The Lynched Chinaman

Justice Cole, of Granite township, filed in the County Clerk's office to-day the papers relating to the inquest held by him on the body of the Chinaman found dead, hanging by the neck, in the vicinity of Prairie City.

The Justice's statement is that on the 12th instant, information reached him that a deceased Chinaman was hanging to a tree near Prairie City; whereupon he proceeded, in company with W. S. Kendall, M. D., to the place, to inquire into the cause of the death. On arriving at the place, at three o'clock P. M., about one-eighth of a mile north of Prairie City, they found a Chinaman suspended by the neck from the limb of an oak tree, with his feet about two feet from the ground. He was taken down and removed to Dresser's saloon in Prairie City, when an inquest was held before the following named jurors: W. B. Lawler, Edward Cady, W. Doran, Henry Keefe, Peter Willson, Unas Bitzer, John Holser, Patrick Dempsey, M. McDonald, J. H. Welle and W. King.

Patrick Fitzpatrick testified—"I reside at Willow Springs. I know nothing about the case only what I have heard others say."

Dr. Kendall testified: "I have made an examination of the Chinaman. My opinion is he came to his death by strangulation, caused by a rope around his neck, and being hung to a tree. I took him down from the tree about one hundred yards from here, on the Folsom road. I find that the exterior table of the skull is fractured and broken, and there are other marks of violence on the mouth, on the sides of the head, on the forehead and on the legs. Do not think these injuries were sufficient to cause death, as there was no compression of the brain. The hanging was the cause of death. The rope was half-inch Manilla, and had a hangman's knot. The body was suspended with the knot under the left ear. I know nothing further about the case."

These two were the only persons sworn as witnesses, and the jury, after being out about half an hour, returned with the following verdict: "We, the jury, are agreed that the deceased (a Chinaman) was hanged by some person or persons unknown to us, which was the cause of his death."

No money, or other property, was found on the body. As the Justice could get no one in Prairie City to bury the body, it was removed to Folsom and there interred. It is doubtful if any one be punished for this violation of the law and the rules which govern every civilized society.