South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-10-12
West Virginia Red lien.
Startling Story Of Secret B4nd-Their
Passwords and sisas.

eS"hN7 INV oi,af'
CLARKsDUaG. w. VA October 5.
Last August year ago the United
States mail carrier between Bel:ngton
and Calhoun pos.o2ices, in Barbour
county, this State. WI, stopped in
dense woods by masked men, who, with
the aid ut a pistol, compelled him TO
give up the bag which they then rob.
bed ct everything OF market value
For while they managed to keep their
identity concealed, but they We're i'm
ally arrested and tried Their ntm.,
are Albert Price, jacob L. lIoh nan
and Nash Kittle Price was senten.
ced last. ID .csaiher - ten Years in the
penitentiary. Yesterday similar pun.
ishment was given Hoffman. Kittle
turned States Q .idcucc and was the
means OF convicting his companions.
While on the stand he m lde start.
ling confession. dlsclosing the organi.
cation OF n body OF men in the noun.
famous parts OF the State, who were
at one time upholdcrs OF the law, but
who afterwards became law breakers
thems elves. His statement, given
connecte'lly, was pretty much as fol.
lows: The people of Barbour county
had for many years been har..sscd by
IL thievish class OF mountaineers who
were in the habit OF making raids up.
on the poultry and cattle. They had
bat little regard for the laws regaIat-
Ing the relationship between the Sex
es; and intidelity aud wife beating
were common. Naturally enough, the
respectable portion OF the community
became indignant. They had the Of,
Tenders arrested, aud in some instan.
cas punished, but the punishment was
SO slight that it had no effect. As a
lastre1ource they formed Sc ;ret socie-
ty Tor the purpose OF severely punish.
ing every man who broke the laws
They called themselves Red Men,
taxing the name from the color Fl the
gown and hooded mask which they
wore. The costume itself was suffi
clcnt TO create terror among the half
civilized beings whom the regulators
undertook TO discipline. II some bru.
tai fellow tarashed his wife, it was re-
ported 10 the order, which would
then meet and pass sentence. At
midnight they would enter the often
der's 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 aud promised to be.
have himself Ill future. The culprit
was made to hug the tree by having
two stalwart men on the other side
hold fast to the victims hands. SO ma.
ny thieves ana brutes were treated in
this way that crimes began t. decrease
rapidly. The membership Of the or
der became larger every day. 1t had
no political significance, republicans
as we'll a. dem )crAts belonging to it,
A written agreement boun them to-
gether, tue first and asst sentences Of
which were moIeled after the begin
ming and ending Of the Declaration
of independence Part of it read "a
follows: We pledge ourselves AMI
affirm solemn obligation to keep the
workings OF this organization secret,
and any violation OF this rule will re-
ceiTe such punishment a. the MAORI.
~ may direct. TO the performance
OF our duties and in q firm reliance on
the protection o; Divine Providence
we mutually pledge to each other Our
lives and our fortunes and our sacred
ho nor
There were two pass, words used in
gaining admittancc to the sessions Of
the order. The first OF these was *
o. The response was Light Al
torward the password was, where Are
You Going?' and the response Cen
tennial.' The grip was made BIZ
hooking the first finger Of the right
hand in that of u brother, with the
thumb on the knuckIe joint. Suisse
qlenIly 1t was made By grasping She
hand in the usual manner, with the
thumb pressing between the kuucklc
JOINT of the second and third fingers
Of the right hand Placing the inside
OF the first finger Of the right hand
carelessly along the top of the nose
was the sign by which unknown per
sons were tested 1t the party chal
lenged was Rcd Man b. replied by
making V Of the two first fingers OF
the right hand and placing tue first
on tho right and the second on the
left side OF the nose.
Only good had como out Of the or.
ganization thus far but after il got
to be powerful and Influential dif.
fereut set Of men obtained control of
its affairs. and soJu made Ofita grea.
ter terror TO the people than it had
been 10 the thieves and law.breakers.
The pledge given by the members not
10 dlvulgo the secrets made the com
mission Of any crime by Red Man
comparatively safe from punishment.
Members having spite against some
one outside the order would call on
the others 20 help make a midnight as.
saulton him .& they dared not refuse for
fear the vengeance Of the order might