Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-05-12

EsCArE or JACK WRIGHT AT ENGLISH.
tain other states, the animosities created
BY the war and the rapid development of
the country, which has driven tho poor
and ignorant classes back into the hills
and ravines. The state may be divided.
geographically, into three sections. The
northern third Is for the most part mo-
notonously level; the middle section Is
high and gently rolling table land, of
wonderful fertility, settled originally by
the best people of the middle and border
states, and now occrpied BY class un-
surpassed in the world for general intelli-
gence and moral vigor. Farther south
the table land breaks down rapidly to the
deep depression in which the Ohio flows,
and as the southern border Of tho glacial
drift is nearly along the parallel OF Vim
cennes, the southern counties present
sudden change Of formation. Un-
polished rocks project sharply from
rugged hills and wild hollows
wind tortuously between KNOBS" or
cut the high level into narrow strips OF
table land Ss'or these reasons that Sec
tion presents the two extremes Of Ameri-
can society. A large section Of good
country. occupied by first class popula-
tion, is often In the same township with
fiat creek" or "dry run" neighborhood
of log cabins and Illicit stills, rocks, fist
fights and ignorance.
The wonderful progress Of tho state
after 1860 sharpened this contrast and
created, natural antagonism between
these classes. The divisions Of the war
period heightened It, and for few years
after the war there was q great deal of
crime. The wild hollows were from the
first settlement naturally infested by rcck-
less and blood stained men. At length,
in 1869, the better class of citizens, de-
spairing of the law, organized In a. spirit
Of wild justice, and hanged, whipped and
banished till the moral atmosphere was
greatly purified. In one town and near
vicinity eleven men were hanged In few
weeks. It has since been model town.
Then happened that which always does
happen when the law Is set aside. One
class wanted to go farther and the other
wanted to stop. So the secret organiza-
tion degenerated into mere mob, and
was made the instrument of private ven
geance. The whole history of popular
movements toward violence abounds in
such lessons. The men who organize the
revolution are nearly always hurled from
power before 1t runs its course.
In 1679 80 and 81 the "vigilantes"
were reorganized for special emergency,
as the new railroads were bringing In q
new class of criminals. Two or three men
were hanged, several whipped and many
moro warned out" There was n lull for
few years, and then tho white Caps"
took up tho work of purifying society.
With oltright criminals they have little
concern, as the law Is now sufficient for
that; their mission is to attend to morals
and industry. Men who neglect or abuse
their families, young fellows who Insult
women, "loafers" who live on their fam
lilies" as the phrase is, notoriously loose
women and their male friends-these are
the objects of the "Whits Caps" atten-
ton. The town of English, In Crawford
county, was the storm center" of one Of
the latest moral hurricanes. About mid
night large force appeared In the streets,
the men with blackened faces and tall
white caps, like the old Ounce cap" but
no other uniform. Each carried revol-
yer and little tough switch of hickory
or water beech, or other good timber for
the purpose And this force, acting under
the orders of captain. in two visits
whipped five men and one woman.
Mrs. Sarah Wilson, widow with four
children, occupant of poor little cabin,
got twenty five lashes for the unpardon-
able Qn woman) sin. James Sellers, a
widower with four children, received 10
lashes for notorious association" with
the widow and neglecting his children.
Robert Bloomfield got 130 lashes, laid on
hard, for notorious association" and
then the guardians of virtue rested for
the night. On another evening they Wis
tied the cabin of widow Jones and took
her three boys, John, Steve and Buck. to
the woods, where tAey gave them fifty
lashes each and warned them to go to
work "and stop sponging on their poor
old mother" The medicine operated like
charm. Tho three boys are reported to
be working like good fellows and treat
ing their mother with a politeness that
Qladdens her old heart.