Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-10-04
THE RED MEN"
A Society Organized Ostensibly to Pre-.
vent Wife-Whipping, Attempts at
Outrage and Open Adultery,
But Really 10 Rob the Mails and Protect
the Mocnshisers-A Government
Official at the Head.

WHEELING, w. Va, October Sin the
United States District Court at Chrksburg
yesterday there was rather a sensational
episode. For two or three years the moun-
tain and interior sections of this State
have been overrun by an organization of
lawless men called "Red Men," at first
ostensibly gotten together for the purpose
OF preventing such petty crimes as wife
beating, attempts at outrage, or open adul-
terry, with which, il was claimed, the law
provided no adequate penalty. If this
object was ever in sight, it was
not long, and latterly the body has
developed into an organization of
law-breakers,t to whose doors all grades and
varieties of crimes have been traced.
About year ago three men were arrested
for robbing the mail in Barbour county.
Albert Price was convicted and sentenced
to ten years confinement in the Buffalo
On. " penitentiary. Noah Kettle con-
fessed, but was never sentenced. Yester-
day the third one of the robbers, Jacob T.
Hoffman, was put on trial. He will un-
doubtedly be convicted, as Kettle was put
on the stand and testified explicitly to his
guilt. He also gave away many of the
secrets of the gang, their laws, constitu-
ton, objects and methods of working
The were banded together for the purpose
of protecting illicit distillers from molestion
by government officials, and Marion
Hawes, United States gauger, was at theil
head. They were levying a tax on the
moonshiners. Hawes first proposed rob-
bing the mails. Hawes says this was al
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 boy carrying. He
T. 4 . L.
in it, as the money belonged to rich mer-
chants who made it off poor people
Hawes and had difficulty some time
after, and he took the start of me by tell
ing about the robbery of the mail. Albert
England knew all about the robbery, but
Albert Price never talked to me about it
Hawes said the best time to rob the mai
was on Monday, as he had frequently seer
ten registered letters leave the Beington
postoffice. Hoffman, now on trial, and
were to do the robbing. Price was to go to
| the Belington postoffice, and if there were
several registered letters in the mail hs
was to ride along on the left side of the
| boy, and when they got into the Brown
woods we (Hof'man and u stepped into
the road. Hoffman drew gun and l u
| club. We made the boy get off his horse
and we tookthe mail pouch into the woods
| cut it open, took out all the letters
| got all the money, and left about
/ S66 OF SIC for my part. The money wa:
to be equally divided among us. The day
after the robbery Halves said to me ii he
I did not get his share he would make s
! revelation. Hoffman took Prices share
and was to give it to him. Before the rob
berry was made, we planned to lay it OF
] Salathael Cross and Sam Coontz. thinl
Albert England and Marion Hawes knew
/ that the mail was to be robbed the day We
! did it."