Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1879 — LYNCHING “LAME JOHNNY. [ARTICLE]

LYNCHING “LAME JOHNNY.

A Noted Outlaw Made Food for Buxs&rds. Some weeks ago this desperado and liis pal, Frank Harris, were capured by Captain Crawford near Camp Sheridan, while on one of. their plundering expeditions, and placed in the post guard-house here to wait the orders of the civil aulhoritfes, who have offered large rewards for their apprehension. Last Monday Duputy Sheriff Smith, of Cheyegne, arrived here with a requisition for. them. Knowing them both to be desperate characters, lie concluded to take only one of the prisoners. Starting with “Lame Jchnny,” he succeeded in taking him safety to Buffalo Gap, the scene of the recent destructive toruado, and also of the last stage robbery, wherein the prisoner was known to be the leader of the gang. Soon after leaving the stage station th c< coat'll was stopped by a party of vigi fants. who forcibly took the prisoner from the officer, demanding from him a confession and the names of his associates in crime. He replied that he had nothing to confess and neNer would betray a paitner, whereupon they told him fils hour had come, as they intended to hang him. He replied: “Hang and be damned; you cannot do it too soon.” After making this defiant remark, a rope was placed about his neck and thrown over a limb. The doomed man was raised from the ground and suspended in mid-air, where his body was left a prey for -buzzards and crows. From what the Times correspondent can learn, this man’s career was the most remarkable of any outlaw on the plain. After commit ting several murders and being concerned in several stage robberies in Texas, i>i the last of which he was severely wounded, beitig shot through both limbs' making him a cripple for life, from which he derived the soubriquet of “Lame Johnny,” he left Liat State three years ago and came to this country to commence anew his career of crime. He had no permanent home, but camped wherever night overtook him. Ever since his appearance here he has been the terror of stockmen. Horses or cattle were not safe, except under the eyes of their herders. Even at the dead of night he would steal into the camp of freighters and emigrants, taking their whole herds. His last exploit was the taking of 200 Indian ponie? from the Pine Ridge agency. In this robbery he made a fatal mistake, being hotly pursued by the military and Indians and captured, with the result above stoted. His confederate in crime, Harris, confined here, -having beard of the fate of Lame Johnny, made a dbsperato attempt to escape, but owing to the vigilance of Sergeant Ruley, of the guard, was frustrated.