Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-12
WEST VIRGINIA GUILD.
The Dfab0licsl Deeds of 8 Band of So
Called Regulators Made Public
A County Terrerzad.
a Minister of the Gospel aud Three Your &
Men Lynchcd-Detsc 'iyss on the
Trail OF tho Leaders,

PARKERsBURG, W. Va, Jan. I1-Rev
Thomas P Ryan, noted Methodist MN
lister Of this state living in Roane county
about forty miles from here. wss brutally
murdered in the presence Of his family
and st his own honse, in October last
He had just returned from conference
with $500, and the purpose OF the muir.
der was evidently robbery. Within two
or three days after that three young men
Robert and George Duff and Chester
Cook-were brutality lynched for the
murder. It has been the prevailiBg
opinion that the lynchers and the nzcr-
derers were the same parties. and that
! hey lynched the innocent men TO covSl
| their own crime. Since the events just
stated took place Detectives Alfred Bur-
nett and Dave Cunningham have been
working up the case, and last night for
The first time made public the facts in
regard to the matter. Cunningham says
thst about the time winter broke
out number of families came from
Ciinch river, Russell county, Virgins,
ard squatted on the Brown estate with
out either buying or leasing the land
and band was organized which was to
run the neighborhood as it pleased and
| protect their "rights" as squatters.
Most Of the arrests of the band since
then have been made by members of the
Cook family and by the Duffs. In regard
TO the more recent doings Of the band,
the names of thirty-nine members, the
pass word and so-forth are given. The
| consolidated band" held meetings every
| week and at every meeting they took 8
new oath to diVulge nothing under pen
atty Of death. About three weeks before
Ryan was murdered they held q meeting
at Kentuck at which it was moved that
they proceed at once to lynch George
T aud Robert DUFF, Frank Shamblin, Doc
Jones and Jack Parsons. The motion
was seconded but was voted down by q
very small majority. The next week o
meeting was Leld at the same place and
the same motion was made and again
lost by small ms ority. At this meet
ing four Of the members for whom it was
getting too murderous withdrew from
the band. The next day the Duffs and
Cook were lynched. After George Duff
had been fatally wounded by the lynchers
Squire Taylor ordered the aerest Of Bob
Duff and Chess Cook. The next evening
Squire Gardee ordered them to be taken
TO Walton. The constables discharged
the orders. Cook was taken to Joe
Cooks and Duff to David Cox's residence
for the night. That night the band held
a secret meeting at Linn Camp school
house. 1t was decided TO Iyr CD Cook and
Duff Immediately, though some voted to
wait until Ben Cook, uncle of Chess
Cook, one Of the men whom they were
going to lynch, was elected leader and he
accepted the position. Ttey then went
to Cooks where Chess CUok was. took
him out and hanged him. Then they
vent to Dave Cox's, took Bob Duff out
and cut his threat. He was first stabbed
in the stomach and breast, then 8 CASH
was cut In his throat, and finally Duff's
head was held back while one man cut
his throat from year TO year. Ia regard
to the murdeTers Of Ryan being lYnched
the detective says: .'We have secured
evidence enough TO prove, and will prove,
that the men who lynched Cook and the
Duff boys were the same men that MUIR
6ered the Rev. Thomas z. Ryan. The
five or six men engaged In the murder Of
Ryan do not all live in Roane county. Il
have their names, and they are all In that
county now with some possible eXcep-
tons.
A number Of original letters are also
made public, in which prominent citizens
have been warned to leave the county.
These warnings are all signed "Regu-
lators," and are addressed to men and
women. The common form is to the de-
struction OF property, mutilation of the
body or other outrageous conduct. TIE
slightest offeuse on the part of any one
was punished with warning snd tie
person warned generally found IL wise to
leave. The grips and other signals of the
hand are given. The fore finger of the
right hand p,sced around the thumb is
the signal for meeting when it's dark,
and the same fager thrust into the hand
that q meeting was to be held st once
End in the day time. The men make oath
to the above statement sad number OF
afidavits accompany the publication.