Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-12-17
From the Cincinnati Commercial.
Tie Truth About the VIeksbure
Massacre


That false account of the slaughter of
cclored men in the Neighborhood of
Wick burg has been spread over the conn
Try, bY those whn are sympathizers with
the aggressors, guilty OF needless and most
wicked bloodshed, We are not at liberty
to doubt
we lave frOIu source that commands
confidence, a statement IS due the cnun-
try. Our information is that the whites
0f Nicksburg had some time since deter.
mined to clean out" the present Office
holders Three of those oficeholders
were indicted al the last term of the
grand jury. CROSBY, the sheriff, was the
one especially aimed at 1t was deter
mined that he should be put out of Office.
The papers insisted upon the Board OF
Supervisors meeting, on Wednesday Of
last week and requiring CROSBY 10 give
bond. A meeting of that body was call.
ed, and Il Is known that the intention
was TO require CRJsBf 10 give good
tontl.
But the citizens. headed by hot head.
ed irresponsible set OF men, put out sn in.
ccndiaIy circular calling ior meeting ot
the citizens of the county on the same
cay the Board of Supervisors were to
meet. And every one knew full well that
il was the Intention that the Board should
be forced TO do what was wanted. or per-
sonal violence used So the country
members failed to put in an appearance
bat he citizens held their meeting. II
was attended mostly by the young men
and irresponsible parties spelling for a
row. During the session a committee of
five lawyers were appointed TO report of
all legal means tO oust CROSBY had been
exhausted. 4 majority OF the committee
reported Lat all legal means had not been
exhausted. \ minority Ie3ort was rad:
Ivy two young limbs of the law, saving
that oil legal means had been exhausted.
and that the time for action had come.
BY action they meant force, and by
force they meant the reDe. No conceal
ment was made in their talk abcut hang
| ing, &c. y committee was appointed 10
wait upon certain officials and demand
their resignation. The meeting adjourn
ed to await the report. The officials who
could net be found begged time to con-
suit their lawyers, but failed tOreply in the
time given them. On the reassembling of
the meeting in the afternoon, and hearing
the report of their committee, they resolv.
ed to adjourn in a body 10 the Court
house and demand the resignation of the
officers. On reaching the Court house
] all the officers fed but CROSBY. He sign
cd a resignation. No one concealed wha.
his fate would be il he had not ione So
! He would have been hanged on the spot.
1 AS soon as he got out # the clutches of
! the mob he wrote "A letter to Judge
BROWN ofthe Circuit Court stating that
he took hack his resignation. as he was
compelled TO sign it, 10 save his life He
was then out in the country on his way
to Jackson. The morning after the row
Judge Brown tried 10 hold Coult, but
the parties left in charge of the Court
house refused to let the deputy enter the
Court rooms, and SO Cour; has been ad-
iourned from day to day since then.
! On Friday rumor got abroad that
CROSBY was about To make good, bond,
byplacing his Office in the hands of some
person or anothe acceptable to the peo-
pie ana retiring, leaving all control TO
such deputy. Two or three good parties
alreed To take the position. and arrange
iments have been made with their friends TO
make bond that would be ample and be-
yond dispute. When this was heard
meeting of the citizens in the city was
called, which resolved to frown down any
such effort The next morning the pa
Ipers contained notices warning white cit
izens from going on the bond, and this,
too. in the face of repeated assertions
that no charge was made against CROSBY
iexcept his failure to give good bond.
On the streets the threats were numer-
Gus that no mans life would be safe who
went on such bond.
CROSBY retired from Jackson on Fri
-s.t. n
to take possession Of his Office, and to call
in the aid OF the militia TO sustain him.
!: He sent news to the country for the ne
, gros TO come in Monday and report 10
the Courthouse. They came, were met
at the city limits and slaughtered sim.
plg slaughtered and butchered. They
were chased through the woods and fields
and shot down like dogs. Many were shot
after they gave up. and some were shot
on their knees white begging for mercy.
The spirit of demons was in the people.
It was not safe for any one not in full ac-
cord with them to be on tho street. One
poor old negro by the name of AMBROSE
Brown, was ordered off the street by Capt
] CowAN, former rebel bartery comman-
/. der and being tardy In going, CowAN
r deliberately shot him. Many prisoners
were taken, and kept in the Court house,
: and taken out in the morning With
: winks and mods. and laughter and Jest. II
!. was reported that three of the most OBJ
a noxious made their escape. which means
they have have simply been murdered
while prisoners
This is unquestionably the truth Of the
e massacre, and the people of the Nation
should fully recognize all its enormifies.
The worst of Il Is that the persons who
/ have been guilty of this wholesome muir.
4 Ger fully justify themselves upon the fsaee-
e Iment Of the fact that we have given.
and we are bound to add they are animated
. by the conviction that there has been q
L political revolution in the North and
r that their time is COMO.