LYNCHING A MURDERER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 224, 21 September 1893, Page 8

LYNCHING A MURDERER.

Deaooed Naked From THE Gaol. Haxoed Cpbsino His Executioners. Denver, Jnly N26.—The most startling incident in tho history of Denver sinco the Chinese riots in 1879, occurred to-night, beiog the lynching of Daniel Arata, an Italian, for the murder of B. C. Lightfoot, an inoffensive member of the Grand Army | of tho Republic, aged 62 years. _ | The murder of an old Boidier by an Italian | seemed to require swifter justice than the j slow process of the law provided. Groups j ■of men wore harangued by speakers. By 8 j o'clock the crowd numbered 1,000. It wascomposed of all clauses, buc mainly respect-1 nblo mechanics and labourers, thousands of whom in this city are out of employ-! Shortly after 8 o'clock, with a yell thab was heard for blocks, the crowd welcomed B delegation from North Denvor which was headed by friends of tlie old soldier. After a few words of consultation a move was made toward the County Gaol, about a tniie distant, the crowd gathering hundreds at> overy cornor. When tho objective point wa3 reached tho crowd numbered over j 5,000, and every man waa yelling ' Lynch | tho Dago.' j Only ft brief halt was made before the j sleigehammers and picks began the work | of breaking down the walls of the eaol. The leaders advised this course because of the Jeurthat tho officials inside would shoot if an attempt were made to break down the doors. „, , , . .. After fifteen minutes of hard work _on tho massive walla tlio crowd becamo impatient, j and it wns decided to make an attack on ihe j doors. The police patrol put in an appear; an"o on the outskirts of tho mob about this time, but seeing that it would bo utter folly and that it would cost many lives were they* to attempt to guard the gaol, tjhey wisely withdrew. I The officials inside the gaol-wore equally powerless, and after doing all they could to Ware the mob thab tho murderer was not in the gaol, they secured the doors as best ihey could and awaited developments. The telephone was used in an effort to reach the Governor for the purpose of asktog for the assistance of the militia, but it is not known at this hour whether the Govornor was informed or nob, It is not likoly chat he heard of the lynching until it was over. The time was too short, however, to admit of anything bsing dona in that direction. The cars of the City Cablo Company were stopped by the mob, and a rail taken from the track with which to batter iv the gaol doors. A hundred men with the fortyfoot rail soon demolished the door and tho crowd swarmed into the corridors. A gaol official was captured and ordered to point Dut tho cell which con,taiued the murderer. fiv To save trouble and damage to the buildK\ v- * ho gave the mob the information, end

in a trico tho door of Arata's cell was battered down. At h'ret ho denied that be was tho man they wanted, but he waa dragged to the light and fully Uontitied. The miserable wretch began fighfiug and cursing, defying the lynchers to do their worsb. In this horriblo struggle for life bis clothes were torn from his body, not a vestige remaining. He waa dragged with Z rope around his neck into the street and hanged, heaping vile epithota on bis slayers, to the nearesb telegraph polo. When the body was six feet from the ground over fifty shots were fired at it. Fifteen entered the body.

After hanging for over an hour the body was taken down and a cloth tied around it. Id waß then draggod through the streets in the direction of the newspaper offices a mile from the scone of the lynching.

When tho 'Republican' office was reached a halt was made, the body exhibited to' the stall', who Razed irom the windows, and the march was resumed to the oflice of tho 'Rocky Mountain News.' When that oflice was reached (.ha body was swung twenty foot in the air to a telephone pole, where it hung abovo a sea of upturned faces and yelling humanity for half an hour;

About 11.30 o'clock the police patrol, containing one policeman and tha Coroner arrived and took the body to the Coroner's office. The mob then disappeared. Two men were Hvounded by indiscriminate tiring at the corpse at the gaol. The crime for which Arata paid the paoalty was a moat cowardly one. Last evening B. C. Lightfoot, an inoffensive n;an of 62 years, went into Arafca'e saloon, on Wawatta-streob, and called for a glass of beor. Arata, who had been on a protracted spree, asked him to havo another glass, and when Lightfoot wan about to leave tho saloon Arata demanded 5 conts for the second drink.

After a dispufco Arata struck Lifjhtfoot with a heavy chair, knocking the old man 'onsaless. While on tho floor he continued to . rain blovite on the old man uutil his head and faco wero beaten to a jelly.