The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-06-20 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

LYNCIHNG THE JOHNSTOWN GHOULS.  In a New York paper just to hand a correspondent at Johnstown furnishes a vivid picture of the ghastly scenes, only partially reported, which took place after the flood. A number of Hungarians, he writes, collected about a number of bodies at Cambria which had been washed up and began rifling the trunks. After they had secured all the contents they turned their attention to the dead. The ghastly spectacle presented by the distorted features of those who had lost their lives during the flood had no influence upon the ghouls, who acted more like wild beasts than human beings. They took every article from the clothing on the dead bodies, not leaving anything of value or anything that would serve to identify the remains. It being reported that three men were going along the banks stealing the jewels from the bodies of the dead wives and daughters of men who had been robbed of all they held dear on earth, five burly men, with looks of terrible determination written on their faces, started at once for the scene of plunder, one with a coil of rope over his shoulder, and another with a revolver in his hand. In 20 minutes, so it is stated, they had overtaken two of the wretches, who were then in the act of cutting pieces from the ears and fingers from the hands of the bodies of the two dead women. With revolver levelled at the scoundrels the leader of the posse shouted "Throw up your hands or I'll blow your heads off ! " With blanched faces and trembling forms they obeyed the order and begged for mercy. They were searched, and as their pockets were emptied of their ghastly finds the indignation of the crowd intensified,and when a bloody finger of an infant, encircled with two tiny gold rings, was found among the plunder in the leader's pocket, a cry went up, "Lynch them ! lynch them!" Without a moment's delay ropes were thrown around their necks and they were dangling to the limbs of a tree, in the branches of which an hour before were entangled the bodies of a dead father and son. It is hinted that an Allegheny county official was one of the most prominent actors in this justifiable homicide. After one body of the miscreants had removed all their plunder to dry ground a dispute arose over a division of the spoils. A pitched battle followed, knives and clubs being used freely. As a result several of the combatants were seriously wounded and left on the ground, their fellow countrymen not making any attempt to remove them from the field of strife. One party of 13 Hungarians were noticed stealthily picking their way along the banks of the Conemaugh toward Sang Hollow. Suspicious of their purpose, several farmers armed themselves and started in pursuit. Soon their most horrible fears were realised. The Hungarians were out tor plunder. They came upon the dead and mangled body of a woman upon which there were a number of trinkets of jewellery and two diamond rings. In their eagerness to secure the plunder the Hungarians got into a squabble, during which one of the number severed the finger upon which were the rings, and started on a run with his fearful prize. The pursuing farmers were by this time close at hand. Some of the Hungarians shewed fight, but being outnumbered were compelled to flee for their lives. Nine of the brutes escaped, but four were driven into the surging river and to their death.  The death is announced of Professor Robert Litzmann, of the Vienna Polyclinical Institution. He had started on an excursion to the Semmering with his wife and family, when he had an apoplectic stroke on the way in the train. He was accordingly brought back to Vienna, but died almost immediately on reaching home. He was born in Kaschau, in Hungary, and had only attained his 52nd year. His reputation in the medical world was due to his valuable researches into the diseases of the kidneys. His lectures were attended by many English and American students and doctors.  •