RECOVERED FROM BAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22122, 28 November 1933, Page 9

RECOVERED FROM BAY

AMERICAN STUDENT’S BODY BATTERED AND MUTILATED. SAN FRANCISCO, November 26. (Received Nov. 27, at 9 p.m.) The body of Brooke Hart .was found by two duck hunters in the bay to-day, badly battered and mutilated. It was identified by the clothing. State officials expect that with the finding of the remains a case will be made against the kidnappers. They have ordered extra guards for the gaol to. prevent possible mob action. Brooke Hart, aged 22, a graduate of the University of Santa Clara, and a son of a wealthy family, was kidnapped and killed by two men. Thomas Thurmond, who confessed,, implicated Jack Holmes, an. unemployed petrol worker. According to the story tofd by Thurmond, Hart was seized shortly after ho left a family department store to meet his father at a country, club. The kidnappers forced the youth to drive' them to an isolated spot, where his arms were pinioned. He was struck on the head with a brick and then the trussed body was thrown into the water from a bridge. Thurmond and his accomplice drove to San Francisco, where they telephoned the Hart home demanding 40,000 dollars as ransom. SWIFT RETRIBUTION. MOB LYNCHES MURDERERS. SAN FRANCiSCO, November 27. (Received Nov. 27, at 11.30 p.m.) A Sun message says that an infuriated mob surged round the barricades of the county gaol in San Jose trying to seize Holmes and Thurmond, the confessed slayers of Hart. They were driven back by tear gas bombs. Thousands of people flocked to the scene by all means of locomotion. Finally the mob got inside the gaol, dragged Thurmond and Holmes to St. James’s square and lynched them. Holmes appeared to be unconscious when he was strung up, but Thurmond was fully conscious and struggled. The crowd shouted, “How do you like it?” and howled with glee. THOUSANDS WITNESS LYNCHING. SAN FRANCISCO, November 27. (Received Nov. 28, at 0.30 a.m.) Despite the efforts of the police an infuriated mob at 11 o'clock at night stormed San Jose gaol, took Holmes and Thurmond to a nearby park, and hanged them. Since the time the youth’s body was found a menacing mob gathered at the gaol. The police repulsed them with tear gas bombs. All the available reserves were called out, but the mob persisted and finally, when the gas supply was exhausted and before more available reserves from San Francisco arrived the mob battered the door down and dragged the murderers to the street. Their clothes were stripped from them and they were beaten and kicked. Ropes circled their necks, and the eager hands of men, women and children pulled the ropes, hanging them over the branches. Apparently both died quickly. The lynching was witnessed by about 0000 people, the crowd jeering as the pair .wore being handled. Hart .was .the son of Mr Alex .J. Hart, a wealthy business man.