The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-07-01
INDIANA VIGILANTS.
The Murderer Heffren Han nged at
Salem-ShOws the blob Fight and Is
Shot I'm his Cell.

Shot i'm his Cell.
From the Cincinnati Commercial.
On Sunday last Southern Indiana
witnessed another midnight execution ,
and another murderer has received
short shrift and justice at the end OF a
hempen rope. On the Goth OF June,
Delos Hetfren, a noted bully, desperate
and the terror of Washington county,
deliberately shot Frenchman by the
name of Halstead, in broad daylight, in
the streets OF Salem, and after shooting
him to death, held him up in his arms
until his brains were beaten out with
the butt Of q pistol. Intense excite
ment followed the commission OF this
brutal murder, which did not confine
itself to Washington county. but spread
to the adjoining counties, and threate of
hanging Heffren had been freely made:
Quietly plans were matured, and
Yesterday the town was filled with peo-
pie, ostensibly to view the performance
of circus, but really determined that
Justice in mask and cowl should conslgn
Hefren to that doom which he so
richly mcrited. After the night per-
formance silence brooded over the town
till | o'clock, when apparently by pre-
concerted signal, the streets leading to
the jail were filled by crowd OF quiet,
resolute men, who proceeded to the
residence of the Deputy Sheriff, adjoin-
ing the jail, and demanded the keys,
being refused, he was overpowered and
confined, but would not disclose where
the keyg were placed. A sledge.hammer
was then procured and the doors OF the
jail were demolished.
When Heffrens cell was reached,
they found him standing at the door
with piece OF The bedstead in his hand,
like lion at hay. This, for a moment
caused the Wig lants to halt, but throw
ing lighted turpentine balls into his cell
so that he could be easily seen, firing
from reyoivers was opened upon him.
At length he fell, wounded in three
places, when the crowd rushed in, seized
and bound him, and hurried him away
in the darkness to the railroad bridge,
where producing the rope procured for
the purpose, Hefiren was ordered to
prepare TO meet his victims in another
world and was pushed or thrown from
the bridge. Having completed their
work, the vigilants released the Deputy
Sheriff aud the town patrolmeD, whom
thew hal seized and quietly left the
town. The body was left hanging until
o'clock this morning, when Heffren g
friends took charge of it.
1t is supposed tina! the same vigi-
lance committee that hung the Renos
several years since assisted in the hang
ing Of Heffren.
Delos Heff-en was Assistant Secre-
tsry Of the State under the Willard
Administration, and at that time no
young man stood higher in the conf
dence of the people, but Of late years
ne has been the proprietor OF a doggery
in Salem, and almost constantly engag-
ed in disgracetul brawls and fights.
Four wears ago he killed William John.
con, but was acquitted, it is said, by q
packed and venal jury. He was a
brother OF Horace Hetfren, Of the Sons
of Liberty notoriety, and once promi-
nent politician OF Southern Indiana.
Later intelligence represents the ex-
citement at Salem as intense. Heffren' E
friends denounce the lynching in un-
measured terms, while others are posi-
tive il declaring that justice hss been
done 10 Heffren. When Heffren was
taken to the bridge he asked time to
pray, but was sternly told that he
should have thought OF that before
that, as he gave no time to his victims,
so would no time be given to him.
Over twenty shots were fred at Heffren
while in jail, one of which shattered his
arm, which it is thought rendered his
capture more easy, as he was a large,
bold man. even to desperation.