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Murder And Lynching In Kansas

Murder And Lynching In Kansas image
Parent Issue
Day
31
Month
August
Year
1877
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A most horrible tragedy was recently enacted in the small town of Oak Mills on the line of the Missouri Pacific road, about six miles north of Leavenworth, Kan., the following particulars of which we glean from a Leavenworth paper : The actors in the tragedy were Kobert Scruggs, the murderer, Jasper Oliphant, his father-in-law, and a young man named Groff, the two latter being cruggs was a wild, uissolute sort oí a fellow, and when in his cups was rather unruly and dangerous. About a year ago he inarried th daughter of a respectable farmer named Jasper Oliphant, one child being born to the couple. Through Scruggs' ill-treatment of his wife she left him, and for some time past she has been residing at her father's. On yesterday Scruggs was in rather a bad humor, and drinking freely, sweariug vengeanee against everybody, and vowing tliat he would kill two or three persons before liight. About dus! he went to the house of his fatherin-law, is situated about a mile and a half from Oak Mills, and calliug old man Oliphant out asked him where Mary, his wii'e, was.' Mr. Oliphant replied that it was none of his business where she was, when Scruggs, without replying, drew a revolver from his pocket and shot Mr. Oliphant through the right breast, killing him instantly. Scruggs then iurned and fled, and in a short space of ime a party of five or six was organized to pursue the murderer. About 9 o'olock, whilo passing through the woods a short distance from the town, the party came across a man lying under a tree, and it being very clear moonlight they could see that it was Scruggs. One of the party, a man named Groff, stapped up to him, saying, " Bob, is that you ?" Without replying, Scroggs jumped to bis feet, and, drawing his revolver, shot Groff through the heart. The whole thing was dono so suddenly that before any of the sarty could recover from thcir surprise md horror Scruggs had again escaped. Alter carrying the body of Groff to town a large party was organized to hunt for Scruggs, but the most thorough search :'ailed to find him. Early in the morning [ie emerged from his hiding place, and going to the house of Judge Waddell, a Justice of the Peace, he gave himself ivp and was placed in charge oí a constable. In a short space of time the news of his giving himself up had spread and the citizens rapidly orgaoized and marched to the constable's house, and, putting a loaded shot-gun to the breast of the constable, torced him to surrender Scruggs. He was taken to a small grove near the city, and, without giving him time for prayer or entreaty, they swung him from a oonvenient limb. Young Oliphant, son of the murdered man, attempted to shoot Scruggs, but he flred wildly and the shot missed its aim. The mob was not masked.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus