September 18, 1893: Asa Youmans

Today's article comes from The Farmers' Vindicator (Valley Falls, Kansas) dated September 23, 1893:

JUDGE LYNCH AT WORK.

Asa Youmans of Carthage, Mo., Hanged to a Tree by Boomers.

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan., Sept. 20.—Asa Youmans, who formerly lived at Carthage, Mo., came to the strip in company with a lot of Missourians who were regularly organized and paid by a syndicate of real estate men. When the first runners of the boomers reached Chikaska near where Blackwell now stands, they found fifty men holding down claims with no other baggage than their rifles. This man Youmans was holding two, claiming that his friend and partner had gone out on a search for water. The first comers did not attempt to dislodge him, but those who came later, to whom the circumstances had been reported, planted their flags determined to stand by them. Youmans came up to two of them and ordered them off, at the same time presenting the muzzle of his rifle. One of the men asked him for his certificate. He said he had none and did not propose to get one; that he had support enough to make good his claim, at the same time adding:  "I'm a sooner, and I'd like to know what in — you are going to do about it."

The two men, covered as they were, went away, but in less than an hour returned with at least two dozen of their friends, captured Youmans and proceeded to make him ready for a trial by Judge Lynch. In what was probably a spirit of bravado Youmans said he had killed two settlers and would get away with some more. This so exasperated the men that they placed a lariat about his neck and pulled him up to a tree, where they left his body as a warning to sooners.