The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-18
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Friday Morning, December l9, 1853
Lynch Law.
FOUR MORE OF THE ADAMS ExrRrss non
DERs HUNG AT NEW ALBANY.

or other, avenges herself. Such is the cas-
with iour more of the gang, which for tb,
year past, has been terror to the citizens o
Southern lnd;ana-four who participated in
the robbery OF an Adams Express car on the
Jacksonville Railroad on the 22d OF Nav last
VI course, i'll common with all laW-abidino
citizens, we cannot but deprecate the mode
and manner in which punishmantwas inflicted
upon these offenders. Judge Lynch is a da j.
serous jurist. He neither regards law nor fact
except what is patent on the face OF things
and mercy never visits his court. He sits not
to try, bat to condemn, and he acknowledges
20 power above and beyond him that can
grant one moments reprieye or commute a
sentence. This was fully realized Yesterday
by Charles Anderson, and Simeon, Frank
and William Keno, when taken from their
cells in the New Albany jail, and hanged in
the corridor by vigilance committee" from
Seymour, Ind. These victims Of mob, for
we can call it nothing else, were the perpe-
traitors of long series of burslaries, robber-
les, even murders, and other crimes, that have
been committed In Southern Indiana during
the past few years. During this time the
law seemed utterly poweress to protect the
law-observng from the depredati of the
burglar and the prowlng midnight assassin.
1t is to be regretted that III this, as in many
other cases, the law was not permitted to
take its course. In this land OF legal tribu-
mails we can well afford to delay the avenging
blade OF justice until every formaity has
been gone through with, and give to the VIII
est criminal the opportunity to present some-
thing in extenuation OF the offence, or if
the accused should be Innocent. give him a
chance to establish the fact.
The robbery, as we have already said, oc-
CURED on the night of Friday, May 22, at a
place called Marsbfed, ON The line of the
Jefferson railroad. The train left Jefferson
vile at 0 p. NJ. 1t consisted of the engine.
tender, baggage and express car, and two pas
senger coaches. 1t arrived at Marshfield on
time. This place seems to be a deserted VIZ
lage, and the only reason tor STOP; ing at it is
to obtain water, On the left-hand side of the
track is the water-tank, and on the other side
a few yards in advance, stand two or three
log Louses and an old worn saw-mIll. The
train stopped and the fireman got off on the
lett hand side to let down the water-spout.-
The engineer got down on the right hand side
with torch in his hand, and commenced OIL
ing the engine. he oiled the right-hand side
and was passing around to the lett when
his torch was kicked ont of his hand and he
was asked what he was doing. In the mean
time, the conductor of .he train, who was in
the last car, told the tain boy TO 90 out and
see if any one was getting on. The boy soon
returned and SAID that three or four men
were getting into the express car. This
alarmed the conductor, and he ran forward,
and was just in time to see the express car
uncouped from the passenger coaches, the
bell rope cut, and the engine move on. The
thieves, after getting the train, or at least
that portion OF it which they had under their
control going, turned their attention to the
express messenger, Thomas G. Harkins.-
They beat him in terrible manner, and lett
him for dead. The-rhieves broke open the
safe and secured bonds and money to the
amount OF $96,000. They ran the train to
within halt mile of Seymour and then de-
serted it. The man Yho ran the engine was
evidently an engineer. as she was all right
when found. AS soon as the passengers OF
the train learned the nature OF the outrage
perpetrated, having no other resourse, they
walked to the nearest telegraph station, a
| distance OF six miles, and telegraphed to Sey
| mour Tor locomotive and car, to hasten
them to the latter place. For weeks no clue
TO the perpetrators OF the bold deed could be
obtained, but finally dispatch was received
by the agent of the company, in this CITY,
stating that some of the bonds had been off!
cred Tor sale in Syracuse, New York, and that
the individual offering them had been arrest
ed. This person gave his name as George
Cameron, and stated to the officers who made
the arrest that he purchased them from
Frank Keno and Charles Anderson. Steps
were at once taken to arrest these men, and
they were finally arrested at Sandwich, Can
ada, and lodged in Jail. Simeon Reno was
shortly aiterwards arrested and was identif-
ed by Harkins, as were also the other tyo.-
Bill Reno, another brother, was arrested in
Indiana, ard lodged in the New Albany iail.
where be remained until yesterday. L. c.
Weir, Esq, agent of the company, went to
Canada to attend to the case, and, after
months oil delay, succeeded IN getting a war
rant of extradition issued by Chief Justice
Draper, at Toronto. This order was issued
on October %, and on the following day MIR,
Weir, who had been deputzed to bring the
! prisoners to the United States, started in a
tug from Detroit, bound for Cleveland. When
lew miles below Detroit the tug was run in
| to by the propeller Phi Sheridan, and sunk
| She prisoners were, after great exertions, f.
nally saved and taken 70 Cleveland. from
whence they were brought to this city. They
were kept here for few days, and were ther
| taken 10 New Albany, where Simeon anC
Bill were already in custody.
| THE WORK OF THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE
THE FIRST HANGING.
Elliott, Clifton and FARRELL were arrested ;
day or TWO after the occurrence, and brough
to this city for safe keeping. They were kep
| until the night Of July 20, when they were
| put on the train bound for Brownstowu, the
! county-seat of Jackson County, Indiana
| On the arrival of the train, two or three
| miles west OF Seymour, it was stopped by a
| large body of armed men, the guard in charge
of the prisoners being overpowered. The
subterfuge resorted to by the mob was the
| exhibition OF signal of listress-a rec
hght-upon the track, upon seeing which tn
engineer whistled down brakes. No soone
4 hnd fpn in 20 4
| bulk Of the so called vigilance committee
who were concealed in thcket near by
boarded and took possession of the train
ovSrpowered the guards, and removed tn,
| prisoners to terra tirma. The poor wretche
too fully comprehended what was to be done
| Five minutes were given them in which t
prepare for death, while the executioner
with a grim earnestness placed the fata
moose about their necks. They at first beg
| ged for mercy, bnt finding it in vain, they
concluded to make confession, and whil,
standing with the moose around their necks
| the unfortunate men confessed to the Who'll,
affair, and also admitted their knowledge o
the celebrated Marsbfield robbery, each blam
ing the other two, and denying any persona
connection with the same. For the purpos
OF receiving this confession, the time was ex
tended half Jan hour, at the end of whicl
| the ropes were drawn, and these wretche
desperadoes, coTered with CRIME were launch
ed into eternity. The crowd then dispersed
after the writhing bodies had stiflened in th
chilling embrace OF the King OF Terrors
The vigilance committee, after periormins
their terrible work, issued the following pro
| clamation:
| ATTENTION, THIEVES.
| "The attention of all thieves, robbers, as
sassins and vagrants, together with their aid
| ahQtfnrc nd ss .
the doings of the Seymour Vigilance Com
mittee last night. We are determined to fol
low this up until all o the classes above
named, whether imported or to the "manue
born," are driven forever from our midst
Threats have been made Of retaliation il
case we should resort to capital punishment
| In answer, we say, "shouid one of our com
mittee be haimed, or dollars worth of prop
erty OF any honest man be destroyed, by per
sons unknown, we will Suing by the necl
| until they be dead, every thieving characte
we can lay our hands on, without inquirny
whether we have the persons who committed
that particular crime or not. THIS apple
not only to Seymour, but along the line O
the two roads, and wherever our organiza
tion exists. Ldr and order must preUdi
| By ORDER OF THE COMMITTEE.
SEYMOUR, Ind, July 2l, 1865"
1t was known that three of the robber
were still at large, and vigorous pursuit wa
at once commenced. After searci
OF several days, James Moore, Frank Sparks
and Bill Rosentery were arested, idehtlaet
ana hung to the same tree that caused th'
death OF the others.
A HORRIBLE scESE-THE SECOND HANGING
During the early part OF November VIM
Reno and Anderson arrived here in care o
Nj, Weir, and were after a shot delay, take1