Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-16
RULED nv THE LASH.
The Outrages 81 the White Cape I'm
Southern Indiana.

Il
Southern Indiana.
A fERRoRIzED RlsIoN-NEN AND WOMEN TAKEN
PROM THEIR BEDS ny NIGHT AND CRUELTY
| LAsHED-How THE WHITE CARS oPERArs-rHETR
| DRESS AND INSTRUMENTS or ToRruRE-A FRUIT
| FuL COUNTRY But PoRLoRN PEOPLE
The New York Sun recently sent reporter into
southern Indiana to give an accurate account Of
tne aoings OF the White Caps or regulators or
gsaized bands who have taken upon themselves to
administer Justice to those they consider worth
less or 'ornery." The operations OF the White
caps nave been confined to six counties in the
southern part OF the state, bordering upon or
snort distance back from the Ohio River, with
CrawIord county as the head CENTER All the
whippings which have been administered by these
regulators have been for "orneriness," which in
ciudes shiftlessness, immortality, drunkenness I'M
providence, laziness and, In fact any habit or
pected haolt which might arouse the dspleasure
OF these midnight raiders A series of whippings
Win aii their slckening details, are described at
conGito or one % Sn and show truly oaroarous
Inc White Caps 60 about their ruffianly night
WoIk on horseback. The houses are far apart, to
0 0eEh VIII ana as each community leves on its
neignDor ior the doing OF its dirty wOrk-sO as to
prevent the victims from recognizing the voices
movements OF these c0wards-there are long dis
one sees across the river In Kentucky. The Indiana
/ norses, once splendid breed, are now like the
en ano women run out and RUN down. and sorry
IoOiscaps. white paper masks, and coats Of coffee
s or sg 10 make the coats they merely cut arm
close 70 the bottoms and holes in the bottoms to
put their heads through.
INsrRUNENTS OF TORTURE.
Eacn man carries pistol or shotgun, but these
nave been 80 seldom used, whereas their other
weapons are 20 actively in operation, that there is
more interest In description OF the whips they
also carry. The whippings are all done with what
they call hickory withes The White Caps go into
s Se az ibs
anu very little thinner at distance OF four or ve
ieet from the butt They get them green and
Swnlp-lour feet, say-and holding them over
S9onnre, scorch the tender bark. When that is
end. They know that putting a hickory shoot
through this formula makes it as pliable and
nexioie as rubber, with the wickedness and
strength OF rawhide. Each man carries one OF
When they whip man or woman or boy they
go In large bands and usually at midnight In
case OF poor, luckless drunEard, or a woman liv-
ny without a male companion and defender, the
White Caps sometimes notify their Intended VIC
I'm mat they Will whip him or her II the Orneri-
ness complained OF does not cease. In case OF one
OF the abuses OF the new system OF sel-governmenJ
where vigorous man Is to be punished because a
White Cap has Quarrelled with hin, or because he
mas said ne Is not AFRAID OF the skulkiDg woman
Deaters, these night riders are extremely careful
10 give no warning at all They do not even knock
on the door wnen they come In. But then they
Knock In no Case whatsoever. They either lift the
latch and walk in or break the door down with
gathering rams. In cases where they give warn
Ing the notification is written with pen and INK
and slipped under The door or the house at night
HOW PUNISHMENT Is INFLICTED.
sometimes the White Caps take their victims
naked to the whipping place, though this they
nave never yet done with q woman. In parts
OF the region they whip their victims on the but
LOCKS and legs; In fewer districts they lay the
iasn upon th.ir backs They administer all the
got less than twenty -nve however 1t is almost
impossible TO conceive the suffering and disfigure-
meht mat 20 or 100 lasnes results In. The raw,
open, Dleedlng welts, In which man can lay a
nnger are certain 10 run into one another so that
Inc whole flesh Is ragged and hashed like ground
mat has been criscrossed with a harrow
Strong men who have seen The victims after
me whipplngs tell the reporter that the
sights have made them SICK at heart.
wien the White Caps have gathered In sufficient
force 10 venture upon an unarmed man or shrek.
Ing woman at dead OF night tue way they whip
pole for the purpose, the two men who nave been
Dragging the .rson along spread bis or her arms
apart so AZ to force the OF the victim against
tne pole or tree. The men then get behind the
tree, one pulling on each arm OF the victim, who
tnen mas his cum and chest pre- ,Sed with all the
Strength u MS captors against the obstruction
their feet against the tree, to add 10 the torture
winch often as great As that Of the whipping; IN
TINS pressure, while the wounds or the whipping
are sure 70 neal In time. In Crawford and iIs
ne4tnoornooQ lhere nave been $50 wh1ppings In
Inc last 10 or ~ months
THE LAST CASE
happened two months ago In what is called the
Wiseman settlement on the West Fork In Craw-
ford County. The settlement Is mere dot in the
WOODS, cross roads, two or three shanties, and a
rev clear1nga In one OF these houses the Moore
SISTERS uved Dy themselves, with the Child OF one
VINO had been married TO man who had been sent
TO the penitentiary, and being released had not
returned 10 her. These sisters took In sewing and
money fAr ha rAaf lfv.d
the wondrous bounty OF nature, which is iuxuriant
70 degree In southern Indiana. The White
Caps-that Is TO Say, their neighbors-tOOk 1t Into
their heads that THESE poor, wan angular women
were not virtuOus. With them suspicion is al
once trial and judgment Punishment Is all
men OF Crawford County, in the regalia OF White
Caps, lifted the latch Of the cabin OF the
sisters. walked In at Midnight, and turned up the
light In their sleeping ROOM The women awoEe
They confronted fifteen revolvers, and were or
aeIed 10 get up and follow the men. They were
had slept IN. one who was thirty years Old wore
night dress; the other, miss OF twenty had on
her cnemlse In this dress they were forced To 60
with the men TO the nearest tree that stood free
and Clear by the roadside, and that had a tall.
thick trunk bare OF branches 10 height SUFFICIENT
10 enable It's being used as a whipping post
Against that tree one woman was nei1 and
whipped, and then the Other took her place Both
were whipped awfuily. Their thighs and legs
streaIned. The men took them back to their
shanty covered vita reviewers, first telling them
tncy "cIc Wuppcu THOSE Two
Moore sisters are still living In that lonely cross
roads shanty, easier In their minds now Tat the
White Caps have been TO them and gone than hun.
oreos OF otner women VINO ave In dread OF visit.
AFoRLORN PEOPLE.
The reporter who journeyed among the hills
from village TO village never saw such poverty
except In the coal regions Of Pennsylvania Never
even there had he seen such forlorn people, In one
respect II was like an open-air asylum Every where
he saw diseased, crippled, imbecIe aud deiormed
persons AT least half a dozen men that ne met
were blind OF an eye. A mother was dragging two
im0eciIe children out oil the way OF ms horses
An imbec1e lad had passed MIN with an OK team.
he met man on crutcheS. Scrorula. rheu-
Inatism, poverty, hunger, idleness vice,
lifted their hideous faces on every hand
The people were exceptionally surly
There was continual lighting and news OF flohtinp
Drunkenness Is q common ana q peculiarly ugiy
vice down there. Men with too much rum aboard
seem all ilnpeLed by one desire-JO hight. They
use brass-knuckles aud sling shots In their en-
cOunterS Uglier knives than were seen in the
peaceful hands Of village idlers sitting about on
the merchandise boxes In q village the reporter
visited he never saw.
The White Cap region looks like q new country
with ancient roads. Qeerly enough, for every
house that Is on mann road there seems 10 be
TWO or three away from IT, hidden on side lanes or
three houses on tue roads there seems TO be one
that Is abandoned. Often one sees two or three
abandoned houses following ono another; all rot
ting away.
The truth about this region seems to be that the
people In It have run down. They are nearly all
nf her rfrvxpa mn