Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1859 — Outlaws and Lynch Law in Illinois [ARTICLE]

Outlaws and Lynch Law in Illinois

T.ie Du Q loin (III.) Journal ol the 1 th inst. gives a circumstanti il accoun* o som rather desperate d -ings at Sparta, in R inti Iph County, on the sth inst. It se. ins 1 that a desperado named Graham, who, with i three or ;Otir associates..had set all law and I gospel at defiance tor a long time, was ordered by a Vigilance Committee ol Sparta, to leave he town within a cert in numtier l of hours, or remain at. his peril. II • sw <re !he Would n >t go, saying he would die first The Committee and citizens finding that i if. ih.iin '• •’ leave at the time appointed, 1., rcb • >• dv. numbering at least one ; buiidrrd s'c: - • us, for the purpose of enforcing tue uec si. n. He remarked wlh n they 1 pproac ed, ‘ there’s a |rr*-tty good crowd o, |y u.” He was then informed o; their b'.isirnes.s, immediately repeated, with t!i,e .■dmti >n >1 tear ul oaths, th ■ same Words b-e I said when first notifi -d to leave, atsd-at th • same time drew a revolver, and fir.-d two shots at those pers ns neares' hita.. fitrt w ;th- : out fleet, I’his w.s the si_a.il lor iiw-eiti- | z<-ns to tire, and in-t snt’y t welve-or fifteen 'guns and pistols were dl-'.'barged ats him il>‘ tell to tnegr.nv.ui. aud tfied upon tit. s-poj. He received uuir w-,u.tuis,. titre-e oi which were oi a iright ul cb.rac-.»if.*-. At he time Graham, wis slmt, one of Lis i associat'-s, named Bwet, I'riuu the neighborhood oi St. M.rys, Mo., was standing near with a hatchet iu his h.inu. When GUaham Heil, however,. Beve-l turned and fled, ami ' several shots wetired »• t him by the excited cit iz.eus, none ol wliic'i too effect. Four or five persons met him, however, and while i one field a revolver to his breast, another Ikmwk 'd biai< dbw ss, ..'nd he was secured. Hutehi:»gs r the man who accompanied Graham and Cheeier, was standing a. siu>rt distaiiMse fro-ut t l>e seen;- w.t slLoutiag, and when tie stvw his lut comrade tall, he tried, to escape, but was overtaken by some of the ettizens. We believe one or two more of the 1 con ederases ut Graham were secured, but diu not learn tin-nr names. Bevel and Hut< flings were then taken tu the room ol the Vigilance Committee, where they were guarded until near twelve o’clock al night, when those wh were watching the prisoners were relieved by a Iresh guard. In a short time alter, Bevel and Hutchings were taken to tne woods a j.iiniug town, where a rope was tustened around the lunner’s neck, and he wa swung tu tne limb 01 a tree until nearly 1 suffocated, when he was lowered, and thinkpi'g ms time on earth was about ended, he 1 mad. -ui fi revelations as m.iuced the ComI mitlee 1 ■ place him ;n tne hands of justice, iiu' -.•h.-.-ih i- 1 vt ,*a ,nig up until me was n arij ■■’ktii.ct, •. a ia a uiuiiK nt alter being , letdown lie commenced cursing those wh had him in charge at a s- un<i rate, and said ! tiiat no n vetaiiuiis cuuid be go. irum him.

He was hauled up by the neck a second tim*’ until black in the face; but with like result. Finding that nothing could be done by swinging him to the tree, it was resolved that he should be severely whipped. He was accordingly bound to a ’fee and whipped unmercifully over the back; but he wile elso proof to this mode of persuasion, all the while cursing his captors in no very becoming manner. Finding that Hutching was a plucky individua 1, the Committee determined to hold him until morning, when one ur two ot the citizens sheuid escort him out of town several miles. This was acco d n g!y done, and the late prisoner made good use of his legs, for he took suoper in Du Quoin the -same evening, (Wednesday,) and walked north on the rail-road track.