Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-24
Wholesale Lynching near Seymour,

CIHoIYYATI, July 2l.-The three men,
Philip Clifton, Chas. Rosebery and Vol.
Elliott, who were arrested for the at
tempted robbery of the Adams Express
car at Brownstown, Indiana, on the
night Of the 10Th inst, left here last
night, under strong guard, to be placed
| in the Brownstown jail. When the train
reached point two miles west of Sey-
mour, it was stopped by mob OF about
| two hundred men from Seymour and
vicinity, the guard overpowered, and the
prisoners taken out and hung.
SECOND DISPATCH.
CINCINNATI, July 2l.-The lynching of
the Adams Express robbers near Sey-
mour, last night, was premeditated
affair, and was occasioned by the deter
mination of the citizens of Jackson and
adjoining counties to rid themselves of
as desperate a gang of robbers and MUIR
derers as has ever been known.
A family named Reno, living at Rock
ford, two miles from Seymour, are the
leaders of this gang, whose operations
have extended all over the West.
The Adams Express company have
been repeatedly robbed by these men,
who get on board the trains and over
powering the messenger, or by taking
possession of the engine and express
car, and running them off from the train,
and then leaving after robbing the safes
A robbery of this kind occurred lately
on the Hamilton and Dayton railroad,
near this city, whereby the American
Express company was robbed of large
amount, the Reno family being leaders
or instigctors in the affair. They are
also the party who led the raid in Iowa
last spring where so many OF the county
safes were robbed.
On the 22d Of May last, the Adams
Express Company car was robbed eigh-
teen miles from Seymour of ninety-six
thousand dollars, in which the Renos and
their friends were principal actors, some
of whom are now in Canada to avoid
capture, and others are under arrest.
On the 10th inst. the Adams Express
was again attempted to be robbed a'out
twelve miles west of Seymour, but the
armed guards of the company repulsed
the robbers, captured one, and wounded
some of the others, two of whom have
been since captured, and for the remain
der large reward has been offered. Vol.
Elliot was one Of this gang, and was cap
tured on the night of the attempted roD-
bers. Rosebery, a resident of Seymour
and pupil of the Renos, was afterward
arrested by the residents of Seymour.
Fred. Clifton was also arrested. They
all admitted their connection with the
affair. For safe keeping they we're
brought to Cincinnati, where warrants
we're procured and they were put on the
train of the Ohio and Mississippi rail-
road last night, bound for Brownstown,
the county seat of Jackson county. The
train was stopped two miles west OF
Seymour and the men taken out and
hung as already stated, Their bodies
were found at an early hour this morn
ing hanging to the limbs of trees in the
vicinity. The particulars of the outrage
have not yet been received, and it is not
known who were the leaders of the mob.
The following hand-bill, which was
posted yesterday at Seymour, shows that
the people there are terribly in earnest
in their determination to rid that place
of the villains that have for so long
time been infestingit
Attention, Thiepes THE attention of
all thieves, robbers, assassins and va
grants, together with their aiders, abei-
tors and sympathzers, is called to the
doings of the Seymour Vigilance Com
mittee last night
We are determined to follow this up
until all of the classes above named,
whether imported or to the manor
born" are driven forever from our midst.
Threats have been made of retalla-
ton in case we resort to capital punish
ment In answer, we say should one OF
our committee be harmed, or a dollars
worth of property of any honest man be
destroyed by persons unknown, we will
sping 6y the neck until tLey be dead
every thieving character we can lay
hands on, without inquiry whether we
have the persons who have committed
that particular crime or not This ap-
plies not only to Seymour, but along the
line Of the two roads, and wherever our
organization exists Law and order must
prevail. By order Of the
VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
Seymour, Ind, July 81, 1868.