Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-29
The RED men AGAIN.
They Pay a Midnight Visit to a
RitChie County Home,
Burn the Building and Contents and Bru-
tally Whip the Husband and Wife
The Men Arrested But
Discharged,

Discharged
The ipnoble West Virginia Red Man has
sgsin come to the front in his taVorlte
hunting ground in Richie county, war
party paying q midnight visit to the home
Of q citizen, driving him, his wife, and
little ones out Of doors, burning the dwell
inc and its contents before their eyes, and
then, to crown heir infamous and strocious
work, separating the father and mother
from their children, taking them into the cd
Joining forest where tying them to trees, they
administered q terrible beating with Withes.
And this outrage upon the good name OF
the State seems destined to go unpuulshed'
for Notwithstanding number OF men we're
arrested end three Of them positively
identified, they were released from custody
BY the Justice before whom the exsmlna'
ZION wss had upon an alibis proven BY
friends ofthe accused. The RitcnIe ia
zette, which came to hand last night, fur
nished the following account OF the crime,
and the arrest examination and discharge
OF the prisorers'-
The CRIME.
On last Friday night Richie county was
again the scene of 8 crime. About twelve
or one o'clock, party Of marsuders, mum
herring some twelve or fifteen men, masked
and Otherwise disguised, went to the house
Of Abraham Echard, who resides about
mile and q quarter from Huntsville, and
after calling himself and his family out OF
doors mensciuR them with reyolvsrs, get
fire 10 bis house. Then By the light OF the
burnipg building, these socalled "red
man" led Echard and his wife short dis'
tsncs away and whipped them with paw
nav bushes The house soon burned to
me ground and the party OF men took
their leave, telling Echsrd he had just len
DAYS in which to leave. All the house
hold property of the family was destroyed
by the FIRE and forty dollars belonging to
George Echsrd, sop Of Abraham VINO
was not at home, but who nailed his money
up in the ceiling, was also burned. Little
Abe Echsrd, 3 young son, lost twenty-five
dollars, although none of the family knows
whether it was burned or stolen.
What possible motive is behind this
crime is difficult to tell, Echard is an ln-
offensive German, and no intimstion has
ever been made that ne is other than
law abiding citizen. One or two bad boys
have frsouented his house and some girls
of bad repute had been taken there; but
Eehard drove these away and did not per
NIT them to return, and no one but him
self, and wife, and small children, were at
home on Friday night.
On Saturday, Echsrd swore out war,
rant charging Thomas D. Tiobs and
James Wilson Tibbs, father and son, oil
Murphy district, with being two OF the
psrty. They were arrested Sunday oy
Constable knight and special constsbles
c. C. Davis and Veil McDongsl. Squire
Hess began an examination into the mat
Ter Monday afternoon. After occupying
dsy in the investigation, he discharged the
accused parties.
EVIDENCE BEFORE THE JUSTICE.
Abraham Eehsrd and Leah Echard, his
wife, made substantially the same state
nents They told how the NAKED men, to
rhe number of twelve or fifteen, came to
their house about twelve or one clock, on
Friday night, May 2lst, and called them to
the door and getting a light presented
cooked revolYers to their breasts and told
them TO consider themselves under arrest.
They said the masked men threw some OF
the things out OF the house, aud then set
ire to it. 1t was az light a. day and the
men took them up the hollow aud whipped
them with pawpsw sticks. Both swore
positively that they recognized Thomas
Cibbs and James w. Tibbs in the crowd
o. men who committed the outrage. They
stated that Thomas Tibbs was the leader
and set FIRE to the house. Mrs. Echard
testimony was very graphic and thrilling
She is an uueducated woman, but ner
wrongs burned into her and she told her
story in a way to make the fortune of an
actress Who could initiate her. Psthos,
sincerity and yengeful anger carried those
who heard her along With her, like they
would be moved by q scene IN powerful
play. Early in the examination she turn
ed on the accused, aud pointing hrst at
Thomas Tibbs and then at James, said
With tremendous force, with her hand
almost in their faces:
That ia the man who led me around,
and that is the one who whipped me!
The State rested with this evidence.
FOR THE DEFENDANTS.
The defense proved the whereabouts Of
Thomas D. Tibbs and James Wilson Il6bs
on Friday evening, about nine clock, by
Emory Tibbs. Peytou Tingler, Jacob Clio
var, Mint Miller and Thomas Barker.
Henry T. Ayers said that he stsid all night
AZ Ti6bs' on Friday night, and that Thomas
d. Tiobs and J. ". Tibbs went to bed
about halt past ten o clock, the former down
stairs and the latter up stairs. He, Ayers,
slept in a roSm By himself down stairs.
The distance from Tlbbs' to Hsrrisville
is ten or eleven milss. Mrs. Tibbs, wife OF
Thomas d. Tibbs, testified that her hus'
band occupied the same room with her on
Friday night, and that he slept there all
night sfter 10 or ii o'clock. She was at
tending q sick calf and Was up and down,
not going to sleep till | o'clock.
On behalf of the State Asbury Zicka'
foose testified that he met two men on Fri
dsy night about half past ten o'clock, as
he vas going home from Hsrrisville, where
he had been sttendiug the G. A. r. meet
ing. who acted saspicjously, and he took
one of them to be Thomas Tibbs. John |
Barker and Jacob Dsughterty detailed !
some ustters of minor importance.
AS above stated, the Justice thea dis
charged the accused mex.
Tue most enjoyable picnic of the season