The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-16
THE MURDERERs, ASSOCIATION.

Report of the ommitte on Grievances
Harsh Treatment of an Eminent Member.
Cincinnati News Journal.
The first business transacted by the Muir
derers' Association last evening was the con-
sideration of q report from the committee on
grievances. The committee reported that
Brother Harrison Thomas, of Florida, a
member of the association who had taken
the thirty-second degree, complained of the
treatment he had received at the hands of
some of the preiudiced citizens of that State.
Brother ThUmas's record was as brilliant as
the most OF his confreres, and he was un-
doubtedly emitted to all of the privileges
and honors of a brother in good standing.
The gentleman, who is colored, had just been
tried for %chopping off the head of a fellow
workman named Charles Belford, in a lumber
camp near Apalachicola, Fla, and hiding
the body in a pond. His reason for
numbering Bedford was that he desired to
possess himself of Belford's wife. The
two men had married sisters, but
Brother Thomas wanted both OF the women
at once. The unreasonable enemies of the
murderer had worked hard to have the jury
convict Brother Thomas of murder in the
first degree, but the association has succeed
ed in convincing the jury that the gentle
man should not hang. 1t was represented to
the jury that when Mr.. Thomas was twelve
years old he killed his little brother and
burned his body because the child had both
cred him, during their mothers absence;
also that in 1871 he had cut the throat of a
fourteen-year-old mulatto girl and buried
her body in a woods, and also that in 1878
he had killed a colored man named Dawson
with a knife. These facts prompted the
jury to refrain from returning a verdict in
the first degree, and Brother Thomas was let
off with a life sentence, with the understand
ing that he should be pardoned in a short
time. Blu Brother Thomas complained that
in the first place he did net receive protjer
treatment at the hands 81 the court, and. in
the next place, that he was annoyed by
threats OF lynCeipg.
AFTER the secretary had finished reading
the report, a member arose and stated that it
was time something was being lone to obvi-
ate the trouble arising from lynchers. The
speaker himself had been annoyed by the
lntolerabie pests in question, and he fully
sympathized with Brother Thomas.
Others spoke in favor of giving the gentle
man in Florida whatever aid he might stand
in need of. 1t was finally decided to have
him pardoned and retired on a pension of
ST. 10000 a year.
The following anonymous communication
was received:
To the Honorable the Association of Murder
ers-I have read closely the proceedings of your
meetings., and cannot longer abstain from ex-
pressing my opinion of such a gang of cut
thfOats and murderers as 1 recognize you to be.
L am zee to say that 1t Is a great pity that the
eDtlre mob of you are not strung up by the heels
and allowed to hang until the stencil from your
worthless carcasses demands that you be cut
down and buried Ill a dishOnored grave. We
nave come to a pretty pass indeed. when Il lot
OF blood-stained villains can rule the courts of
law, and influence officials to do their bidding.
You may be actuated by some other feeling
than that OF arrogant egotism in overriding the
respectable members of society, but if you are,
it is not apparent TO the writer of this ommun
cation. IL occurs TO me that just such hell
hounds as you get too much of a show for your
lives, and, IL | had the say so. You would not
succeed in having juries made up to suit your
vile purposes so often as You do. One of you
would get his deserts once in a while, at least.
The president ordered the communication
to be laid on the table, with the remark that
the writer was prejudiced.
The applications of twenty-seven physi-
clans for membership were posted. 1t was
claimed that they were i~llegible, by reason
OF their having been guilty of numerous
murders by the suppression method.
The weekly bills for cigars, wine and fruits
furnished members of the order who were
the guests OF the county, were ordered paid.
The subject of unsuccessful attempts at
murder was brought up, and 1t was q theme
for a lengthy discussion. 1t was agreed, how
ever, that the fact that so many attempts
have resulted in merely the manning of the
subjects, who recover from their wounds, re-
tlected derogatorily upon the honorable Order
of Murderers, and it was to be deplored. The
case of young Sarvey, who killed his father
and only half killed the old gentleman's
housekeeper, was cited, and Sarvey was Sc
verely censured.
General Sherman's Only Weakness.