The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-19
VENGEANCE is OURS.
so SAY 4 SMALL NUMBER OF INDIANA
VlGlLANTES.
Holly Epps, the Cowardiy Colored Muir.
derer Taken from the Vincennes Jail
by Determined Men and Strung Up to a
Tree-The Sherif-s Non-Resistance.

VINCENNEs, Ind, Jan. l9-Holly Epps,
the brutal murderer of Farmer Dobson, eEpi-
ated his terrible crime at the hands of Judge
Lynch at / 80 o'clock Monday morning
Rumors that the nisereant would lie harged
were rife all day Sunday, but no one paid
any attention TO the gossip, and it was gen.
orally considered that the Greene county
vigilance committee would not visit ven
geance on EoDs while confined in the Vim
cennes jail, but that he would he sInmarily
strung up whenever taken back to Greene
county However, this proved not to be the
case. About 1850 "a, H. Monday crowd
of masked men numbering from twenty
to thirty, carrying sledge-hammers and
various other implements, were seen march
ing through the suburbs of the city down
Sixth street toward the Jail Their masks
were nothing more than bandana handker-
chiefs, but each face was SO carefully GOV
evered that Identification was impossible
They marched steadily and silently down
Seminary street, then down Seventh, and
rca he'd the court house yard. Here were
two policemeu. The leader Of the gang APP
preached those officials and pcrelnptorily
ordered them to so home. The policemen
disappeared as if by magic. Stationing
masked sentinels at each corner of the jail
yard the greater part of the gang entered
tde ya:d and walked stealthily up
toward the portico of the sherifi's residence.
Not sound could he heard save the shut
liing' of a score of fest. The lynchers stood
back while the leader of the vigilance com
mittee raped Oh the door Not murmur
from within the sherid's place, and the
lea Ter kEockei again and again, hnt no 70.
sponse Finally, however, with louder
rapping and fiercer calling, Sheriff Sedde
meyer was aroused, and, coming to the
door, called ont from within:
Who's there"
We want you TO open the door and let us
in. We are friends and we want to get iii.
We want TO see you, answered the leader
in calm and st 'ady tones
What do YOU want to see me for.' asked
the sheriff.
I'VE want to see YOU and talk you
al can't let you in to night, gentiemen,'
decidedly answered the sheriff
But we must get in' said the leader.
We propose TO have the black carcass of
the nisser who murdered poor Farmer Dob
son up in Greene county, and ii You won't
ct Us in we will get in anyhow"
You can't come in here" spoke til,
sheriff determineily, ''rs.d if yoa try to
break in YOU viii violate the law and
lay yourselves liable to criminal prosecu-
ton.
From the tones of the sheriT's voice it
was p!aI to be seen that he was Iahoring
uader tremendous excitement.
ssNall hAFa f, then - af last lad ha
leader Boys, get ready" and at those
words bang went great slelge hammer
against the pine door; In two or three hard
hits the door was smashed to splint rs and
literally kno .ked off It's hinges Entering
ths hallway the lynching party struci, a
light, rushed into the parlor, grabbed Sheriff
Seddlemeyer and pushed him into an a alioin-
ing room, slammed the door i'll his face. and
Crafty ordered him ta keep quiet and stay
il his room. No doabt the sheriff was glad
enough to do so, as he never appeared upon
the scene again.
The lynehers made for the huge iron
Goors and commenced their work of batter
Ing them down. This was the most difficult
part Of the whole performance, and half an
huui elapsed before they succeeded in gain
ing an entrance They had come prepared.
and really gained an entrance before those
outside anticipated. They entered the in
closure, soon got into Epp's cell, and
grabbed the black fiend by the woolly head,
AMI uncercmoniou5ly jerked him from his
bed. The wretch yelled and howled like a
maniac at first sight of the strong men who
hal come to take his life, but slap in the
month siencel him, and as they dragged
int. N, ba ha1l r ba
jail it seemed almost certain that he almost
turned white. 1t was but the work of a
moment to drag him outside and he was
soon hanging from the limb of the tree in
the yard, the rope around his neck sitting
his cries as re was hurled into eternity. He
died in a few mirutzs after being strung up.