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MOB LAW IN NORTH DAKOTAThree Indians Lynched for the Murder of Six Members of the Spicer Family.THE COURTS WERE TOO SLOWThe Alleged Ringleader of the Mur-derers Had Obtained a New Trial After Having Been Sentenced to Death.BISMARCK, N. D.. Nov. 14.—Alexander Coudot, an Indian half-brood, and I’uyl Holytrack and Philip Ireland, full-blooded Indians, tho first of whom was sentenced to death for tho murder of six members of tho Spicer family, last February, and had just obtained a new trial fruni the Supremo Court, and the latter two self-confessed accessories In tlu* murders, were taken from tho County Jail In Dmmoris County last nlgnt and lynched by a mob. The lynching apparently had been plahhcd carefully, and was carried out without a break In the programme,Williamsport, whcro tho hanging look place. Is about forty miles from this city and off tho ratlroad. The news of the hanging was brought hero this afternoon by a mounted messenger. Tho Sheriff of tho county, Peter Shier, was In thiw city at the Umo the hanging occurred, and It was to him that the messenger brought word. The men had been in the custody of Deputy Sheriff Thomas Kelly, and they were taken from his control by the mob and hanged to a beef windlass several hundred yards from the jail, where their bodies remained to-day, tho Coroner not having arrived, and no one else having volunteered to cut them down.The Slob Came on Horne buck.There were about forty men concerned in the lynching. They rode into Williamsport on h sebuek late at night, and tethered tbelr horses a. short distance from the city In order that they might remount as speedily as possible after their purpose was accomplished. The jail In which the prisoners wero con lined is a substantial atono structure, and was In ohargu of Deputy Sheriff Kelly. Since the confinement of theprisoners there, so great has been the fear that they might escape, one man has watched all night within the Jail, and last night Kelly was on tho watch. There was a meeting of the Lodge of Wornlim n in a building near the Jail, anil Kelly expected to meet some of the members of the lodge after the meeting had adjourned.To while away tho iimp during the night he was playing soittaira In ft out of the cells In which the murdepers were confined. About 2 o’clock In Hie morning there w.us a rap at the outer door of the jail, and Kelly arose quickly and turned the key lit the lock, thinking that the persons be expected to meet had arrived. No sooner hud he opened the door than the mob crowded into the corridors. All of them were masked, and the leaders carried ropes,Tlie Jailer yurremlern.Kelly at once realized that the mnb had comp after his prisoners. The lynchers tvero quiet but determined. Tho/ftwiclers presented revolvers at the bead of the Deputy Sheriff and told him they wanted Ills prisoners and demanded that ho open the cells In which they were co nil tied. Kelly demurred, but saw that resistance was useless, and unlucked the cells. Two of the prisoners were conllucd together, and the other In a *«ep-arate cell. They had been aroused from sleep by the entrance of the men anil sat up half awake and trembling with terror.The Indians were taken from their beds, ropes were fastened about their necks, and they were led out of the building, after being told to prepare for death The men were dragged to a huge beef wlndhe-s which hud been erected to suspend the carcasses of slaughtered beeves, and strung up on a cross beam. Coudot was tlie Hrst man tobe hanged. It Is, reported tnat he was askedbefore lie was banged whether Holytrack and Ireland had also been concerned In tho murder for which he was about to be hanged. JIo answered that they bad been.The rope, which had been fastened about his neck, was then thrown over tlie crossbeam, and he was raised off the giound and suspended in the air. Holytrack and Ireland were so nearly unconscious from the effects of being dragged to the spot that they did not realize what was about to happen when the ropes about their necks were tossed over tlie same beam They wero unable to stand and were slowly rained from the ground until their bodies swung In the air and dangled from the windlass with that of Coudot. Tlie mob then dispersed, mounted their horses, and rodo away.
Newspaper Details
New York Times
New York, New York, US
Mon, Nov 15, 1897
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA, USA 26 Dec 2021
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