Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-07-02
nxYCnT sIARAUDERs.
&C PEACEFUL CITIZENS FROM
DRAu THEIR BEDS.

U,rNEsBURG, "A, June lo'-A
g ontrages which have no parallel
Iles sh v. history of this section is reported
in tn, nnyi mob" been perpetrated a few nights,
- $50 and the particulars as furnisheo
asU ,d like the improbable annals OF
sO orn depraved age than the present
InUo' fats as reported are not to be
anestioued however, aud every par,lcur
Is youched for as being capable OF
h ID, implicitly believed. The depre-
p ,,;o,s ,ammitted consisted in COM
S;ns,ion of unheard of outrages, the
perpetrators being gang OF
MOUNTED, MASKED MEN
ohio made Spliughill, Greene county,
their starting point and completed their
das,.rdly work beyond the Pennsylvaa-
uis line in West Virginia. The mob
numbered from ten to twenty men ana
were considerably under the influence
Of liquor, which, though not an excuse
tor the crimes committed, will douolieSs
he TO a certain extent considered Pai
listion. The house of Eli Reed' IN Inc
above named village was hrst visited
sD5 an entrance effected. Their ven
naance. if such it could be called, was
Started by treating the head OF the house
20 q coat of tar, alter which he was rid
don on a rail and subjected TO all man.
ner of indiguities. Mrs Reed was then
carried from the house a considerable
distance and compelled to submit to
psmeless indecencles. Notyet satisfied
her body was covered with
COAT OF TAR
and almost all her clothes stripped from
her person. Continuing they came to the
house of neighbor to their last victim,
Armstrong Sexton, and similar mode
Of procedure was gone through with,
if possible even more outrageous than
the first. Sexton Was taken from his
house, stripped and his body coated
with tar After heaping all the posi-
BE sbuse on the husband, the wife was
put under the tortures inflicted on the
person of the lady first visited, her hus-
bsnd being compelled to stand as spec
tator 10 the hendish acts. The next OBJ
iect of their hate, on whom they pro-
posed committing their barbarities was
John Pettet, but being unable to take
him unawares, they were compelled TO
give up their plans so far as he was con
cerned Mr.. Pettet was a soldier, and
having had some experience with out
laws of this sort, was not the man for
party of towards TO attack when once
on his guard.
TIE HOUSE OF WIDOW
named Sarah Roach, who, with her son
lives in the same neighborhood was
their next point of attack. The boy
was taken first and treated to coat OF
tar aud feathers, after which the mother
was compelled to suffer whatever pun.
ishment the mob saw fit to intllct. The
West Virginia line was crossed and a
widow named Wisbey made subject
of their madness. After compelling her
to undergo the same tortures as their
former victims coat OF tar and teath-
ers was applied. After abusing her to
such an extent as to render her entirely
helpless and too weak tc even call for
assistance, the Williams carried her 10 a
large brush heap and throwing her
among the brush and logs left her to
recover as best she could After lying
there for several hours she recovered
strength sufficient to enable her to re-
turn TO her home, and apprise her friends
and neiyhbors of the circumstances Of
the case.
TIE mob then disappeared seeming
" satisfied with their
CHASTITY NIGHT WORK
aud no one seems able to tell whence
they came or WHITTIER they went Their
work was the most dastardly ever
known to have been committed in this
region of country, and il is TO be re-
GREETED that there is no positive clue
to the identity Of the perpetrators. There
is of course some slight evidence but
they came so silently; did their work so
swiftly, leaving no marks to indicate
the course OF their departure, that 1t
will be q most difficult matter TO trace
the matter TO any one. What is
MOST PECULIAR PHASE
of the strange and unaccountable affair
is the fact that the persons who were
chosen as the ones to suffer are all harm
less and inoffeusive people, who, though
they may have some enemies, have new
er been guilty of any act toward the less
law abiding portion Of the community
Ds would call for repalation on their
part. The officers OF the law are max
lug every effort to ferret out the perpe-
traitors and in this laudable effort are re-
cciving VII possible aid from the citizens
Of the vicinity in which the hendish acts
were committed. Whether they will
ever be overtaken and given the re-
ward they have only too richly earned
is yet matter which cannot be deter
mined, but if persistent and determined
effort will avail anything there is
hope that the law may be vindicated.
Editorial 1srevi;ies.