WILD SCENES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 700, 28 November 1933, Page 5

WILD SCENES

LYNCHING IN PARK San Francisco, NoV. 27 I Despite the efforts of the police, ; an infuriated mob at 11 o'clock in i the evening stormed the San Jose! gaol and took Holmes and Thurmond, j the confessed slayers, t.o a nearby ; park and hanged them to death. j Since the time that the youth's i body was found a menacing mob had | gathered outside the gaol. About 10 : o'clock it attempted to storm the I building but the police repulsed it ; with tear gas bombs. All reserves ' were called out hui the mob persisted and finally the gas supply was exhausted and before more was avail-' able the piob battered the door down and dragged the murderers through the streets. Their clothes were stripped from them and they were beaten and kicked until both were bloody masses. Ropes were circled round their necks and eager men, women and even children pull^d the ropes hanging the two men from the branches. Apparently both died quickly. The lynching was witnessed hy some 6000 people, the crowd jeering as the pair were hanging. Hart was the son of Alex. J. Hart a wealthy businessman and was kidnapped on November 9. According to the confession of his abductors, he was thrown into San Francisco Bay after which they made a 40,000 dollar ransom demand on his father. They said that they killed him "to get him out of the way." Holmes appeared to be unconscious when strung up hut Thurmond was fully conscious and struggled. The crowd shouted "How do you like it?' and howled with glee.