INDIANA LYNCH LAW
DETAILS OF THE RIPLEY COUNTY
f
lie
AFFAIR
Summary Punishment Visited Upon
a Gang of Evil Characters People
Tire of an Extended Scries of Crim
inal Acts Gov Mount Indignant
Deed of Infuriated Mob
The lynching of the five Osgood men
at Versailles the county seat of Ripley
County has perhaps no parallel in the
history of Indiana The prisoners were
confined in the county jail on the charge
of burglary They all resided in the town
of Osgood and were supposed to belong
to an organized band of thieves and high
waymen which has been robbing and ter
rorizing the citizens of Ripley County for
a number of years They were awaiting
trial for having attempted to break into
the general store of TVoolcy Bros at Cor
rect Saturday night Gordon and An
drews were captured at the time after a
running fight and after each iad been
severely wounded The other prisoners
were detained on the charge of having
assisted in the attempted burglary and
whose guilt seemed evident Public feel
ing had been aroused against the pris
oners because they had so often escaped
the penalties of the law
Sheriff Henry Bushing and wife were
away from home He had been badly
wounded while trying to capture the men
Saturday night and the jail was in charge
of his brother-in-law W T Kennen
turnkey and William Black At 1245
oclock they were aroused by the ringing
of the door bell Kennen and Black went
doWji and opened the door Three mask
ed men with a revolver in each hand con
fronted them The leader said Hold
up your hands We demand the keys of
the jail Kennen looked into the muz
zles of six revolvers and after some re
sistance was taken to the kitchen and
found the keys Kennen and Black were
locked in a cell and three men with re
volvers made their way through the grat
ing and others went to find the prisoners
who had all retired
In the lower cellrooms were confined
Levi Shulor and Jenkins and there the
visitors proceeded first Levi was first
awakened and refusing to throw up his
hands at the command of the leader two
pistol shots were heard and he fell to the
Hoor pierced to the heart Shuler lying
on his cot refused to get up but begged
for his life A stroke upon the head from
a heavy stick silenced him and he rolled
to the floor Jenkins fate was similar
and the three bodies were carried to the
main corridor and the lynchers made
their way upstairs where Gordon and
Andrews were found They being wound
ed submitted without much effort Their
hands were tied behind them ropes Avere
placed around their necks and they were
dragged down the stairway where their
companions lay Ropes being placed
around the necks of all the order was
given Pull on the rones boys and hurry
ap
Handed to an Elm Tree
Two squares north of the jail on the
bluff near the famous Gordons Leap
was found an old elm tree and to its
tougbened limbs were hanged the maim
ed and bruised bodies of the five prisoners
naked and ghastly The scene was ap
palling and the bodies were soon cut
down and covered under the shade of the
tree Hundreds visited the scene the fol
rteins day and hardly a twig of the old
elm remains having been carried away
by the curious throng
A man named Hostetter a couple of
weeks ago had given a tip to the county
officials and through him the men were
caught U said they met and planned
at Jenkins house and he Jenkins said
he would help them out at any time but
how much if any they were implicated
will never be known as they were given
no chance to deny or defend themselves
Osgood had grown notorious the last
two years on account of the many high
way robberies and hold ups committed
there Last winter an aged couple Mr
and Mrs Rineking living north of town
were tortured and robbed while alone at
their home The night of April 1 Mr
and Mrs Baulkman living six miles from
Osgood were tortured by three masked
men who demanded their money They
made the old lady who was quite infirm
walk over red hot coals to tell where her
money was They got nothing but a gun
and a few trifles The latter part of the
same month Mr and Mrs Ivammon of
Milan were treated in a similar manner
by masked men The two Dr Joseohs of
Osgood place were arrested charged Avith
robbery but proved an alibi and were
acquitted without trouble Men have
been held up on the streets and houses
without number broken into the last two
years but it seemed as though the guilty
ones could never be caught How much
or how little these men were implicated
in those robberies may never be known
Largest Number Ever Lynched
The hanging is a blot on the name of
Ripley County It is the largest number
ever hanged at a lynching in the State
and only the second rope execution ever
in the county Twenty years ago Tim
Boyd of Moores Hill who was in jail for
committing an assault was visited by a
mob and seventeen bullets shot into him
but nothing has ever aroused the people
like this tragedj People drove into Ver
sailles from all over the county and
groups stood around discussing it Schools
were dismissed and business is at a stand
still The families of the men are almost
insane from the shock The bodies were
taken to Osgood and delivered to their
several homes
The sheriff received a message from the
Governor to use all means in his power to
apprehend the men composing the mcb
Howe er it seems Uiat the sheriff is pow
erless as no means of identification of a
single man has been obtained The Gov
ernor realizing this and also that the sym
pathies of the community seemed with
the lynchers sent Merrill Moores deputy
nltorney general to the scene of the
lynching with instructions to make a full
investigation and spare no expense in
bringing the lynchers to justice
Miss Cornelia Barnden Wricht daugh
ter of Mr and Mrs Carroll D Wright
was married at Marblehead Mass to
John Bruce McPherson of Gettysburg
Pa a son of Edward McPherson for
many 3 ears clerk of the National House
f Representatives
Capt Samuel McConihe of the Four
teenth Infantry died at St Lukes
v pital New York City from Brights
ease Capt McConihe was one of the
V heroes of the civil wiir and received six
Htrevets for gallant and meritorious ser-
Tice
TRIES TO KILL DIAZ
President of Mexico Js Assaulted by
an Anarchist
President Diaz was assaulted with
deadly intent during the ceremonies in the
City of Mexico attending the celebration
of the declaration of independence Ig
nacio Arroyo a violent anarchist broke
through the line of soldiers that marked
the line of the rocession to the Alameda
and attempted to brain the president with
a heavy cane as he was walking to the na
tional palace The blow which he aim
ed at the presidents head fell short and
the would be murderer was unmediately
seized and handed over to the police In
tense excitement prevailed when it be
came known that an attempt had been
made upon the life of President Diaz
President Diaz was the coolest man of
all who witnessed the assault He turned
around as his assailant was seized and
looked at him somewhat curiously nnd
WMt
I jZJ
PRESIDENT DIAZ
then resumed his march bowing right and
left to the people The effect upon the
crowd that saw the affair was instanta
nocus and awakened the greatest excite
ment The police started away with the
prisoner by a side street hoping to avoid
any further disturbance Hundreds of
men ran after the police shouting for
venireanec upon the man Give him to
us they cried and we will hang him
But the gendarmes succeeded in keep
ing their prisoner being re enforced by
cavalrymen the great crowd shouting and
running behind The man was taken to
the palace and stripped but no weaoon
was found on his person He was taken
away to the city hall securely bound and
placed in solitary confinement
At night a great mob of common peo
ple broke into the jail by forcing the doors
with huge timbers handled by 100 men
They overpowered the guards and sur
rounded them while a detail of men ran
down the corridor dragged out the trem
bling Arroyo and lynched him The mob
had apparently no organization but it
was directed in some mysterious way
About twenty of the lynchers were ar
rested
WILD TIME IN PRISON
Convict Assaults a Guard Seizes Ilia
Revolver and Escapes
A sensational escape and a quick cap
ture c iused much excitement at the Ohio
penitentiary Thursday night Just be
fore the hour when the prisoners wash for
supper and the guards are shifted for the
night turn William Clark a Cuyahoga
County murderer doing a life sentence
and employed in the broomhop called
Guard Duncan of Mount Gilead ostensi
bly to show him a hole in the floor Dun
can leaned over and was struck a vicious
blow in the back of the neck Avith a piece
of gas pipe Bert Spriggs a Delaware
County convict started to assist the
guard when Clark advancing with Dun
cans revolver which had fallen from his
pocket threatened to shoot
Clark ran to the guardroom at the front
gates and gave the guards signal with the
iron handle Capt Saxbe as usual open
ed the gate As soon as Clark passed the
gate he opened fire on the crowd of guards
and spectators His aim was wild In
the guardroom he pulled the trigger ogain
and shot Benjamin F James a Dela
ware County colored sub guard in the
chin
Clark was closely followed in his at
tempt to escape by William Dempsey
jointly convicted with him of murder
Clark ran through the guardroom fired
at the guard in the reception room and
escaped into the street
A federal prisoner named Sartor em
ployed as a trusty in the prison yard
seized a rifle which a guard had dropped
in the excitement and ran past the guard
house close on the heels of Clark When
the fugitive reached the bank of the Sco
to River he paused a minute Sarter
quickly leveled the rifle and commanded
Cark to surrender on pain of death The
convict obeyed his revolver being empty
and was recaptured by the guards who
had recovered their presence of mind by
that time
Cycling has caused a decrease in xne
number of cabs in Berlin
Madrid has a club composed entirely of
children none of whom is over S voars
old
In Bremen drivers of vehicles and
horsemen are prohibited to use the street
cycle paths
Cycling is greatly on the increase in
Genoa according to the British consul in
that city
The Cyclists Touring Club has recent
ly added Rudyard Kiplings name to its
list of membership
Tin sultan of Lahore it is stated pos
sesses a bicycle of pure gold set with
precious stones
In the great pilgrimage recently made
in Hungary to the shrine of Maria Tadax
there were over fifty cyclists
It has been stated that policemen in
Prescot walk about in plain clothes with
hooked sticks to stop cyclists
A Scotchman has constructed a bicycle
which can be taken apart and folded
within the space occupied by three um
brellas
A Philadelphia firm proposes having
something unique at the great exhibition
in Paris in 1900 namely a bicycle made
in solid gold about S or 9 feet high with
a handle bar studded witi diamonds
f z
Shootinc of liners
The action of the posse serins to have
been criminally precipitate New York
Herald
The sheriff and his deputies appear to
have been demoralized by fear Boston
Transcript
It is awful A tremendous necessity
must be shown for such a murderous or
der Pittsburg Post
Sheriff Martin has inaugurated all the
horrors of martial law without any of its
excuses Boston Traveler
The circumstances did not justify the
wholesale slaughter The shooting was
cowardly Birmingham Ala News
It is an unnecessary slaughter It is a
most deplorable blunder Even the state
ment of the sheriff does not excuse it
Louisville Tost
Back of it all is 11 damnable system
whereby the courts through unconstitu
tional injunctions become the oppressors
of the weak Omaha World Herald
The appalling tragedy was the logical
outgrowth of conditions which have been
tolerated in some of our mining regions
for some years past Philadelphia Times
The case is one that calls for rigid ex
amination and if the sheriff exceeded hia
authority he should be dealt with in a
summary manner Albany Evening Jour
nal
Everything points to the suspicion that
Sheriff Martin lost both head and heart
and ordered the destruction of life when
no real necessity for it had arisen De
troit News
It is the worst exhibition of race ha
tred and diabolical fury of an armed
force vented on an unarmed procession
that ever occurred in our couutry Chat
tanooga Times
Assuming that the facts were as they
have been reported the sheriff and his
deputies were utterly incompetent and
guilty of cowardly and criminally care
less conduct Buffalo Courier Record
Killed officially and shot in the back
Does anything appear in the story of this
tragedy to give the slightest provocation
for this horrible blunder this terrible
crime this official murder Toledo Bee
The shooting of unarmed men on slight
provocation for merely insisting upon
marching peaceably along a public high
way is a very serious matter and may
lead to the gravest cousequesces Minne
apolis Times
There is no room for acts like this in
the United States There is no place in
a republic of freemen for the punish
ment of an unascertained intention which
is the ultimate goal of government by in
junction St Paul Globe
When a sheriffs posse can fire into a
crowd of several hundred Pennsylvania
miners without hitting an American the
public ought to secure a fair idea of cne
of the prime causes of labor troubles in
that State Washington Post
If the sheriffs statement is true and
we do not see that it is credibly contra
dicted his firing upon the mob seems to
have been a necessity to save his own life
and the lives of others summoned to main
tain the laAv Philadelphia Times
Forgetfulness of the real character of
our citizen soldiers is at the bottom of the
hesitancy and delay about calling out the
troops that is continually leading to just
such deplorable results as this Ilazleton
slaughter Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle
Those men in Pennsylvania who were
marching had a right to that highway
They were injuring no ones property
The sheriff who ordered the deputies to
fire on this unarmed crowd of men sim
ply ordered them to commit murder
Peoria Herald
This outrage should nerve every Ameri
can heart to support by all legal methods
the suppression of this iniquity of govern
ment by injunction This un American
uncivilized un Christian system must go
if the liberties secured for us by our toie
fathers are to be preserved Indianapo
lis Sentinel
We say that the powers of the cjurts
are and must be restrained within moder
ate and reasonable limits We say that
the injunctions issued in this strike are an
insult to freemen and we point to the
Hazleton horror as the natural and nec
essary consequence of the issuance of
those extraordinary orders St Paul
Globe
The system which has collected oodies
of ignorant and excitable workers and
brought them by inadequate wages into a
state of exasperation needs reformation
But this country will not be worth liv
ing iu if the fiat of an excited mob can
override the commands of the legal au
thorities without suffering for it Pitts
burg Dispatch
Even the dastardly and cowardly sher
iff who ordered his posse to fire upon
those defenseless men admits that they
had committed no overt acts of lawless
ness He is a murderer and his men
are lnuiderers and each of them should
be tried and punished for the commission
of the highest crime known to the law
Kansas City Times
If the sheriff was indiscreet if he fired
into the crowd without due provocation
the demand for his punishment will be
summary If on the other hand it be
found that he acted strictly within the
lines of his duty he will not lack in pub
lic commendation and support Mean
time egislators mine operators and min
ers will grow more thoughtful Macon
Telegraph
It is questionable whether under the
faw the attempt to interfere with the
pea cable marching of the strikers on
the aighway was not of itself a breach of
the law It is the duty of the sheriff and
all peace officers to protect the lives and
property of citizens It is their duty to
maintain law and order and prevent law
less trespass upon private premises It
is neither their duty nor their right to
tnotest people passing over the public high
ways even though they may be suspected
of unlawful intent Omaha Bee
It is a noticeable fact that the men wuo
set themselves up in this matter to defy
the constituted authorities were foreign
ers and the names of those who were
killed and wounded show the same fact
It will be well worth the while of the
authorities in mating the investigation
which must necessarily be had to inquire
how far the trouble which has culmi
nated so terribly was due to the large ad
mixture of the foreign element among
the miners and how far our immigration
laws arc responsible Detroit Free Pre
A DOG THAT GOES TO FIRES
He Eroke Throujrh n Bakers Window
to Run After Hit Ensine
St Nicholas has been publishing a
series of articles about the Fire Depart
ment of New York written by Charles
T Hill the artist Mr Hill tells about
Peter Spots Fireman a dog that
belongs to one of the eugine companies
The dog once fell into disgrace by play
fully snapping at the heads of the
horses when they were running to a
fire and causing them to balk So he
was given to a baker who lived far
from the engine house Mr Hill gives
the following account in the language
of one of the firemen of the manner in
which Peter Spots came back to the
company
We had almost forgotten about Pe
ter and got used to not having him
around when one day a third alarm
came in that took us out and in getting
to the station I had to drive through
the street the bakers place was on I
never thought of it myself but on my
word Peter hadnt forgotten us and
when we made our appearance he
showed up pretty quick The baker
told ine all about it afterward and this
was the Avuy it happened Peter was
lying asleep beside the stove in the cen
ter of the bake shop when all of a sud
den he pricked up one ear and then
jumped on his feet and gave a bark
The baker was making out some bills
behind the counter and thought noth
ing of it until the next moment Peter
gave one jump and was in the show
window among the pies and cakes and
such like The baker hollered to him
to him to get out but Peter began to
claw at the window and bark and
howl You see he could hear our avIus
tle and bell and had recognized us
Then the baker made up his mind that
the dog had gone mad and got fright
ened and got up on a chair and began
to holler himself and what with the
baker and Peter there was a high old
time in that bake shop for a while
Every time Peter gave a kick he knock
ed a pie or a plate full of cakes out of
the window until he had it clear of
everything Then we hove In sight and
through the side of the show window
he saw us and recognized me in the
seat and that settled it no bake shop
would hold him then He jumped back
in the store braced himself plumb in
front of the pane of glass in the door
and when Ave were just about opposite
he gave one last howl and crash out
he came through glass and all
I heard the racket and turned my
head just in time to uee him come flying
out I understood it all in a moment
and expected to see him roll over dead
in the gutter but not much He came
through so quick he scarcely got a
scratch and aAvay he Avent doAvn the
street ahead of us barking at every
one and clearing the way just as he
used to and running around in a circle
and jumpirg high in the air and cut
ting up gymnastics and happy Avell
I just guess he was happy Even the
Captain heard him in all the racket be
hind the engine and let up on the Avhis
tle long enough to holler ahead to me to
look our and not run over him but
there Avas small fear of that for he
beat us by half a block all the Avay to
the tire
When Ave got there Ave stretched in
and stood fast as Ave call it Avhich
means Ave stretched in the hose and
got ready to go to Avork Avhen so or
dered but they didnt need us for the
fire was pretty Aveil out then and the
third alarm had only been sent out as a
sort of precaution so in a few mo
ments the Chief ordered us back to
quarters
When Ave Avere picking up or put
ting the hose back in the Avagou Peter
Avas around among us like old times
and every one of the gang had a kind
word for him He Avas cut a bit about
the back Avith glass so the Captain
says ThroAV him in the Avagon boys
and Avell take him back to the house
and mend him up Ill put him on pro
bation and if he acts right he can stay
with us as long as he Avants And then
he adds But you felloAVS Avill have to
chip in and pay for that pane of glass
And Ave all laughed for Ave Avere will
ing to pay for a Avhole show AvindoAV to
get Peter back again
The Ladies Must Pay
The generosity as entertainers Avith
which Americans treat Avomen is in
strong contrast with the custom of
Germans In their oavu country they
have no hesitation in intimating to
their female companions that they are
expected to pay their share In Ger
many if a -mans feminine partner at
a public ball desires a portion of ice
cream he will bring it but with the de
mand of Forty pfennings if you
please An instance is found in the
experience of some English women at
a Prussian military ball given by the
officers of a certain garrison The price
of the supper was printed upon the In
vitation The English women expected
that the officers who accompanied them
would pay for the refreshments They
Avere quickly undeceived for after
supping the money was demanded
and they were compelled to liquidate
the debt
Women Writers in France
There are said to be in France 2150
women authors and journalists and
about 700 women artists The prov
inces contribute most of the writers
about two thirds while Paris is repre
sented in the same proportions among
the artists Among the writers 1000
are novelists 200 are poets 150 educa
tional writers and the rest writers of
various kinds The artists comprise 107
sculptors and the others are painters
ranging over all branches of the pictori
al art
She Milked Other Peoples Cows
A 60-year-old widow of TIdenham in
Gloucestershire England has been
sent to jail for two months for milking
other peoples cows on the town coin
zhmu
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Notary Publi
W E HALEY
Real Estate
ABSTRACTER
Valentine Nebraska
1000000 Bond Filed
Office in P O Building
The DONOHER
Has recently been refurnished and thoroughly renovated
making it now more than ever worthy of the
reputation it has always borne of being
THE MOST COMPLETE
AND COMFORTABLE HOTEL
IN THE NORTHWEST
Hot and Cold Water Excellent Bath Room Good Sample Room
M JT DOJVOMEJS Proprietor
QHERRY QpUNTY gANK
Valentine Nebraska
Every facility extended customers consistent withTconservative banking
Exchange bought and sold Loans upon good security solicited at reasonable
rates County depository
E SPAKKS President CHARLES SPARKS Cashier
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ANK OF VALENTINE
C JET COKX ELL rreftldent M V XICMOJjSON Caahlvr
Valentine Nebraska
A General Ranking Business Transacted
Buys and Sells Domestic and Foreign FoccJiangc
Correspondents Chemical National Bank Wow York Klrst National Bank Omaha
CITIZENS MEAT - MARKET
GEO G SCHWALM PROP
This market always keeps a supply of
FISH AND GAME
In addition to a first class line of Steak3 Roasts Dry Salt Heats
Smoked Hams Breakfast Bacon and Vegetables
At StattersOld Stand on Main Street VALENTINE NEBRASKA
THE PALACE SALOON
HEADQUARTERS
WINES LIQUORS and CIGARS
Valentine
OJ the Choicest Brandsr
Nebraska1
Remember
that this office is fully prepared at all times to turn out
on the shortest notice in the most artistic and
workmanlike manner all kinds of
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