Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1863-10-15
i knew it, said triumphantly. relsas.

had reached the parties We were seeking
and, knowing there was no escape. the,
now came forth and quietly surrenderee
themselves into our hands.
We had resolved to try them in th,
wood where we had met that morning
but on our way thither-after . very excl
ting and painful scene at parting from
their families-they asked us it We woult
release them. on condition that they would
disclose all they knew. This information
being of far more importance to rs thar
their lives. we speedily assured them that
If they would make clean breasts of al
their guilty transactions. give us the names
Of all concerned. and put us in the way o.
breaking up the whole vilianous band.
their lives should certainly be spared. and
no heavier penalty should be inflicted up
on them than being exiled from that sec.
ton of the country. They accepted our
conditions, and forthwith made such reve-
lations as enabled us to strike promptly
at the very heart of the vile league.
1t was our desire to secure the principal
villains first. and make fearful examples
of them; believing that bv cutting off the
roots of the tree the branches would die.
t. this end we dispatched messengers in
all directions to notify the different mem
bers Of our own body Of our success. and
request them to meet us at our secret rem
devious on the second night; and then the
rest of us. about forty in number. taking
our two prisoners with us. proceeded in a
body to house about seven miles distant,
to arrest one of the leaders whom our in
formants believed to be concealed there.
I'VE reached this place about the mid
die of the afternoon. and found the doors
and shutters all closed and barred. as If no
one was within. We surrounded the
house. and shouted and knocked. demand
ing admittancs. At first we received no
answer; but when it was known that we
intended to break in. rough voice from
within inquired who we were and what we
wanted. A reply was given. stating that
we were an organized band for the pun
ishment of horse thieves. and that We de-
manded the instant surrender of every per-
son on the premises
There's nobody here that's had anything
to do with horse stealing was the rejoin
der, and If You go for to break in. some Of
yell git killed."
Down with the door menp shouted /;
mo use for further parley.'
We were all determined fellows. and
the next moment the door went in with q
crash. 80
AS the foremost were pushing their
way into the building | heard the crack Of
a rife. and one of our party called out
tina. he WIS shot. Some half dozen
shots were now fired on our side. and great
excitement. noise and confusion followed.
soon ascertained that the man Of the
house, who had fred first. had been NOR
tally wounded; and shortly afterward l
saw him. bloody and gasping for breath.
lying on bed, with two women hanging
over him. bemoaning his fate and calling
us his murderers. We searched the house
but did not find the man we wanted. l
regretted. as did most of us. that the
wounded man had brought this summary
punishment upon himself by his rash
course; bat we doubted not he was guilty
of harboring thief. if not thief himself.
and felt that our acts were justified by the
circumstances
'As there was a probability that the
principal villains would escape US nnless
we made ourselves very active. We were
soon on our way to another dwelling.
which we reached only to find. sure
enough, that the old bird had flown. 1t
being by this time late in the afternoon.
and no prescribed party within several
miles OF Us, we rode up to farm house.
selves, end managed to pass the night to-
gether very comfortably.
The next day we were Joined by about
fifty more of our lesgue. and succeeded in
arresting a hoary headed oil rascal. whom
we conveyed to our rendezvous--a seclu-
ded spot. in . deep. heavy wood--where.
as soon as our whole party were assem-
bled, we proceeded to give him a fair trial.
in something like irregular form. A CON-
mittee was appointed to conduct the inves-
tigation in an open. orderly manner. and
twelve men were selected by a lot to sit as
q Jury and decide the case.
i have never seen q more impartial and
conscious Of the great responsibility rest
ing upon himself individually. and upon
the whole body collectively; and though
all of us felt that we had in considerable
degree been made 10 suffer from the Will
Amy of the prisoner. yet there was an alb
sence of passion and personal resentment
that was quite remarkable under the cir
cumstances; we warned him against ma
king any statements or admissions that
would criminate himself; we gave him the
privilege of cross-questioning the witness
es, and even did it for him; and we offered
to listen to any counteracting explanations
he might have to make. and carefully ex-
anime any witness he might produce in his
defence.
The prisoner was man of perhaps six
ty years of age. with iron-gray hair. .
cold. gray eye. aud stern. ipAexible fea-
lures. who listened to the charges against
him with apparently unmoved ccmposure.
The evidence against him was. direct and
positive. and this he never offered to ques-
ton: and when called upon for his defense.
he calmly replied that he had none to
make. The jury then retired apart for .
few minutes. and returned with q verdict
of guilty. As this word fell upon the
ears Of the prisoner. in . cold. solemn
tone, slight flush for . moment tinged
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