The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-10-11
Red Men in West Virginia.
NOT ABoRIGINEs, RUT A GANG ORGANIZED I
PERPETRATE ALL MANNER OF CRIME.

PERPETRATE ALL MANNER OF CRIME.
For several years the remote mountain coun-
ties of w. Va. have had frequent Post-office
robberies, murders and other crimes. Some
time ago gang or organization was unearthed
in Barbour county, known as the Red Men. This
society has been proved guilty OF almost all the
crimes in the catalogue, and the definite proof
Of its existence created big Sc nsatiOn. Three
men charged with mail robbery have been in
Jail at Clarksburg for over year, and on the 4th
the trial of one OF them, Jacob L. Hoffman, was
commenced.
of the Barbour County Red Men, a secret organ
ization that has committed numerous depreda-
lions "a Jesse lanes am sbye N thae a ad
houn in Barbour county, in August was tried,
convicted, and sentenced to ten years in the
Buffalo, N. Y. Pententiary. Noah Kittle, an
other OF the mail robbers, confessed to his guilt
but was not sentenced. The third of the rob-
beers is Hoffman, now on trial. The testimony
by Noah Kittle, which is positive, and impli-
Gates Hoffman in the main robbery. and also
gives away all the valuable secrets of the Red
Men. This confession is interesting. Il
He says that Marion Howes, a U. S. Gauger,
was at the head OF the society, which was first
organized to protect moonshiners from prosecu-
ton or disturbance. Howes levied regular
tax each Illicit still, as the price of their inn
munity from disturbance.
Kittle says: marion Howes was the first per-
son ever heard say anything about robbing the
mail. 1t was at his own house, and he and
were sleeping together. 1t was last spring
year ago. He said lots of money could be made
by robbing the mails there was no one but a
boy carrying it, and he could not resist. Tie al
so said there was no harm in it, as the money
belonged to rich merchants who made It OFF the
poor people. Howes and had a difficulty some
time after our first talk referred to- and he took
the start of me by telling about the robbery of
the mail. Albert England knew all about the
mail robbery but Albert Price never talked to
me about it, Howes said the best time to rob
the mail was on Monday. as he had frequently
seen ten registered letters leave the Bennington
Post-Ofice. Hoffman, now on trial, and were
to do the robbing. Price was to go to the Ber-
lington Post -otfice, and if there were several
registered letters in the mall he was to ride
along on the lett Side of the mail-boy, and when
they got into the Brown woods WeaHo oi1n1,a
revolver and a club. We made the boy get off
| his horse, and we took the mail pouch into the
the money and left. got about sixty-six or
seventy-six dollars for my part. The money
after the robbery Howes said to me that ifhe did
not get his share he would make a revelation
Hoffman took Prices share, and was to give 1t
| to him. Before the robbery was made We plann-
ed to lay it on Salathael Cross and sam Coontz.
think Albert England and Marion Howes knew
that the mail was TO be robbed the day we did it.
| was present when Harsh and Watkins were
taken out OF the Philippi Jail by Red Men,
Howes and Price were also present. inere was
Creed and Jasper Harris were along. Marion
Howes talked to him several times about killing
Tom Brown, the Prosecuting Attorney OF Bar
bour county, and he tried to get me to do 1T. He
also talked to Moses W. Smith about it. The
day of Granville Stalmaker's burial went to
Major Fenelon Howes' house. Nose Smith and
Marion Howes were there. One of the Barbour
County Deputy Sheriffs came to the river, and
| | led the horse and Marion rOwed the boat over
While there we fixed on the Brown Woods for
he heard Marion Howes talk about killing
Warth and Teter, the Deputy Marshals, also Id m
Brown. sam " Woods James ,s aeat sae y anu
FenelOn Howes talk about killing Sam ".
Woods. have heard Major Howes say that he
could get Nose Smith to kill Worth Teter any,
time He also told us that Albert Price and
Jake Hoffman were the ones who were to kill
Teter These gentlemen are al R prominent eltas
Judge and Mr.. Sergeant an executor. A plan
was arranged to place brush across the road as
were talking about the mali robbery then, and
Howes was devising plan to kill Teter. He said
robbery. He said he would write to Worth Tet-
er, and get him to McCutcheon's store. and II |
| would go with him we would get him out and
kill him. but he could not do it unless was with
him. l told him would not do it. Fenelon
Homes arranged for the defense of the Red Men
at Phlippi, for breaking open the jail. He acted
as Judge on the occasion, and said: 'Stick to IT
boys, you shall never want for money"
Further sensational developments are ext'
pected. 1t is said prominent citizens are impli-
| Gated, and that several recent murders will be
| traced to the same source.
The excitement in the vicinity OF Ph1l1ppi and
Clarksburg over the exposure of the ''Red Men"
i continues. Kittles, the man who confessed this
morning. pleaded guilty on an omnibus aa
| four months. He took his sentence coolly. AL
bert Price went up for ten years. Price was
SSAaOO1
AS the result of Kittles confession, officers
| have arrested Jacob L. Hoffman, ex-county
| treasurer and he is in custody at Clarksburg.-
Other arrests will follow, it is said to the NUM-
Der of at least one hundred. The company to
| which Kittles belonged was known as 'Compa-
! ny c, Regents Tribe of Crows" but the private
| work was the same in all branches. Monde
| plumes were used. Two pass words were used.
| The first was AK OF; response, '.sigh." Second
| "Where are you going ?'' answer, Centennial"
The grip was made by grasping the hand in the
usual manner. with the thumb pressed between
i the knuckles and the joints of the second and
4 third fingers fthe right hand. Other signs and
i grips were in use to such an extent that a book
of them was kept Article of the constitution
says "All transactions of lodges shall be kept
/ secret and any violation of this shallbe punish
ed with death. with the concurrence Of the
LODGE Article 10 says: Any one divulging the
name of any party belonging to the society, eth
directly indirectly, Intentionally, shall re-
/ ceive the above punishment Article ID says
"Any loss that any member may sustain, una
voidaby, under the orders of the lodge, all 9th
er members shall share equally with a. him The
Jack, )" secretary; every thing," captain wis
lieutenant; "Copperhead, arst sergeant; "sp ,
Jaws "Pop Eye" Hackletown,' BERKSHIRE"