Lynching of George Witherell

On December 4, 1888, a vigilante mob in Cañon City, Colorado lynched convicted murderer George Witherell.

Background
In 1871, George Witherell and a friend, Eugene Wright, murdered L.K Wall, to obtain ownership of his 3000 sheep in Elbert County, Colorado. Witherell beat Wall to death with a rifle. Both men covered the man's body with stones and sold the sheep. When the body was eventually discovered, Wright and Witherell were held suspect. Both men were arrested in Nebraska, where a fight ensued with a police officer and Wright was left wounded. The men were sent to Denver, found guilty and sentenced to life. In 1876, Wright escaped jail. Witherell served 16 years and was released for polite conduct in 1887.

After his release, Witherell met Charles R. McCain living in Beaver Creek, Colorado Witherell hired McCain to transport ore to Denver to mine which Witherell misrepresented himself as owning, intending to steal his possessions, which included a wagon, mules and a few hundred dollars. On their first night out Witherell shot and killed McCain in his sleep, and dragged him by the heel into a mountain canyon where he covered his remains with stones. He made his way back to Denver with McCain's possessions and sold them. When McCain's family reported the absence of McCain, Witherell was held suspect and arrested in Denver. After McCain's remains were discovered, "A vigilance committee was organized in Cañon City and the announcement was publicly made that Witherell would be lynched upon arrival". The Fremont County sheriff Griffith headed to Denver to take Witherell back home. Griffith feared Witherell would be lynched if he arrived in Cañon City, delaying his departure to abate the outrage. He left Denver and quietly arrived at the Fremont County jail in Cañon City.

In total, George Witherell was accused of committing six murders throughout Colorado. He stood accused of murdering two Swedes in September 1888 in Silverton, and with the murder of Jamie Hand and his grandparent in El Paso County in June 1888. Witherell additionally was convicted of murder in Douglas County, but escaped jail shortly afterwards.

Lynching
Sheriff Griffith thought he arrived in Cañon City with Witherell undetected, but he was proven wrong when a vigilante mob headed to the jail and demanded Witherell be handed over to them. Sheriff Griffith tried reaching a resolution by peaceful means. At 4 a.m an even greater mob of masked men knocked on the door, Sheriff Griffith naively opened it, only to be held bound by the Vigilantes. His 15-year-old son started to shout at them, as the vigilantes began to constrain him, they handed the boy the keys to Witherell's jail and compelled him to open the cell. Witherell grabbed a leg of his cell bed to use as a weapon as the mob rushed into his cell, Witherell was shot in the shoulder, disarming him. A rope was thrown over his neck, he was dragged across the street and lynched on a telephone pole. No one was prosecuted for the lynching.