LYNCH LAW IN ILLINOIS.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 696, 5 July 1870, Page 4

LYNCH LAW IN ILLINOIS.

The following,, particulars of> : a.; tragic affair that occurred very recently j at Beardstown, 111., appear in the local papers ':'—i" Messrs' Yeck and Becker kteep a at Beardstown, arid 'are well known and have many friends 1 throughput the country. ,On last Thursday afternoon they, both left tJie,salpQn f or ia short time. in keeping ,of . an . employee. Returning they found tHeY nsjual quiet ,p^a^e j of busiheW a scene o^ disorder^ and not. A ; man, whose name our informant cotild not ' town for some time, was kicking and beating another, man who -wais intoki-n , cated, i , $eck and ; jßecker sat f once interfered to prevent a continance of the brtital ifoeatment, 1 /whereupon the assailant drew a revolver and began firing on them. Mr , Yeuk received two balls and was ' instgnily killed. Mr Becker was badly, andPitjis, feared mortally wounded. The arrest iof the murderer f»t onpe made and he 1 waa taken io gaol. During Thuradky j night the friends of the killed and ! tvoirna^d i. men made several attempts. with more, pr i less determination, to take out and lynfeh the prisoner ; • but th& sheriff and guards were able > ;to . resist . the attemptai ■•<■ .On , yesterday, however, the body of Yeck was buried, and.a largef number of his friends were in town from Beardstown and. other places in the country. ' The 1 • J)j*elimiha4y examination of.the^accused was < alsot hel 1 before a magistrate, and his committal ,i o gaol added to the excitement. Ai abov t dusk the friends of the murdered mai very quietly : gathered about the gk'6l,|ah 1 it appears that at this time the sheriff i deputies' 'wel?e absent 'at supper. '■ At 1 an; r rate so completely were the arrangement i of th'e 1 populace/ that : sheriff wak caught outside the gaol with. the. key i upon him. The mob numbered about 500 men, and the leaders using.no.unnecessarj force, took the keys from the sheriff anr placed him in the hands ofa guard, whe held him in custody until the: completior of the tragedy. The l( mpb then .entered the gaol and seized a prisoner, whom they! supposed to be the murderer and' got a! rope round his neck before: ithe^i found that they were mistaken >in their I man. Upon discovering their .mistake they released him and returned tjo make their vengeance sure. In the' meantime the! murderer, confined, in hikcell, was aware | of the designs of the^mobV He' was! chained to the floor,' but he got possession of an iron bar, and as the leader- of the mob proposed to open the cell door, he warned them! that he would i&lliiis'life dearly. This resolute demeanor produced a change of action, but did not defeat the purpose 6f ; ' the leaaers. 'A'pis'tol kliot through the head< sent ' the iBoNil > iof :the murderer to account for his crimes, and the body was then taken out doors and hung by the neck to <a . tree,.- The man who thus suddenly expiated his crime was from Akbaraay and was, judging from his conduct and demeanor, a desperate ruffian.. Having accomplished their object the'ntob ; dispersed, It is not yet known what , th^e, : action of the authorities j iii view 'Of this' breach of law and order, will be." — New York Hercttd.