The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-22
A SOCIETY OF MURDERERS.
1HE LEfGUE or POL IrICTAYs IND
THUGS IN PENNSYLVANIA.

OF Crimes President Gowen's Testimony.
PorrsvL1E, Oct. H.--Your corresPon-
don't IA enabled to present TO tho million readers
OF The sun some new aud interesting infOrina-
ton concerning that desperate examination
known As the Molly Maguifcs. from tho time II
was first cnirtcrcd by the Republican Legi.la
ture, in March. 1871, up to the hour when many
OF its most desperate and blood thirsty ie ldefs
received their death sentence, In September
1870
In ,his history will be comprised a brof refer
. ence 20 the beastly and inhumsn outragss COM
mtted by this society. full expose Of ia sccrot
by.words toasts, and signs. well as a startling
revelation OF the methods by which the highest
Republican ilciais OF the state hav1 coufted
and bribed IS influence Tor the promotion OF
their own polite Al ends.
when this musdsrOds society," Haunting Its
charter triumphantly over rs head, disappeared
from the Capitol At Harrisburg to seek its homo
amid the dusky shadows Of the mountains,
what did It proceed 70 do' Mr.. Franklin H.
Gowen says that" B,fors il fear and terror fed
covering to thor nomes. which Afforded no
sanctuary agalns' the vengeance OF their puisu-
ers behind 1t stalksd darkness aud despair,
brooding like grim sba lows over tue desolated
hearth aud ruined home. In hidden places On
by silent paths. aud in the lodges OF the rocks,
who shall say how many victims Of this order
now await the mn trump OF God2"
have In my Possession complete record of
che crimes committed by this society during
the past few yoIrs, but tho Lat Is SO long that
Tns sun could not well ford the space to pub
iisu II: aud soro than this, tbs details Of the
atrocities are In many Instances Of such re-
voting character that no respect able Journal
would BIO warranted In presenting them TO its
readers. suffice II 10 say that these trsg ,dies
Can bo counted nv score.
] give tel " ono Or two inst noes Of the open
and defiant manner In wnich the Molly iguircs
have wfeaked tbeir veugolnce upon thclr VIC
Dasit MUIR srperintendont OF a colliery. wa,
murdered within few y'ris OF TIE breaker.
hf dssu-sl a. attacked hiul va the Il iy time and
although n Ilrse numb. r NJ men we're ey, VII
nessea TO the murder. none coud b. found who
would identity the nlurierets. This Outrage,
In mo Moll, veruacnlAr. was borrow" e.
emerged from recesses In the mountains. and
BY previously arranged cOle Of signs. directed
tne uuidefcrs what paths 10 tdae III order TO
Alexander Rac was shot on a public highway.
near Centralii, Columbia county. Conclusive
evidence wa DeOhs Il Forward during the trai
OF the parties arrested 20 warrant their cDnyic-
ton, but N ifon-'lsd anhi interuosed, and
owing 10 hood tide u peri iry. he miscreants
Were given h.eft'' | ieMn tnat one Of the.
the DEF AS Of tho murder fully cor
rooor'sine tho charges made by ths Com
uipnNeath at the trid. II ~ sid that poor
Hae fecoVnz,d tue as sasslls. and in his de IN
nrug-le-. calling one u them by name. said :
:, what nave done, that YOU should shoot me
Ike dog
These outrages are selected from a long list I'm
my pos -essiOu. hers iccitns the deaths Of
irV,nlnent Siuzens, equally droci.us IN detail.
quote rom lir. q wen again:
Nor Is u alone tho'e wlos, nnncs hay, m,ailon,d
-W.1 w1,ss NV. o.. W. J., a. H. anu " sonl
rsre ~ tue toa's h- .a' icr' Dat the hlnirrds
oysr e.e f.,s .. t GOA =. V'"'' "0' s 4ef'AE
., Tho death roll' Of the Coroner Is only par.
lihIy complete. Unuer the cover Of darkness
Inc knlic or Tao bullet has euded the life OF
many a man ABOUT whose remains OF no
coroner jury has ever been summoned. aud.
ht-l now Oxen hi4 '1runer's jury edsed IT.
conscience rnd bcfelVed uuflic Justice under
the 'eruict OF Accidentally Ailiel." ,lcn nave
Deeh murdered va cola blood. aud their iifeies.
bodies nave been pltr-d upon the r .ilruud Track
70 De torn ani muulatsd by the ear wnceis, ~
that IN case ,coruuer'r jury WIS allied their YER
Cict wound materially he " Bc4tn from accident"
lime ANA tine ~ In mas n mtner lrft uis home
NJ dasur al - erect he il b ana strength ,nd
" night 4 mas nccn c.rred back to INA humble
ntte Cnhin a bleeding, IN 4nglel corpse. Tho
CORONER hns been sufninoagd a iry has
Oeen selected. and the verdict has alwa : been
tide saluc-" Killed. by fan OF rock" 'Inus
nave herh si"s'el over tae Gdmnablc crincs Of
TO many 1t may be asoIrce OF wonderment how
TINS orgahila'lon could en- CT us bloody work,
lion. Hera y tne expl nation. The holy M
CURES throughout the coal fields were cat up in
dNisions cdch DIVISION had IT. chef VINO MS
generally known as bodb master There
were count, officers, state officers. ana
q
because II was Through them thar the
murders were generally pl nned and eNecuted.
Four times each year asset ot goods WIS iut-
w'rded too acn podynasrer ~ 4 set " 20 rs
+ meant pms words, toas's. tokens, ami si.ns.
bN wal orc MNiiY NtgNtrc could recognize
huot'tr no matt r Nh n, where. orunaer what
e.. unstanc,. tuey rnl-red Co meet. Ine last
reiv-d m e.. LII. Tao 'sswo,i uy .ueans "
Nhith one NJ as couli l.uutiis TuD ,hrrw wa,
iinac RUE 10 I'fs,r g. "a trii lur,.if pr,,,
u . D B Pa. .tfA ...l
va NOS l.pili. hu Nuald npt of cnugss unIur-
. ~ !, but n he tslonsei 10 the Jsds. hs
h"'ud u once respond:
~! ecs'v Hthn'm rodi support the
Inis was the "dly" password. In c.sotso
hoili met 1T nght, pu, wnul1 say:
,'"" ercnlhg! Aorniyh IS pielsitt."
ara the oiner Nouid respond
fto' 50 Il trsciiom.'
But the u,,s. peculiar feature OF the set Of
FOODS now before me- j. what - called tho
Qnrrcilirg loast. Detectye McPArlAn, wac
med the oraer. Informs me that sigui1-
eanco Is MS II Two meinne-, 90 the Moiiirs,
not aVIAiiNtod wiih each ptuc., sh luld meet In
apWr1bil, rot ilto "a bitter quarrel, and were
l.iu; 20 nsnt. oma q men would say:
~ crfEi, s'r.' Ana the o.ner would imme-
dllt"iy re pond; " an H,rfI I'M ini,fsr1ns
MnrrrHpnn they would recognize each o.ner .ls
Dr. .thor-. and cease wrangiIg az ,nco.
Nhcney a set Of men ~ one district formed
III. ikr 20 tntlr mining boss. the, would make
u '"mIiars t. their bndynasier ms nnIV-
n.it"r would ply TO the bOIyma.ter Of
another di"tuct tor Two or three men o XII the
frHiviI ii nr inulSiiuts against whom the men
Ia Nir.iW would liw tYt Oe attacked by strtn-
geto' iicss us whom he had never seen before
am Nn"' hpHn this account, seldom fIlel to
cAi' "' iHtir Giaoulica dc-iAn-. In Case the
III 49, "ta t'led outright, tue muruerers could
"asllr rsr 80, ann " the bullet missed his heart
tf iAli.d 90 o. nrttate "a Nitai uATt, al Tue poor
-l'M r"Nd " a. that he had Deon assaulted
by uhhHpNn men.
nave IN tie uu We as briefly ~ possible on.
Dc Yoitd to- - tie readers ii llir Sun an toea
OF ms inurdtfuus organ ltion, 81 hicn w : en- r
ttftd IA IA" keystone state, and which "a the
Ifrbahil'nn parry iaCrrasvd Ia power his urj-
p"itohhiely increased the AutnOtr OF It's out
Iagu>
now come to the most painful fac's. Mr..
HrNeh, ~ the G so OF Inc CuulmnnN ealth All
ihpm NANCY said OF tno society VI tue Molly
VI, guiIes
Csimn' In j Character criminal IN ma nurpose IL
ma r. llrniY ptllilral Obi 60. llish clnstAuIr.
Of pIlrc Candidates flr associate Jud, -, Ia n
trusted 10y urf icipN-mrn we're all tAe thine xnilt, OF
lnHNs,r. lhfrf rec rat nc l.foyHitf n Msshug.
o, tsH nHr ~ ne hgssf QreI4 " ne S!d,e an he
fff m lHf tfitfh, 0t ftf q We sums 0f n,oey
fhhf lHs Ate rDfeyoj fhis ulfeTll cifuOH
Z ~ ffe 'tff y 9 hfUe si-sls0n q Z mos n sprr
. n. "pi - fte ir0 a ttretIt,4n as ieep anu rs
WN' Irs Ni fHt mt opsis g. ne peoFe " ttis Cvt
'tDtWeil|h ~ mo mot .sDr
Nj. epwen IL a gentleman who never speaks
o. ii'uon. II remains Yet u be SHOWN when
h' hf' iu 'dr tn accusation ia he could not
Ir 49, Nnd have Trustworthy Information that
is Ire gave Htier.ucs TO Tie above, there was