The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-01

he stopped, and said. "Gentlemen, PIl be
damned if / unlock the Jail" They then
took him back to the room and said they
would do the work themselves. They LETT
guard of several men over Thomas and me.
This was the last saw OF the men that
tered the room until saw number OF men
come out of the body Of the Jail
with negro man, (I do not know his nanne),
who was at the time confined in the Jail on
the charge of rape. They then took the ne
gro out to the street on the south side of the
jail and pat him in spring wagon. They
then went north on west side Of Jail to the
main street, and then turned
behind to tSe isir S Sro1pd aSoSs
one mile east Of Greenfield. 1 went inside of
the fair grounds and to where / saw men at
work under the old floral hall. i went up to
the hall within about six or seven feet of
where they Were tying rope to the rafter of
the roof of the hall. They then moved
some boards or benches that were under
they then backed ''' the INC wagon Ses;
with the negro in it, under the rope
the negro was lying down. Two men
for a man (they did not call his name) to
come forward aud adjust the rope around
the Negroes neck. The man called for came
forward and performed the job. One of the
men in the wagon asked the negro if he had
0' fe% i minutes sss' A to ne ive a'0 P TSs
negro said he had not much to say, but ex-
clai med,
"MEN, YOU ARE DOING WRONG"
One of the party in the wagon said if he had
nothing better to talk about, to drive the
wagon out. Then the man that seemed to
have charge of the wagon drove it from I'M
der the negro, and left him suspended
by the neck, his feet dangling some
ef- in
He was dead. think, before left. The men
engaged in the mob were disguised so that
did know any of them. The night
was tolerably dark, think cloudy. saw
several men from Greenfield, but they were
not permitted to go close and were not par
ticipating in any way, simply looking on.
After the negro was dead the mob ordered
every person to leave the fair grounds and
all so far as l know obeyed the command.
The mob had one of the street lamps and a
common lantern.
Following this statement of Windsor's
came
THE sHERIFF's STORY.
William Thomas, being duly sworn, stated
that: Am sheriff of Hancock county; had a
negro man by the name of Keemer confined
in the jail of said county On charge of
rape. On the morning of June 20, 1875
about half past II O'Clock, was awakened
DIV nearing IOOL Sb0DS coming COIN the
front aud back stairs. They CANA to the
door of the room where was sleeping, and
some persons demanded admittance / told
them they could not get in. They said they
must have admittance; that If did not let
them in they would break the door down.
/ told them they could not get in under
any circumstances. 1 then heard voice
from the outside saying, "Boys, go down
and fetch up our TOOLS" About tn at time
land Mr.. Windsor, who was sleeping in the
room with mel had got up. / spoke to
| Windsor, and at that time l heard the click
OF number of what l supposed to
be guns or pistols. About this time
men came with tools. They again demanded
admittsnce, stating that this was the last
time. made no response to their demand,
and they at once broke the door partly, and
then unlocked the door, and number of
masked men entered the room. They were
so disguised that l did not know any of
them. They demanded the keys of the jail
from me. refused to give them up. Tney
then showed me back against the north wall
of the room between two beds, and took the
keys out OF my pants pocket. am satisfied
that the men that took the keys had never
seen them before. They did not seem to
know that they had the right ones. After
they got the keys OF, me they said
and said had to go down with them and
open the Jail. / told them would not do it.
| They then took me and started down the
|. front stairs, swearing they would show me
whether would open the Jail or not. They
got about half way down stairs with me,
when told them never would open the
door for them, and they let me down and
told me to go back up stairs and stay there
and they would open the doors themselves.
l think they were about five minutes in get
ting through the two front doors of the
Jail. 1 think they unlocked them; am not
sure. / did not see them any more for about
two minutes, but heard them in the body of
the jail, as though they were breaking
the cell door. Next saw them passing out
of the south hall with the negro maU,
Keemer, going toward gray horse. Did
not see the men any more, but saw the
negro on the morning of June 20, 1875, at
the fair grounds, one nile north of Green
field, in The south end of the floral hall,
neck, bis feet some two or
three inches from the ground, dead.
| The crowd seemed to be sober, but noisy
and heard but little vulgar language from
them.
Arthur P. Williams stated he was called up
| at 20 minutes past II O'Clock on the morning
OF June 20, 1875, and told that mob bad
surrounded the Jail. Went across to the jail
and saw IL was surrounded by body OF
masked and armed men and outside main
body was aguard. Heard the noise in the jail
as if they were breaking down the iron
doors. Heard cries from the men outside say
ing don't kill him, the reply came keep quiet
and obey orders, the time win soon come.
The negro was brought out and placed in
| wagon drawn by white horse, by the masked
men, then the order came to form as before,
by platons. the wagon in front of the mob
and then ordered to march and went north
to Main street and east then to the fair
grounds, and further be corroborates the pre-
vious statements by Windsor as to the
further transactions. When asked what
he had to say he said with
great effort, you men are doing
a great wrong. The order was then given
to drive the wagon forward, and the negro
was left suspended. The verdict of the 160
masked men was then pinned to body.
| DIR. S. s. BOOTS
was sworn, and stated that he was at fair
ground east of Greenfield on the morning OF