The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-10-17
LYNCH LAW IN INDIANA.
Five Negroes Killed by a Mob at Mount Vernon
Indiana


Indiana.
Evansville, Ind Oct 1.-THE Journal has the
following from Mt, Vernon
Mt Vernon has been In the widest state OF ex.
element since o'clock over O series Of the most
disgusting crimes and tragic revenges which ever
startled the people Of this vicinity. All day hun
dreds Of people armed with pistols shoguns, etc.
have been crowding about the court house and
jail surging with excitement and eager for ven
geance on the five criminals who have been put
In for the most desperate offenses, and who are
huddled in the small Jail, helpless, with the fear
that every minute will be their last. The cause
Of all this began Monday night at O'clock, when
eight negroes, lawless and drunken, went to q
house Of ill.fame, near the outskirts of town. and
knocked for admIttance. There were three girls
in, and one Of them, lnquiring what was wanted
was answered that messenger with q note was
waiting. She opened the door and young negro
stood on the steps, and just behind him gigantic
fellow with cooked revolver, who ordered the
girl to open the door, and commanded his confed
crates to enter The eight entered and demanded
money from the girls, who did not have any. The
scoundreis riaed the house for plumber, during
which one girl attempted to escape by the back
door. One of the scOundrels presented revolver
at her head and told her he would kill her II she
WENT that they had business with her. They then
huddled the girls into one room, and putting out
the lgt inaugurated beastly carnival, holding
their pistols at the girls heads and compelling
them to submit TO the loathsome embraces Of all
one after another, for an hour, during which time
the girls were not allowed to speak or utter a
sound on pain Of death, A little after midnight
all departed, leaving the women falAting and sick
On the next morning, in spite Of the election,
there was great excitement In town, and the Off
GERS. armed with warrants, went In search of the
ravishers. The villains lived In Belleville the
negro quarter, and had not fed. Jim Good, JEFF
Hopkins, Ed, Warner, and William Chambers
were arrested Wednesday and put in jail, the ar.
rest being kept as quiet as possible in order to
prevent lynching, On Thursday the town was
greatly excited but no steps were taken while the
officers were In search Of those who had escaped
The morning at o'clock horrible tragedy was
perpetTated In terrible manner. Deputy Sheriff
o. s. Thomas, Deputy Marshal Edward Hayes,
Constable William Russell and Charles Baker
went to the house Of Dan Harris, ST negro sixty
years old, whose son Dan Harris jr., was to be ap
pretended on warrant for being one Of the raw.
ishers, They surrounded the house and Thomas
knocked at the door and demanded admission II
was refused He demanded 1t again, and ordered
the parties Inside to strike light. Old Harris
told him to strike light himself, Thomas went
to the side window with Russell to parley with
the parties, and as they approached double.bar-
relied shotgun was pushed out and discharged
within three feet of them. One buCkshot grazed
Russells cheek, and eighteen buried themselves
in Thomas face throat and breast. The jugular
vein was cut and one went through his heart
while his shoulder was blown off. Hestaggered a
few feel and said boys, ana shot to the death"
and fell dead without a struggle. Ed. Hayes ad-
vanced to the window and was also fired at, and
on his part emplied a shotgun into the window at
Harris, but neither was hurt much, Harris getting
few squirrel shot In his arm The officers alto
gether made raid on the house then, and after
two or three hours struggle succeeded In getting
old man Harris. But young Dan was not there.
He is supposed TO have got away. When they
took old man Harris to the jail at about O'Clock
they found great crowd armed with pistols and
guns hungering for the lives Of the men in jail
and for Harris in particular Several of them at
tackled Harris as he was carried through, and
nearly succeeded In shooting him, and but for the
excitement elsewhere which diverted them would
have done 1t. He was put in jail and Hayes,
Jim Dunn, Baker and others locked themselves
In, armed to the teeth, and defed the mob, which
was bowling outside demanding entrance. Ma.
jor MenEies and William Nelson made quietiug
addresses but no attention was paid to them. I'm
der the determined resistance OF the officers how.
ever, the enraged people gradually concluded to
wait till night.
The farther proceedings are described In spec
ial to the Indianapolis Journal:
As evening approached the mob withdrew to
the woods west Of town, organized, masked, and
waited until 10 o'clock, and then marched into
the town silently and in good order The jail was
guarded by men with shotguns and one piece Of
artillery, but the guards were quickly overpow.
cred and Hayes, the deputy sheriff, thrown down
and the keys taken away from him, while the
mob and crowd fred guns to create panic. The
four ravishers, William Chambers, Jim Good, j.
7. Hopkins and Ed. Warren were locked in one
cell and Bledge-hammers we're used to break in.
While the noise Of the hammers sounded, old Har.
was butehered In rhe corridor by the relatives Of
his victim, and pieces Of him thrown down the
privy vault unknown 10 the outside crowd. After
half an hours work the bars gave way and the
four strapping negroes were led out bound. and
with ropes around their neck. The members of
the mob formed guard on eachside of the doom.
ed men and marched to the south side Of the
square. Ropes were thrown over limbs and four
beiDgs were hung at once, two on q tree, Cham.
bers's limb broke and he fell to the ground, but
was lifted up and asked to tell all he knew. He
protested his innocence, and the leader said, "Let
him swing" and the rope was thrown over the
stump oil broken lGmb and he was run up strik-
ing heavily against the trunk as he went. Not
a cry escaped one, not plea, nor scarce a strug
gle.