Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-10-17
POsey County Indiana, the Scene OF /;
Terrible Tragedy-Full particu-
lars Of .le Outrage.

lars Of Tie Outrage.
A terrible tragedy took place at
Mount Vernon, Posey county, Ind,
last week. The following from the
Evansville Journal olives the partic-
ulars:
The cause of the trouble occurred Mon
day night, when eight negroes, lawless
and drunken, went 10 house of i'll fame,
near the outskirts of town, and knocked
for admittance. There were three girls
in, and one of them, asking what was
wanted, was answered that messenger
with note was waiting She opened the
door, and q young negro stood ON the
steps, and just behind him gigantic fell
low with cooked revolver, who ordered
the girl to open the door and commanded
his confederates to enter The eight en-
tered and demanded money from the girls,
who did not have any. The scoundrels
rifled the house tor 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 if she went that they had
business with her. They then huddled
the girls into one room, and putting out
the light inaugurated beastly carnival,
preventing the girls from making any out
cry or calling for help, by threats of in
slant death. A little after midnight all
departed leaving the women fainting and
sick. On the next morning, in spite of
the election, there was great excitement in
town, and the officers, armed with war
rants, went in search of the ravishers
Jim Good. JEFF. Hookins, Ed. Warner and
VIM Chambers were arrested Wednesday
and put in Jail, the arrest being made 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. Last Friday morning,
at O'Clock, Deputy Sheriff o. S. Thomas,
Deputy Marshal Edward Hayes, Consta-
BILE William Russell and Charles Baker
went to the house of Dan Harris, ST., ne
gro sixty years old, whose son, Dan Har
ris, ir, was to be apprehended on war
rant for being one OF the rayishers. They
surrounded the house and Thomas
knocked at the door and demanded admis-
sion. 1t was refused. Thomas went to
the side window with Russell to parley
with the parties, and as they approached
double barreled shotgun was pushed out
and discharged within three feet of them.
One buckshot grazed RusselPs cheek and
eighteen buried them selves in Thomas's
face. throat and breast. The jugular vein
was cut and a shot went through his
heart, while his shoulder was blown off,
He staggard few feet and said, Boys |
am shot To DEATH and fell dead with
struggle. Ed. Hayes advanced 10 the
window and was also fired at, and on his
pant emptied a shotgun into the window
at Harris, but neither was hurt much,
Harris getting few squirrel shot in his
arm. The officers altogether 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. When they took old man Harris
TO Jail at about 6 clock they found a
great crowd, armed with pistols aud guns,
hungering for the lives of the men in Jail,
and for Harris in particular Several of
them attacked Harris as he was carried
through, and nearly succeeded in shooting
him, and but for the excitement else
where which diverted them would have
done it. lie was put in Jail, and Jim
Hayes, Jim Dunn, Baker and others lock-
cd themselves in, armed to the teeth, and
detied the mob, which was bowling out
side, demanding entrance. Under the de
termined resistance of the officers, how
ever, the enrage1 people gradually con-
cluded to wait ill night. One colored
man who came into the mob, began to
talk freely and was shot in the back of the
neck by somebody, and will be land up for
some time. Early in the morning tele-
grams concerning the crisis were sent to
Evansville where many Of the leading
citizens of Mount Vernon were attending
United States court, and ii became rumOr
ed that Gov Williams had been called on
to send the Evansville Rifles and Light
Guard militia. This put the mob into a
perfect frenzy of excitement, and 200 men
armed with guns and pistols were ordered
To the depot to await the coming OF the
train and prevent the militia from getting
off. A cannon was got out of the quarters
and under charge of the remainder Of
the crowd was hauled TO the
court house and planted in front of the
building facing the street to the depot.
The militia did not come, as there was no
authoritative call for them, and at
o'clock the excitement had somewhat sub
sided, although armed men weH crowded
in the streets and around the Jail. Not a
negro was to be seen in town.
jim Good, one of the parties, was pr
doned by Governor Williams three
months ago, after serving two years on a
five years sentence for rape. He is baG
man, all his accomplices have bad charac
tiers except old Harris, who is said TO have
been very well behaved man. AT 10 &c
the mob, numbering seventy five to one
hundred men, marched around to the real
OF the court house, with coats reversed
and faces yelled. The guards of the Jail
William Koener. Ed. Hayes. Mat. Nelson
Charles Baker, Frank Wright and Charles
Schoelat, were overpowered in few min
utes, silently and with little struggle, ex
cept by Ed. Hayes, who struck out right
and left, but was thrown down and the
keys to the outside door taken from him
Several of the maskers went inside, but
had to work a half hour at the cell doors
with sledges before they got in where the
four were. After a short time the mot
came out with the four men bound and
with ropes around their necks. The
masked guards formed on each side anC
marched To the south face of the square
and hung Chambers and Good To one
tree, and Hopkins and Warren to another
| The limb that Chambers was hung Oh
broke and he fell heavily. He tainted
was restored and was asked TO tell all
He gave rambling account of something
else, ana said he was innocent. The rope
was thrown over the stump of the lint
/ and ran mp again. The crowd, which wa:
driven across the street as the hanging be
gan, was, after i5 minutes, allowed 10 ap
proach the bodies. As the crowd rushed
forward the mob quietly slipped away, I'M
masked, aud the members mixed with th,
bystanders. During the firing to distract
attention, Alex. Crunk, the sheriff elect
Alb. Crunk, his brother, John Crunk, hi
nephew. and John Patterson, builder wer,
accidently shot. The sheriff will lose al
eye and the Others are painfully wounded
Old man Harris, as was afterwards dis
covered, was killed in the Jail, and wa,
literally chopped to pieces and the flesl
thrown into a privy in pieces by the rela
tives of the murdered man.
! -
On Saturday night two burglars entered
ii A. u L