The Worthington advance., 1879-01-02
ONO TxC-f<LUX.
Cincinnati Cumn,crcial.


There is.a state of affairs existing i'm
Darke county which challenges parallel in
| any of tie Northern States, and might well
| enttle it to a high rank. in those counties OF
| the South where Ku- Hiux law reigrs supreme.
Law appears utterly inoepeble of enforcing
respect Or maintaining order outside Of
Greenville, the principal town of tie county,
and even in. tins town tho influence that
pervades: the surrounding county is growing
III power. y -:
A year ago the first of a series Of ,outrages
wos committed il the town of Palestine,
little village eight miles from Greenvile:. A
man, named Guyer, why had lived number
Of years il Palestine, was Summoned to the
front door Of lis house by gang Of forty
or masked. Guyer vas 'fearless fellow, and
not cf very credi.able habits. He was a
carpenter, bat did little work at his trade.
He lived. in the. center Of the village on
the principal street. Through this
street tho masked gang rode just after
dark to Guyer's' residence, and as be STEP
ped to his gateway discharged a volley from
their guns Mt him. The report woke the
echoes Of the surrounding country, and was
heard several miles away. 1t aroused every
body in the town, but when they reached
the spot the murderers had disappeared.
Guyer had fallen over, pierced with a score
of bullets that had penetrated his brain and
torn through his heart. The life blood
flowed from these wounds: and death must
have ensued almost instantly.
His wife and children gathered, around
the body of the: father and husband be-
nun,bed and horror-stricken, and their
neighbors appeared either frightened or un-
wiling to render them aid. There was q
strange coHardice Id tfio mariner of the peo-
pie of the town. The worst thing ever
traced to Guyer was the petty larceny of
some lon-roost, but at this cold. biooded
outrage of the family his lleiShbors turned
a cold shoulder, and none offered them help,
but suggested they had better, fokow the, ,ad-
vice given by the desperadoes and get away
from Palestine as soon as possible. The ,ad-
vice vas followed, and the family shortly
packed up their things and left the place.
No thorough action was: ever taken to
bring the murderersto justice, and the citi-
zens of Palestine, as we'll as other portions
of the county, arc now paying the price
of this first neglect. The idesperadoes, eln-
boldened by their success, soon made them
selves heard from another quarter. This
time 1t was in an impressive epistle, written
in red ink, with coffin drawn upon it, to an
individual who: bad given the. members ot
tlis cut-throat gang some, d:spleasure.. A
reign of terror began, and if q family felt q
wrong from his nelghbor no uttered it only
in n whisper, for fear Of consequences. Let
tiers in red ink BECAME moro: frequent, and
the skull and c.ossbones were favorite sym,
bcls, and orders were given perenptorily tc
different persons to leave the town. Three
or four. months ago the gang aroused
an old negro, five or six n1ileE
| from Palestine, and treated him as they
had Guyer. Shortly aft er they kidnapped :
prominent farmer, and he has not beer
heard from since. Mrs. Guyer, who re-
moved to Greenyille. received. letters order
ing her to leave that city and get out of tbt
! county. Mr.. Barney Gallins and Charlie.
Calkins, of Greenville, attorneys for Mrs
| Guyer, who have been looking up evidenc,
in these outrages to discover the murde rer
| of her husband. have received number o
anonymous letters threatening their lives i
they do not quit the search. People are nov
IT, oroughly excited and Indignant With re
gard to the condition of affairs, and it i
| thought some decisive action will be take1
| to ferret out these outlaws: = - ~ -''
| 81 =: