Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-11-23
THE LYNCHING OF JOHN
SON, DAVIS AND TAYLOR.
THE RUMOREDe ANIMUS OF THE
s. LYING HERS
A DETAILED STATEMENT OF THE HoRRID
DEED X

Last week we noticed the arrest of three
negroes on charge of the murder of the
Park family near Henryville, Clark. Co.
Indiana This week we give the full de
tails of their being wrested from the hands
of the law, and hanged ill they were
dead
A gentleman from Clark county, where
the murder was committed, in detailed
statement to the editors of the Cincinnati
Times gives the following as the anlmus
for hanging the negroes:
1.-TWO years ago there was shooting
affray at Henryville between a shystering
lawyer named Matthew Clegg and Thos.
Prall, a neighbor of the Park family. The
shooting grew out of neighborhood quar-
rels and lawsuits, which became very bit
ter Cornelius Prall, brother of Thorn
as Prall, became involved in the quarrel
on behalf of his brother, and ultimately
became insane by reason of the troubles
! with the hostile gang and died in the In
sane Asylum last week.
About a year ago, perhaps eighteen
monts there were threats made to kill
Thomas Prall, and they were supposed to
have come from Clegg and his party.
John NJ Kirk, Cyrus NJ. Park, one ofthe
murdered people, and others, took sides
with Prall, and stood guard at his house
one night. They afterwards organized a
kind of protective society, and this for a
time greatly incensed their enemies.
Clegg is said by our informant to have a
very bad reputation, the people in the vi,
Z entity of Hcnryville fearing, and are con
stantly watching him. tits proper to add,
however, that the difficulty between him
and Prall is believed to have been AMIGA
( bly, settled some time ago. Nevertheless,
when the murder of the Park family and
I the subsequent attack made upon Kirk
were announced, suspicion was excited
that Clegg had something to do with the
horror. He, however, took an active part
in arreSting the negroes implicated, and
watched the case closely to the end. This
suspicion that Clegg, or some of his gang,
We're the instigators ofthe murders is still
believed by number OF people in Clark
county, and there was a great desire
among thinking men that the negroes
should be left alone until they had been
led to disclose all the facts that could be
elected from them.
it is easy enough to conceive the posi-
bility Of designing men placing articles OF
clothing, some in house here, and SOME
there, to throw suspicion upon innocent
persons Our informant does not think
this was the case in the present instance
The negro men were undoubtedly guilty
of this mOnstrous crime but many be
lieve, and have from the first, that some
white man or men were at the bottom o.
the tragedy This conviction has gaiHeC
strength since the hanging. There are
those who believe the criminals back O.
the negroes wanted to get rid of tire,
troublesome instruments Of their yillainy
who might blow on them
The Grand Jury having failed to find al
Indictment, the Court intended to hole
the prisoners until further evidence wa
adduced. The note sent Park, saying III
and Kirk would be fixed has not beer
found in Parks house
The Park gfrIs-Eveline and Helen
were still alive this morning Helen viii
not live over Sunday, perhaps not til
, then. The other mag possibly survive
few DAYS longer"