PULLING HEMP. How it Feels to be Strung Up by a Mob of Infuriated Men.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 181, 4 December 1886, Page 3

PULLING HEMP. How it Feels to be Strung Up by a Mob of Infuriated Men.

'• You may talk about mad elephants let; loose, or circus tigers on the rampage," said a man from Weetern Michigan the other day ; "but they are no comparison to a crowd of angry and excited men hungering for your death. Four yearß ago I came into possession of three or four pieces of property in Southern Indiana, and I went down to look them over. At Jasper I concluded to get a saddle horee. One morning, almost before anybody in the town waa astir, and while I was taking a before breakfast walk, a stranger cama along astride of a fine animal, and to my query as to whether he wanted to sell he returned a ready affirmative. It "was a sorrel horse, spotted with white, and one to be recognised and identified on sight by any one who had ever seen him before. The price asked was $1 % 25, and though I beat the man down to $100, he told such a straight story that I could have no suspicion of him. He claimed to be a resident of Vincennes, and to have purchased the horse in Albany. " I was congratulated by the villagers on my purchase, and soon after breakfast set off for the south. After proceeding about ten miles 1 turned to the left, and had gone about three miles when a band of horsemen, about a dozen strong, came riding from the opposite direction at atgallop. The instant we met they surrounded me. Some had revolvers and some guns, and I was menaced on all sides. 1 was astonished, of course, half believing I had fallen in with a band of robbers, but they quickly gave me to understand to the contrary. The horse under me had been stolen the previous night, or at an early hour in the morning, and the owner was among those who surrounded me. It didn't strike me that I looked like a horse-thief, but those men were mad and excited, and they had me out of the saddle in a minute. Of course I protested, telling them who I was and where I could be identified, but as they hustled me under a tree and began to noose a rone the owner of the nag slapped me across the face and remarked : " Shut up ! You are the scoundrel, and denials will be of no avail ! We'll choke the breath out of you in half a minute !" "They were going to hang an innocent man, and you can wager that I did some of the moat vigorous kicking of my life. While they were noosing me and running the free end over a limb 1 kept up my chin music,, and one of the crowd became half convinced that I was tolling the truth. He bsgau to argue that it wouldn't take long to prove or disprove my etory, but he was too late. Five or six men walked off with; the rope and up I went. They let me hang for a few seconds and then lowered me, but only to repeat the dose twice more. By that time they had cooled off a bit, and my friend persuaded them that they could justr a 9 well finish the hanging at Jasper. I had fainted away, and when they poured whisky down my throat and revived me it seemed as if my neck was two feet long. There was a deal of growling over the job not being; finished then and there, but they finally put me on a horee and started for Jaeper. " The chap of whom I had purchased the animal, and who was, of course, the real thief, was so elated over the ssile that he forgot himself and remained in Jasper to got drunk. He was speedily found in a saloon, and he made no pretence of innocence. 1 thought they would tear him to pieces then and there, bub after beating him to a state of insensibility, he was carried off into the country a couple of milos and left hanging beside the highway. I got back $flO of my money, and it was handed to me by the leader, he said : " 'Stranger, we beg pardon for stretching; your neck, but tho next time you buy a boss in this State ba a leetle careful to buy of the real owner.' "