Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1888-08-25
THE WHITE CAPS.

THE WHITE CAPS.
Attorneys General Kitchener, OF Indians,
Investigates the HO0stsr Ku-Klux- More
Outrages Found to Have Been Com.
mitted Than Have Been Reported,
handed Together for the Purpose Of
Gratifying Personal RevenRe-He Fac
vors Vigorous Action Against the OF.
tenders, Who Threaten to Resist Inter.
ference with Bloodshed.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Aug. 20-Attorney.
General Kitchener has returned from an in
vestigation under instruction from the Gov
nor into the White Cap outrages in the
counties of Harrison, Crawford and Perry
He was absent three days, and conferred
with court officials and numerous citizens
regarding the status of affairs in
the counties named. He will submit
his report to the Governor this week
and will take strong grounds against the
White Cap organization, asWell as against
the public sentiment which made such OUT
RACES possible. In conference with Judge
Zenor, Of the circuit in which those coun-
ties lie, it was learned that fourteen in
dictments had been found in Crawford
County, but SO far no one has suffered
conviction. Two parties were acquitted
before jury on account of insufficiency
of evidence. Eleven indictments were
dismissed at the suggestion of the prosecut-
ing attorney. who declared that the evil
dence against the parties was insufficient,
and one is still under Indictment, but is
serving a term in the penitentiary for an
other offense. Judge Zenor gave it
as his opinion that the condition of
public sentiment was gradually improving
and that the people of his circuit were
becoming more and more earnest in their
demands for the enforcement of the law
Some appear to think there is really no
such organization as the White Caps, and
that the outrages are the consequence Of
individual spite. The better opinion, how
ever, is that the bands are regu-
larly organized are bound together
by oaths, hold regular meetings and
formally adopt a course of action. The
better class of people criticise the local
newspapers severely, and claim that these
are to a large extent responsible for the
crimes that have been committed in
Southern Indiana. Instead of criti-
cising the action of these lawless
bands and condemning their deeds
of violence the newspapers have really
been made parties to the crimes by pub
fishing notices wal ming citizens to leave
and also by publishing accounts of out
RACES without appearing to condemn
them. .. ,.-.-...
The Attorney General will report strong
ly against the Outrages which have been
committed, and will recommend that the
Governor adopt measures at once for sup
pressing the White Cap organization. He
regards the people of a large portion of
Harrison, Crawford and Perry counties
as being terrorized, the juries to certain
extent being under this influence He will
severely criticise the action of the local
papers, which he believes have been
| instrumental in bringing about the
disgraceful condition of affairs in
those counties. His observations
have convinced him that the White
Caps are regularly organized, and that the
outrages committed by them are the result
OF private enmities rather than of any de-
sire to rid the section of unworthy citi-
zens. In an interview Mr.. Kitchener spoke
| freely of the impressions made by his visit,
| and said:
81 haven't the slightest doubt that there is
such an organization, and a powerful one at
that In Harrison County it Is thought the
| outrages are of more spontaneous ma
| ture Where citizen has not acted
properly a party of neighbors gather
and whip him. In Crawford County,
however, there seems to be a strong
| central organization with well maintained
| system OF communication between numerous
branches. In this way they manage to have a
man punished by strangers who have come
| from another neighborhood for the purpose.
Until recently the better class of people rather
| looked upon the performances of the vigilantes
| as irregular but upon the whole salutary and
seemed to think only those persons were pun
cha1y ul,o Ioco
OF late there has been some glazing cruelty
and such continual reports of White Cap
operations that strong sentiment is spring.
ing up in favor of ferreting the leaders
in the outrages and bringing them to punish
ment. I think the officers OF the law have
at all times been anxious to do their duty,
but there has been reluctance on the part
of grand juries to find indictments. Not
half of the story of White Cap out
RACES has been told. held many confidential
conversations with citizens of the regions
where the outrages have been most numerous,
and under my pledge not to reveal their lden-
tity they talked very freely of the matter.
find that many whippings and other punish
ments have been inflicted which have never
been published, the parties who suffered fear
ing to tell of them. Then the chastisements
are usually for very trivial offenses, and are
severe out of all proportion to the infraction
of order committed by the victims The po-
stion of the press OF that region has
been most deplorable. The papers have not
had single word of condemnation to say. In
many instances they have given direct support
to the regulators, and have published their
mysterious notices and warnings for them
Much Of the blame for the extent to which the
outrageous proceedings have been carried Is
doubtless due TO this position of the papers,
1t is said the White Caps have issued q
| circular threatening with bloodshed to
resist any interference with their organiza-