The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-24
THE ROCK MILLS OUTRAGE.

WHAT IS THOUGHT ABOUT 1T IN JERsEY-NRs.
POSED TAR AND YEATHER CRUSADE FOR
TUSATELY FRUSTRATED BY TOO MUCH
wHIsKxY-now JOHN HEoEMAN EXPORTED
CONFESSION.
NEsHASIc ~ j., Jan. % 1877.
Somerset county still continues In ferment OF ex-
element over the shepherd outrage As tho exami-
nation OF the parties suspected Of having nstgaed tho
AFFAIR approaches indeed the popular feeling against
them becomes moro and more marked Joseph Hege-
and hts son John, tho father and brother OF tho
victim OF the outrage are busy collecting witnesses
for the coming examination on Saturday. and by the
time the evcntul day arrives there will nm influx OF
mountaneers into Painve that will remind the dcn
OF that quiet hamlet Of the historic descent
OF Attila and his Huns fated Paris
IL Is u question whether the widest districts
in tue heart Of the North Carolina sand
hills or the Georgia pine barrens could produce.
utterly shtless and mi-savage class that which
has established itself Neshanc Mountain. The only
wonder one could entertain after Rock Mills
and sight Of the Stony Millers would that tho
dignaton OF that virtuous settlement had halted at
tar and feathers and that the world is not called upon
TO listen TO the details OF moro deadly crime. In
TACT Tor the perpetrators of Is downright murder
would have been much the safer plan. The savage
gules and lonely forests that break the monoony OF
the mountain side would hold such secrets enough
THE snEPHEhDs EXPERIENCE
has already been made very thoroughly known. Some
OF the details however, and some indeed OF more than
average Interest, have been overlooked. They only
lack the fatal climax indeed TO oul-Hcrod tho
enormty ut Huntington some years ago.
day or two after her return from her last absence
Mrs. shepherd became In measure aware Of tho feel
ing that existed or was being iomened in Rock Mills
against her. AS matter OF course, however she
tcrtancd no idea of tho length which the brutality
oil her enemies would 60 II was innocent of tho
charge upon which the popular enmity was based sho
was too proud TO attempt to prove II. Even to her
husband and her family she preserved the
silence IN regard to her movements abroad When she
returned she went 10 her house, and sent
Tor her husband who wns living at his Mothers They
began Housekeeping, as they had done before ana
lived quietly until the night o tho outrage. Knowing
the state Of feeling against her, the unfortunate
never doubted that sho was the object OF the assault,
II spoken Of with certainty here that her husband
might have remained by her SIDE and come oil un
harmed The mob had but one object IN view
the disgraceiu and brutal which II accomplished.
Mrs. Shepherds knowledge OF what followed alter
she lett tho house is necessarily imperfect Fright
and the prcmonItory symptoms OF her old cpcptic
| complaint almost deprived hcr OF Clad only
in her night dress, barefooed and bareheaded, and
bounded by the shouts OF the disguised rulans behind
her. she fed down the Icy road toward tho house OF
Mrs. Van Lew, less than quarter OF u mile away.
have heard them breathe. Az last when midway be-
her house and that ut which her cowardly
band had already found refuge, she was sezcd from
behind and her arms Sinoned. She declares that her
person. was outraged by ~ least two Of
the miscreanls Even m her terror she
recognized the voices OF her assailants fam-
| Tar ones, although their disguised faces prevented
her positively Identifying them. they surrounded
her as she lay extended ON tho frozen the
middle OF the road, bowling mad and furious with
drink. Their shouts and imprecations were heard ut
houses almost half u mile away. After tho pro-
I'm Uu ru u NJ
her head and her body and limbs spatiorcd with tar
from bucket which one OF the scoundrels carried
Then she dragged TO her feet and what renamed
OF the contents OF the bucket was poured over her
head. Fortunately, the tar cooled rapidly in the
bitter air, although the distance from the grocery
! where II was heated the OF the outrage IN
scarcely eighth oil mile, and was not hot enough
AFTER FINISHING THEIR WORK
the mscreans lett her where she had fallen In 1T
by the advice OF Peak, is alleged they induced
TO return and carry her TO the soop Vi her house.
where she was iouLd, sun nsenslbIe, some time alter
ward. In addition to the tar her body found 10
bear the marks OF severe blows. which shc declares
from the feet and fists Of her assaants. Hcr
| lett side IN particular was beaten almost black No
attempt tho IRON her person
until she arrived at her mothers house, nearly three
miles away. There, after considerable difficulty, II
was removed That which had been poured on-Le
| head, however, had matted her hair into inextr-
cable mass ana cooling began to shrink and draw the
hair out by the roots AS consequence II neccs
sary crop close to the head and then patches
OF tar found to have penetrated to the 81 u ITSELF
scarcely any OF tho residents OF the section which
1t occurred seem 10 regard II as anything but hugo
joke. Among all the mountainccrs spoken to by the
HERALD representative tho subject only three
sdercd the process OF tarrlng and fcathering halt
max cd woman on winters night rs anything but
outrageousy funny, although somewhat novel, prac-
teal joke; and even the three exceptions alluded to
the matter rather pity tor tho trouble in which
authors had involved themselves than In any synpa-
thy Tor the victim. la Neshanic, SomervilIe AMI the
other towns along the railroad, the contrary, tho
perpetrators OF the atrocy are everywhere denounced
in the strongest terms and with the expressed hope
That justice Will not halt In It's dealings with thom
short OF State Prison for a long term.
/ AND FEATHER CRUSADE
One OF the men implicated in the affair is reported
to have said:--"Shephcrd's vile wasn't tho only
There's Mrs and Mrs. ~ (enulnerating tho
names of several other the mountain) .that
intended To serve the same way, only the whiskey
| got the best the bargain"
HOW THE CRIMINALS WERE TRACKED
Tho manner in which the names OF tho par.
ties concerned IN the outrage obtained is
certainly original as everything else about
Rock Mills John Hegeman, the eldest brother
OF tho outraged woman Is famous throughout this
ton perfect athlete and most daring and deter
mined man. He was, At the time OF the outrage,
working "a farm at some distance from Rock Mills
As the oil his SISTERS misfortune reached
him he started the mountain for home. His
way led him past Peaks grocery and he went In TO
warm himself lie had at that time idea OF who
the authors OF the outrage wcre. Among the people
in the young Hon, and he called him out
inquire oil The particulars OF the affair. Some
thing IN Hon's caused him TO suspect him, and
he demanded thorough explanation OF the event.
Hon refused to give 1t and Hegeman knocked HIM
down. AS he still persisted In his refusal he received
another blow and ut last In order TO himself roa
treatment, told the and gave the vi
the others concerned similar performance with the
two Docherys and Cray produced a Ike result IL is
the different prisoners all told the same story.