Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-10-13
West Virginin Red Men.

A dispatch from Clarksburg to the Bal
timore SIN gives the following interesting
history of the cred Men" of West Nir-
Clarksburg:
Last Augusta year ago the United States
mail carrier between Belngton and CAL
houn post-ollices, in Barbour county, this
State, was stopped in dense woods by
masked men, who, with the aid of a pistol,
compelled him to give up the bag, which
they then robbed of everything of market
value. For while they managed to keep
their identity concealed, but they were
finally arrested and tried. Their names
are Albert Price, Jacob Il. Hoffman and
Nash Kittle. Price was sentenced last
December to ten years in the penitentlary.
Thursday similar punishment was given
Hoffman. Kittle turned States evidence
and was the means of convicting his COM
panions. While on the stand he made
startling confession, disclosing the organ
| ization of n body Of men in the mountain
Gus parts of the State, who were at one
time upholders Of the law, but who alter
wards became law-breakers themselves.
His statement, given connectedly, was
pretty much as follows: The people OF
Barbour county had for mahy years been
harassed by thievish class of mountain
GERS, who were in the habit of making
raids upon their poultry and cattle. They
had but little regard for the laws regulat-
ing the relationship between the sexes;
and infidelity and wife beating were COM
mon. Naturally enough, the respectable
portion of the community became indig-
nant. They had the offenders arrested,
and in some instances punished, but the
punishment was SO slight that it haG no
effect. AS last resort they formed n
secret society for the purpose Of severely
furnishing every man who broke the laws.
They called themselves cred Men," TAX
ing the name from the color of the gown
and hooded mask which they wore. The
costume itself was sufficient to create ter
ror among the half-civilized beings whom
the regulators undertook to discipline. III
some brutal fellow thrashed his wife, it
was reported to the ORDER, which would
then meet and pass sentence. AT mid
night they would enter the offenders
house, drag him out of bed, strip him,
make him hug big tree, and then whip
him over the back until he cried for mercy
| and promised to behave himself in future.
! The culprit was made to hug the tree by
having two s.alwart men on the other side
! hold fast to the victims hands. So many
thieves and brutcs were treated in this
way that crimes began to decrease rapidly.
The membership of the order became
larger every day. 1t had no political sig
nificancc, republicans as well rs democrats
belonging to it. A written agreement
bound them together.
There were two pass words used in gain
! ing admittance to the sessions of the order.
The first of these was "K. O." The re-
Spouse was "Light." Afterward the pass
word was, "Wherc are you going?" and
the response Centennial" The grip was
made by hooking the first finger of the
right hand in that Of n brother, with the
thumb on the knuckle joint. Subsequently
it was made by grasping the hand in the
usual manner, with the thumb pressing
between the knuckle joint of the second
and third fingers of the right hand. Plac-
ing the inside OF the first fnger of the
right hand carelessly along the top of the
nose was the sign by which unknown per-
sons were tested. If the party challenged
was Il "Red Man," he replied by making
n V of the two first fingers of the right
hand, and placing the first OH the right
and the second OH the left side of the nose.
| Only good had come out of the orgaIiza-
! ton thus far; but after it got 20 be power
! full and influential different set of men
| obtained control Of its affairs, and soon
made of it greater terror to the people
! than it had been to the thieves and law
breakers. The pledge given by the mem
bers not to divulgc the secrets made the
commission of any crime by 4 Red Man
comparatively safe from any punishment.
Members having spite against some one
outside the order would call OH the others
| to help make midnight assault on him,
and they dared not refuse for fear the ven
geance of the order might fall upon them.
! If man sought the aid Of the law to col
! leet a just debt from one of the Red Men
he would be taken out ard cOwhided until
| A. 10
against any and every man who happened
to offend one Of the order, and If he did
| not heed them he suffered for ii after
wards. Thcfts were committed and three
or four men were dangerously shot. A
man named Phillips, who was disliked by
a Red Man, was frightfully thrashed. The
| public cause assigned for this private ven
gcance was that Phillips was neglecting
to properly provide for his family. The
States attorney Of Barbour county took
the matter in hand ut last and had two Of
the ringleaders arrested. They were John
w. Watkins and Floyd Harsh. The Red
! Men attended this trial in great numbers
and spent money freely in having them
defended, but they were found guilty ana
sent to Jail. They did not remain there
long, however. A raid was made OH the
Jail by the Red Men, the jailer was forced
to give up the keys, and the prisoners
were released. Watkins went to Iowa,
where he was follow ed by Deputy United
States Marshal Worth Teter and fetched
back. He is now serving out his term.
| Harsh concealed himself i'm Tucker noun