Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-07-31


Beecber to the Cincinnati Herald together with the
editorial remarks of that paper, as matter of interest
to this community.
= From the Cincinnati Herald
The Outrage ian indianapolis.
We publish in another column a long account by
Rev. III. w. Beecher of the late dreadful outrage IN
Indianapolis Our recent notice founded upon
letter from a gentleman indianapolis TO friend IN
this city. The letter brought to US, with a
quest to give publicity in some way to its contents.
We knew the writer, and believed him to be man
of truth; and we made no statement in article
which was not found in his letter. 1t seems from Mr.
Beecher's representation, which has intrinsic evi
dence of truthfulness, to say nothing of the high
character of the author, that the gentleman from
whose letter we quoted, was mistaken in several
points, the two most material of which respect the
conduct of the citizens Of indianapolis and the con-
duct of MIR. Beecher. This gentleman appears to
have acted with strict propriety, and must express
our regret that any statement should have appeared in
our columns calculated to do him injury. We take
pleasure in giving prompt insertion to his commu-
nicatior, the best reparation we render him.
For the Morning Herald.
Rev. N. w. Beechcr---:he indianapolis
Murder.
INDIANA POLLS, July. 1915.
On. BAILEY received last night the Herald and
also the Gazette ofJuly ID both of which contained
account of the indianapolis MURDER, seemingly
my name with the Transaction, endeav0Tlng, after
the deed, to prevent its pubicationor, In your Ian
ggsge, .to prerent the exposure ~ act OF Internal
Gtrocitg," and the Gazette says, having mentioned
the rumor, ssThe cord of indignant public
opinion should be drawn tight around the black
hearted vlllany which takes the life of the unofend
ing or The corard scomdelism that rouM seek 10 con-
cea or defend that riRang 20 am quite fattered at
this language and at the credulous facility with which
you have believed a monstrous charge against me,
from having heard only one side. You Will, | trust
pardon the length of this letter, such tissue of
untruths cannot he answered in line paragraph
On the afternoon of the 9TH of July about o'clock
a negro, very generally respected peaceable, in
dustrlous, worthy man, was rudely aSSalled by one
Nick Wood, who under the influence of liquor.
The negro easily thrust him off, and went towards
the Mayors office, IT is said to make complaint
Wood procuring a club, followed and overlook bin,
and second squabble begun to which crowd
The negro defended HIMSELF knocking down Ed. Da-
Wis, who had assailed him with brickbats All sorts
of cries arose some, .kil him-kill him " and
others, ''let him alone, he's peaceable negro.'
Many urged him retreat or he would be hurt This
he began to do, bravely defending himself. At this
time man named Balenger met him from the other
direction, and with large club felled him, WITH pro-
badly, fatal blow; and Wood coming up. repeated
several times tie blows after he was down.
The whole burst out suddenly, and not more than
two minutes time intcrvened from the second attack
to his DEATH
This account is bad enough, and your disingenous
informant might have spared himself the trouble of
Justification.
|. You say mo effort was made to stay the mob,
though at any moment there was enough of good
ciety arrest the violence, and just before you say,
''the poor fellow murdered by gang Of drunken
ruans, in the presence of tIc0 hundred people, The
Impression made is, that audience of good citizens
stood by, passive spectators of murder As near as
can collect the facts the fight was at first scatter
md fha after cd To
did several citizens and others took the negro by the
arm to urge him off the ground But when Ballen-
ger assailed him, there to have been rush of
infuriated men, who surrounded the negro, and killed
him almost instantaneously. There less than
hundred people present at his downfall. A part
were his assaan:s few endeavored to stop the tu-
mutt; but the most part surprised at the suddenness
and rapidity Of the thing, stood irrcsolute timd
having no courageous among them to save the
victim.
H. You say s'In about two hours one of the MUIR
derers seized-anothcr remained In town "a
hours after the deed, when, warrant being issued,
he slipped off," NOc for the facts In less than one
hour Wood had been seized, examined before the
Mayor, sent, and safely conveyed to jail Davis
badly injured to be conveyed to his house, and
gave bail in $4,000 for his appearance Court. In
about one hour and a half warrant out for Bal
lenger, who had already secreted himself. Instead
of "a hours the whole matter was issued less than
two The Mayor learned of Balleuger's participa-
ton only after the commitment of Wood and then
promptly issued warrant for him. If one reflects
that moral village unaccustomed to such scenes is
not usually furnished with very energetic police,
that this day all the constabes were scattered and
had to be hunted up, the conduct of the Mayor must
be regarded prompt The grocery gang would
have resisted and fought any one who had attempted
to make arrests, unless he was the legal officer with
a proper warrant.
Ill. As to the attack upon Mr.. De Puy, it was
cowardy and subjected the assailan to the contempt
Of all good citizens, and excited for MIR. De Puy
expressions of sympathy than we ever heard for him
before The mob did not attack bis house some
half dozen young fellows either to injure or alarm
him, went to hrs former residence and enquired fol-
him. The fact is not YET, believe generally known
In town, it must have been had there been mob.
Nv. During all this time, it is stated, the good
people Of the city INDUCED in the most infammatory
language" l came on the street very soon after the
incarceration Of Wood visited the corpse, walked
about among the crowd, heard every side the con-
versation, and with the wish to ascertain the public
feeling and never a community more mortified
and indignant at outrage than were the sober ci
zens Of this Some violent haters Of the blacks, TIM
refuse of the groceries, and very few hair
Drained young fellows INDUCED in inflammatory
language. But it was my Judgment, and that O
others better capable of forming opinions that the
mass of the community felt they ought to do, or
gentleman expressed it to me " found the people
feeling right-they sound" 1 therefore pro.
nounce this statement false
". You say, s. on the following Saturday, however
becoming ashamed of themselves, or recollecting
probably the which might be made of the outrage
and their conduct, against themselves. they raised
subscription and hired two lawyers" Would no
suppose by the term on the following Saturday
that very culpably long period of time was allowed
to slip away The murder happened on Fridd,
evening, and the merit morning was that following
Saturday." But even here your informant, as usual