October 22, 1895: Jim Umbra and Mexican John

Join me is a journey to the past to 1895 Oklahoma Territory through the pages of The Wichita Beacon (Wichita, Kansas) dated October 23, 1895:

MEXICAN JOHN

With a Comrade He Is Captured and Sent to the Beyond.

Cattle and Horse Stealing Are Unpopular In the Territory.

LYNCHED AND PLACARDED.

People Will Please Take Warning that Transgressions Are Dangerous.

John Had Worked as a Barber But Could Not Save His Own Neck.

Kansas City, Oct.23.—A special to the Star from Hennessy, Okla., says:  Jim Umbra and Mexican John, Mexicans, and members of the Wyatt gang of outlaws, were yesterday lynched by enraged cattlemen who suffered greatly at their hands. The desperadoes had stolen 50 head belonging to Ben Chapmen and his cowboys gave chase. Fifteen miles from Cantonment, the desperadoes were closed in upon and after a fusilade [sic] of bullets surrendered. The cowboys identified the cattle and taking a rope pulled the men up to the first tree. A label was attached to their clothing warning other members of the band to quit horse stealing or suffer a like fate. Mexican John was well known in this city where he had worked as a barber. Umbra was a hard character and an intimate friend of Zip Wyatt before the latter's death.

We'll end this journey with a little tidbit from The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Oklahoma) dated April 26, 1906:

Games in Mississippi.

The Mississippi legislature has considered a bill to abolish bridge whist, euchre and other card games, and now a lawmaker proposes to legalize lynching. The Mississippi taste for amusements is evidently peculiar.—Pittsburg Dispatch.

 Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.