Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-07-31
THE SEYMOUR TRAGEDY.
Another Triple Execution by the visI.
lance Committee.

The final scene 10 the tragedy at Sey.
mour has been enacted. The last Of the
express robbers have fallen into the hands
Of Vigilance COMMITTEES, more yigilant
than even the San Franciscan; have plead
ed in vain for life, have been allowed only
short shift, have been hung ia the dead
of night from limbs which sustained only
six days before the weight Of their guilty
comrades.
The story Of the lart attempted rob-
berry is still freeh 10 the memories Of our
readers. and the terrible judgment melted
out to Elleis, Roseberry and Clifton will
not have been forgotten. They were hung
on Monday last--only q week ago to-day.
Two days before EIIets was writing letters
TO friends in Seymour from tho Ninth
Street Station House, ip this city, telling
them TO be in no fear. for he was wellsnd
would soon rejoin them; asking them Ito
smoke their best cigars on his account"
md 80 believe no news which they might
hear"
The three were taken on Monday from
this city, conveyed to Seymour, arriving
there about ten o'clock Monday night
All was silent at the depot when the train
halted, much more silent than usual.
There was no hin, Of the tragedy soon to
be enacted; no omen TO give warning to
the doomed men Of their approscbing
fate. After the transfer Of It's freight.
the train sped on toward Browpttown, but
IL had not proceeded far before il was sig
nailed BY u red light, aud, 10 obedience to
the summons, the train stopped. AT once
i, was surrounded by body Of some two
hundred men, and detachment went i'm
medately to the express ear, where the
three outlaws were sitting. There we're
only two pairs Of handouts. Roseberry be.
ing bound with one pair, and Elleis aud
Clifton fastened together wah the other
In silence, without words OF noise, the
stern. self appointed executors OF The Law
seized, fret. Rosebery, who, bound rs be
was, could Nuke no resistance, threw him
from the cur, and gave him 10 chargs ei
the members of the committee oui-
side. With EIlels and Clifton the
work was somewhat more difficult. Tor each
with his feet and his uniettered hand
made most fearful resistance, fighting. rs
one expresses il. like tigers" But what
could two men, though moved to despera.
ton, do against two bundredY 10 few
minutes the train was again on it's way.
So quickly, 10 noiselessly had the work
been accomplished that sleeping passen-
gers were not even aroused from their slum.
bers; and others could only tell Of the
transaction that they heard the whistle
signal TO put on the brakes. Saw before
them The red lights. aud shortly after they
moved on none knew the ca use Of the de.
lay.
Ellets and Rosebcrry aud Clifton were
hurried away. Only few moments later
their bodies were dangling, 10 the black
darkness Of the night. from limbs in the
midst Of the forest. No one was near 10
witness their last struggliDgs, no one 10
offer even the shortest prayer for the dy.
ing men.
But the end was not yet. The work
Of the committee was still not accomplish
ed. Three OF the party engaged in the
Outrage were yet at large, aud until the
saue wild justice was meted out 10 them
as to Elets, Roseberry aud Clifton, the
committee could not eease its labors. A
description OF Moore, Sparks aud Jerrell
had been sent out In all directions by
the detective who was working up the
care. Two Of these men were young
Moore being only % years old, and Sparks
about 80. The age Of Jeirel is unknown.
All were single men, aud residents, for
many years, Of Seymour. The writ for
their arrest was issued in Jackson county,
Indiana. and maie returnable there.
Friday afternoon these three men were
found 10 Mattoon Illinois, whittier they
had fed immediately after the attempted
robbery. AL we're at work on farm, aud
we're arrested by the Sheriff Of the place.
They were placed in charge Of a special
officer from Seymour, aud on Saturday
put on the train bound for Indianapolis.
On reaching that city they were trans-
ferred to the Seymour train, TO be taken,
il WIS decided. to Brownstown TO await
their trial But an engineer sent in adj
vance an ominous dispatch: "Shali run
over no red lights"
Again as the train reached Seymour all
was quiet. No confusion, no noise, no
armed committee, no threats Of lynch law
on any side. 1t was thoup bit best that
the prisoners should be taken to Browns.
town in n wagon, and accordingly about
midnight the three prisoners aud their
guard started off But there was TO be
for them no trial by slow forms; no long
DELAYED punishment. An outraged COM
munity, tired OF the the thradom IN which
it had been held for years by villains and
outlaws, had determined TO take ven-
geance swim, terrible, awful. Their only
law for this was the law Of self-defense;
their only justification the necessity Of
the case.
About two o'clock yesterday morning
the wagon was stopped in the midst Of
the great dreary forest, by men whose only
disguise we're handkerchiefs bound about
the brow. The three were taken from the
custody of the officers in whose charge
they were, and without the forms of law
we're hidden to prepare for death. Cues
tons were asked about different outrsges
which had been committed in the vicinity,
but no answers we're returned. Then the
woods witnessed once more the terrible
retribution extended to guilty men, who
had for years been held in bondage of
abject fear. Again the morning light re-
vealed these CHASTITY ccrpses hanging from
the limbs, the faces of horrid blackpess,
the eyes starting from their sockets, aud
the bodies swsying to and fro In the