A MURDEREE LYNCHED.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2361, 27 August 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

A MURDEREE LYNCHED.

A Chinaman named Hong Di, who had murdered a Mrs. Billon at Colusa has been lynched. The American papers thus describe the event: —The mob attacked the gaol at ten minutes past twelve this morning. They entered the gaol, surrounded Sheriff Seville, and demanded Hong Di. The mob was composed of at least 150 men. Sheriff Beville stated to some thirty men who had gained admission to the Sheriffs office that they could appoint a committee to examine the rooms, but that the murderer was not in the gaol. He stated that he had an order from the Court to remove him. The doors of the Sheriff’s office were closed, and search was begun for the prisoner. In the bedroom a trapdoor was found, and. food and Chinese shoes were at once discovered. Hong Di was immediately found in this cellar, and was brought forth. He was greeted by scores of excited voices and a hundred guns, the barrels of which gleamed in the moonlight. Perfect order was observed in the handling of the prisoner, and the captain had absolute command of his chosen men. The Chinaman was taken a little over a block to the west side of the goal, where a stop was made at Tim Sullivan’s livery stables, and a rope procured, which was tied by a hangman’s knot around Hong’s neck. A buggy was in waiting, and as the mob proceeded from this point the buggy followed. They proceeded through Chinatown, which was as quiet as the grave. Mo lights were seen, every door was shut, and not a soul was {n sight. Two blocks were passed when they came to the railroad grounds, over the depot platform, and on to the yards to the turn table, where a halt was made. Then the captain demanded silence; then he asked sharply, “ What did you shoot Mrs Billon for?" Hong Di evidently tried to speak. His lips moved, the muscles of his pallid, drawn face quivered convulsively, but no sound qamo. He gasped as though he already felt the fatal noose about his neok. Again Weaver repeated the quos. tiou—this time with increased emphasis, and in a manner which demanded an answer. The wretched coolie stammered a few unintelligible words, and then gasped

out: " I to drunk with whisky." The captain of the vigilantes, evidently seeing that it was useless to attempt to eet anything'more from the now thoroughly cowed and demoralised Chinaman, now stopped forward and demanded room in order to swing the - rope. The murmnn which had followed Hong’s silence were stilled in an instant, and when the leader saw that lie bad the attention of the crowd, he said : “ Now, gentleman, the rope goes up, but don’t shoot till I give the order,” A sharp whiz followed as the long coil of rope flew out and poised in tha air a moment above the crossbar of the turntable. Every eye was fixed upon it, and as soon as the rope neared them a acore of eager hands seized it. It was pasted along to others behind. Tbert; ‘★a* a quick, strong pall, and lEe body of Hong I>i swung in the air. As his feet cleared the ground he threw his hands np and dung with desperate grip to the rope just above his head. He hung in this way for several moments, his face showing the terrible fear that possessed him, bnt his weak arras soon relaxed, hi» hands fell, and he remained hanging, swinging slowly from side to side. He was strong up exactly at twenty minutes past one o’clock. The mob stayed around the improvised gallows, and several excited men made attempts to fire bullets into the body of the murderer, but they were prevented from accomplishing that purpose. After hanging for about seven minutes lie was lowered, and calls were made for a doctor. Dr. Gray stepped forward and said that his heart was still beating. He was again hauled np mod allowed to hang for ten minutes longer.