LYNCH LAW IN KANSAS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2534, 6 October 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

LYNCH LAW IN KANSAS.

A despatch, dated Parsons, Kansas, June 27th, in the New York times, reads as follows :—"John Risbee and Wylie Lie, two coloured men, who were arrested at Chetopa last evening for shooting (Jity Mar.-hal. William Bently and Deputy Edward Martin, were lynched This morning at two o'clock, by a mob of several hundred citizens of (Jhetopa. The prisoners were in the hands of Sheriff Wilson aud a guard, who attempted to take tlimn to the county gaol at Oswego, on the north bound Missouri, Kansas, and Texas passenger train about midnigh" last night, but the streets were full of excited and angry people, who notified him that the prisoners must not be taken out of town until a preliminary examination was held. Wilson telegraphed to tho County Altjrney.and returned to the city and p'.aca i the prisoners in the City hall. In the meantime the crowd iu the streets was swelled by the addition of hundreds who, learning the trouble, (locked iu from the country armed with shotguns and whatever weapons they could find. The streets were packed full for a distance of three squares oil each side of the place where the prisoners wore About half past twelve o'clock a report was circulated through the crowd that Depaty-Mirshil Martin had just died from his wounds, and Marshal Bent'y was dying. The crowd became wild with rage, and threats of lynching were freely made. Sheriff Wilson doubled theguard over the prisoners, who, struck with terror pegged him to protect them. About one o'clock a mysterious moving was noticed in the crowd, and in a few minutes the electric light was suddeuly extinguished, and at the same moment somebody in the front of the City hall shouted, ' Tliey are coming,'the crowd gave back, aud a company of about 200 men filed through it and up the stairs into the i,'ity-hall. Shcrilf Wilson fought desperately to protect his prisoners, and severly wounded one of the mob iu the face by a revolver. He and his guard was soon overpowered and the mob had possession. The prisoners were handcuffed together and had crouched down under the table. Tliey were dragged out aud ropes were placed around their neckß. They begged most piteously for mercy, but the mob were determined to do their wor|f. A few moments were granted to thein lo say prayers, an 1 they fell oa their knees anil prayed most earnestly. At two o'clock they fiuislied their prayers. The mob seiz.nl them again and rushed them out of the City hall into the Chetopa Statesman oliiie, adjoining. The window on the north side of the room was kinked out, and the doomed men were carried to and stood up in it. The ropes were tied to a piece of timber and suddenly the men jumped forward, while au involuntary exclamation of horror caine from tho crowd. The bodies dropped back against the side of the building with their faces towards the ground and the crowd, and their feet about three feet from the ground. Kisbee's neck was broken by the fall, and he died without a struggle, but Lee was slowly strangled to death. He was handcuffed to Risbee, and made a desperate effort to raise his hands to catch, the rope, but Risbee's weight held them down. His tongue protruded from his mouth, and the sight was ghastly and revolting. The crowd slowly dispersed leaving the bodies hanging, and it-was not until nine o'clock in the morning, on the arrival of the coroner, that they were cut down. Hundreds visited the scene. A coroner's jury was at once empmnelled, aud is now engaged in hearing testimony iu regard to tho alfair. The coroner, a coloured man, says he is determined to ascertain who composed the mob. The coloured people are indignant over the milter, but the general verdict is that the men deserved to die, although the inauner of thoir death is deplored."