persons bere injured, none SER
iously, as the crowd, now number
ing 10000. milled about the Jail and
the two elm trees in st. James
Park where the captives were
hanged.
The lynchings climaxed 16-day
search for young Hart, 22-year-
old son of Alex j. Hart, owner of
San Jose's largest department
store. The youth was kidnapped on
November 9. Thurmond and
Holmes were arrested on Novem-
ber 16. Both confessed they killed
him and threw his body into San
Francisco bay.
Body Discovered
The body was found Sunday by
Leonard Dalve and Harold Steph-
ems, San Jose duck hunters, while
they were rowing across the bay.
The discovery again fired the
dormant hate of San Jose which
had seethed with threats of mob
violence since 1'hurmond and
Holmes confessed. --<
Within an hour 100 men and
boys had gathered. BY p. m. 1000
were milling about the Jail. By $3.50
p. m. the crowd had increased to
6O00 More than 10000 were swarm
ing about the Jail and park when
the lynchings took place.
Thurmond was hanged first. He
was unconscious. Holmes was
hanged next. He was naked eX-
ties dropped tear bombs from the
Both men were beaten and kicked
as the mob demanded their blood.
Before the bodies were cut down
someone ignited bunch of news
papers and set fire to Thurmond's
tattered clothing.
The lynchers quickly dispersed
while souvenir hunters swarmed
around the trees fighting for bits
of clothing, pieces of the galloWs
rope, and even bits of bark from
the trees.
Efforts to identify leaders of the
mob were futile, nor would city
and county authorities reveal any
ider I,ities, if Jley knew them.
Men and boys, many of the latter
in their early teens, composed most
OF the mob. But women were pre-
sent too, and their shrill impreca-
tions mingled with cries of the men
for vengeance.
1t was a red-haired youth that
fired the mob to action.
Lets go get en-" he shouted.
The mob srged forward Depu-
ties dropped team bombs from the
second floor. Rage of the mob
mounted. More tear bombs further
infuriated them and they attacked
the barricaded main door with
length of oil well casing.
Thurmcnd Unconscious
Thurmond and Holmes were
dragged out through the Jail court
yard. The yard resembled a bat
field. Swells of tear gas billowed
over the scene. Broken glass, bricks
stones and other missiles Uttered
the place. Every window in the Jail
was shattered.
participants sought safety
wherever shelter offered. 1t was a
scene unparalleled since 1923 when
California; S last mob lynching oc-
CURED.
The double hanging was ghastly
The moose was placed over Holmes
head and he was jerked up, then
let down, then jerked up again
as the mob demanded he suffer
as Brooke Hart did
The mob was infuriated because
Thurmond was unconscious and
did not know what was happen
ing" They tried to revive him, to
make him understand his fate, to
no avail.
There were those who pleaded for
legal Justice, but they we're few and
their cries were drowned uot by the
shrieks of the mob
Many who witnessed the hangings
tainted or fled, crying Historically.
Holmes and Thurmond both were
young. Holmes was married and the
father of two children. Thurmond
was single but had been counting
girl who Tilted him and married an
other. Both men, until several weeks
ago, we're employed by oil COM
panies. This association brought
them together and led them to
hatch the kidnapping plot that end
ed in their own deaths.