The New York herald., 1877-01-23
JERSEYS SAvAGES.
How rHE PERPETRATORS OF THE ROCK MILLS
OUTRAGE WERE TRAcxED-Two OF THEM
STILL AT LARGE--HUNrED DOWN.

HOW THE PERPETRATORS OF THE ROCK MILLS
OUTRAGE WERE TRAcxED--Two OF THEM
STILL AT LARGE--HUNTED DOWN.
New Jerseys ambitious attempt TO rival Huntington
by repeating the Kelsey atrocity . woman s the
chief topic OF in every barroom, railroad
station, street and at every Hreside within
radius OF twenty miles OF the OF the out.
rage. There talk even OF lynch
lug the perpetrators OF tho crime, but that
desperate theory only finds supporters now in gentle
men whose applications 20 that merry stimuant vul-
carly known as Jersey lightning" have been more
frequent than judicious Tho prevailing opinion as
gathered by HERALD reporter despatched 10 invest
gate the matter Yesterday, is that the severity OF
Jersey law will provide ample punishment for tho
dastardy criminals Two of them, Charles Hon and
John Corbn, now confined in the Somerset County
Jail, al Somervc. William and Howard Dcchcriy and
Alfred Cray had bail provided for them By their
parents and at large. Isaac Peak and
Richard Van lAew, the two others directly im-
plicated, arc still in hiding, but Constable Brace.
armed with the warrants issued Tor their apprehension
by Justice Covert OF Planvillc. diligently working
TO ferret them out preliminary hearing of the prs-
oners will on Saturday next before Justice
Covert. Tho parties bc called on to answer in adj
dition those already arrested are James I. Peak
brother OF OF the still enlarged prisoners and the
proprietor Of the grocery which the mob met; Fanny
mal,reatcd woman's husband. These three
cuscd OF having the real instgaors OF the Affair."
ami public opinion is unanimo mous in denuncat,on OF
them.
ROCK
10 visit the scene OF the outrage it is necessary
Old line Of the Central Railroad OF New
Jersey to Neshanic forty live miles from New York.
Thence conveyance IS necessary TO reach sbe
sparsely settled district on the crest OF Nesnanic
Al ,~hl
during the last few days at Rock Mills Tradition fails
10 record the origin OF the name.
THE SCENE or THE OUTRAGE
The long climb ended at last a bare bill sop
where tie wind held high carnival. A; cross road
bcre diiapidated house braved the blast with rafting
weahcrb0ards, and IN tho neglected yard before II
old woman was gathering twigs for a Are which
suggested itself by the tnlntest and thlnnoAt OF all
streaks Of blue vapor, that came shlvering out Of
the tumbiedown chimney. This was Mrs. Van Lew.
relative OF OF the rutlans concerned the out
rage and 1t was IN this house that Amos Shepherd,
ssHs was we'll nigh dead with skcar," says Mrs Van
Liew IAN chatern' his teeth out Tor coid, benz only
IN his SHIRT and panalocns No! Mono OF 'em ol-
and then they went down the road 70 the store
After hlile spell they come back They
road toward Shepherds house an then passed
their way back 10 the store agin. shepherd! We'll,
he lay ON tho settcc there, too scared even 10
! breathe. No. couldn't tell en- by ther voices
d dan know TIL WAS told WHO they wcic.'
S
whose nea,ncss is in marked contrast with the squad
poverty branded on the habations Of his neghbors
II is only few rods IRON the house OF Mrs
| Van Liew, bctwccn which and IL the outrage
pcrpctratcd, and stands in the Same enclosure
with the Methodist church, sort OF giant edition
packing whitcwashcd and endowed with hall
dozen w,noows, aud a door wh .ch tho wind
open aud against winch lay deep the driitcd snow
The window through which Mrs. Shepherd escaped is
next to the house door and about SIX lect IRON tho
ground The door rs ueepiy scored wi.h
m n hack n lhp
house little extension, IN front OF which is the
soop which the victim Of their vlrtuous brutality
laid by her assaiiants. Tho house SIMPLY and
poorly furnished but bears marks Of ncathess and
care The bedroom ot Mr. and Mrs Shepherd is on
road. which leads INTO Neshantc by q crcuitOus
than tho ono travelled by tho HERALD represent
edge of bank, Us II It intended every moment TO
tumble into the soap box lid nailed
Of the windows bears the legend. 'Grosery." and
another similar sign over the door Announces that
IT, the store itself a dozen dsnlzsns OF
common CONDITION Of much patched ragsodness. were
gathered about red hot stove staring at the half
empty shelves aud watching prs.ernaiurally sharp
boy drive hard bargain with negro When Tho col
ored gentleman finally taken IN, done tor and sent
about his business The youthful sharper turned his a
tention TO the reporter.
What do you want"
IL want 70 see Mr.. James Peak;
'He amt here"
.'Wherc is hey"
81 dunn0'
from the budding Machiavelli. short d.stance from
the grocery, which, be 1t hero remarked, tine place
where the mob got drunk aud where they used
heated. Is one o tho barren homesead's charac-
teristIcs OF Rock Mills. Mrs. Fanny Conover, the
moiner-inaw of jacob Hegeman, and who regarded
chief instgator Of the Outrage, Is tall lady, Of
more than average leannsss aud unDending
acerbi,y. Her daughter, the deserted wie OF tho
iahlcss Hcgcman, natural second edition OF her
mother. Neither OF them know anything-at least, so
they sayand II they did. ''they don't know as they
should tcL u
A three mile ride down the snowy ntans brought
the reporter to the house where Mrs. Shepherd found
refuge with her mother In deccntly but poorly tur.
nshed room, before blazing wood fire, o graceful
female ngurc In plain calico dress rocking in
Od-tashioned rocking chair.
Four years ago shepherd married Ida Hegsman,
daughter OF Joseph Hegeman, the largest OF the
small farmers on the Nesbahie Mountain Her father
and mother had been separated Tor some tme one
living with his children, four boys ana three
girls at house, and the other residing with and
acting h0usckeeper Tor her ather on tho aIter's
iarm lda's marriage was not approved OF by her
father Previous to the girl had made little money
by sewing and dong houscwork Tor the wcIlto-do
farmers OF the valley. Shortly after the marriage
shepherd fell ill., anu she obtained a sewing machine
and supported herself and him by making clothing
the slop shops oi the South, working Tor u con.
tractor IN P,anviiie. Three years ago she lett
Rock Mills work Tor fanny in Bound
Brook, and her husband followed her ana persusded
her to return. Last November she lett again. gong
is supposed, TO New York. She returned IN December
with littc money, ufi which the pair lived till n few
weeks ago when she again disappeared. About tho
same time her cousin, jacob Hcpeman, who had kept
store IN Rock Mls sold out and also lett the settle
mcnt leaving his wife with her mother. Mrs Fanny
Conover, and taking all his money with him Ruinor
at connected their departures, and when Mrs.
Sheppard returned to Rock Mills early In the current
year she accused oi having been away Ia company
with Hegeman which assertion she cmphaticaliy de-
MES. AS she always refused, however to Pvo any
definite explanation OF her movements whilo she
WAS lot believed.
IL alleged that after this Mrs. Conovcr and Jacob
Shepherd, who had always been bad terms with his
sIstcr-in-lsw. determined on the course which re.
suited Wcdn esday week the tarring feather.
ing ot Mrs shepherd Peak, the grocer, VINO said
have also old cnctry OF Shepherd and his wife,
was taken into their counses and the men who per-
formed the outrage were induced by the promise OF
money and liquor perfect Il. On the evening OF the
1Oh Oi January they were assembled In the grocery.
and Shepherd treated them to a bucket OF cider They
drank IT, and then demanded something stronger, and
the tar aud heated II fire in hts store. Ho