The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-02

generally believed now Mccain is a worthless
thriftless, ne'er-do-weil fellow who makes
better servant for others than for himself, but
no o. calls him lazy, and any acquaintance
will certify that he is honest and veraelous.
tie maintained his crippled mother and his
blind sister when he was left fatherless and
homeless, and deserves the respect Of his fell
low-men for this, if for nothing more.
when this class of yigilants originated it
would be difficult to conjecture. From our
hrst remembrance ii was customary TO leave a
bunch of switches and a note at the door of
one who had become obnoxious. The hint was
usually sufficient. Whippings were indeed
very rare till about two years ago, and as the
victims were of the very worst class, they
awakened neither comment or sympathy.
Probably they began at the close of the civil
war when we were over-run by petty thieves
when provisions were high, money scarce and
lazy men numerous. The White Caps can not
last much longer. They have been permitted
TO act as disciplnarians till all that can reason
ably come within their jurisdiction has been
abolished. Any ofense committed in our
midst is amenable to the law. Another fact
which even the White Caps must acknowledge,
is that they have become so bold as TO arouse
the authorities, and doubtless upon our public
works now could be found members of the
secret service, who will ere long astonish the
public by proclaiming the names of some OF
our most prominent citizens members of
this society"
During the assault made upon the White
Caps by the Morelans and their assistants on
the night of the 2Sth of July last, were recog-
niZed among the former a postmaster, mail
agent and a justice of the peace. 1t aroused
such a storm that Atty. Gen. Michener was sent
by Gov. Gray TO investigate the history of the
whole concern. the manner of dealing with the
outlaws and the condition of public sentiment
The result was that after Mr.. Michener's return
Gov. Gray appointed two attorneys, Maj. w.
Funk and James Il. Funk of Corydon to aid
in the prosecution of the offenders. About the
same time the election occurred, and Jerry L.
Suddarth, the noted criminal lawyer, became
candidate for prosecutor on the republican
ticket and called upon the peace-loving eiti-
zens to support him. promising that he would
do all in his power to suppress the outlawry
which had disgraced Crawford county during
the past two years The result was that Mr.
Suddarth was chosen by majority of 800, al
though the regular democratic majority was
1000 in the district.
jerry J.. Suddarth is scarcely thirty years
old. lie is about six feet high, and will weigh
225 pounds. He graduated from the Michigan
Law university at the age of twenty-One. lie
is a thoroughly self-made man, who had to
work his way up in the strictest sense or the
word. The people have the utmost confidence
in his ability and his earnestness-
On the Goth of December, 1855, the case OF
the state VS.. William /. Gregory. ct al, upon
the charge of White Gaping Nancy Moore
and Clementine Wiseman on the night of July
-
half of the state and ffty-eight in behalf of the
defense was summoned. Many OF them had to
come distance OF twenty miles. The White
Caps had able counsel-the Hon. Charles l..
Jewett OF New Albany, Col. r. NJ. Johnson of
CanneltOn, and Ivan Is. HOTEL of Leaven-
worth They prepared an affidavit for their
clients. setting forth that the presiding Judge,
the Hon. William T. ZenOr, was biased and
preiudiced against them and that they believed
they could not receive an impartial trial at his
hands. This affidavit was signed by eight of
the alleged White Caps, to wit: David Vert,
Louis \. Job, Charles J. Rawlins, Samuel Butt,
Charles Myler, jr., William 4. Wiseman. James
Lynch and Charles Morgan. Gregory did not
appear, being confined TO his bed from the
effects of four bullet wounds inflicted by Mr..
Davis.
The signing of such an affidavit was, in the
eyes of good citizens who know the honorable
judge, greater crime than that for which the
atlantis stand charged, for more honorable
and upright Judge does not sit upon the bench
of Indiana.
This is one of the causes assigned for White
Capism, j. e.: Witnesses taking the law into
their own hands rather than be weared by re-
turning so often to court, and if the White
Caps should now be White Capped ii would
only be poetic justice.
Bat few expect the trial to proceed on the
10Th of March, 1850, the day set apart for IL.
Some Subterfuge will, it is supposed, be adopted
to have another pOstponement till the wit
HtSSeS DtCOHlc ulSsusteuj anu tHcH tic CdsC VII
be dismissed.
Much unnecessary abuse OF these people and
the country is INDUCED in. There may be some
foundation upon which to base very sensa-
tional article, but generally speaking, the
articles are products of diseased imagina-
ton. The country is hilly and rocky, and the
roads bad. The soil is less fertile than in the
northern part of the state, but with care and
fertilization fairly good crops of all kinds of
grain are grown, and as to fruit no country in
the same latitude is more pountiful. The idea
which some reporters would convey that the
people are so widely different from the citizens
OF neighboring states either in manners or
appearance, is so prepOsterous as TO not de-
serve any sensible mans notice. There are
more school houses in proportion to popula-
ton, than in any other country | ever saw.
Scarcely family but contains at least one who
has been prepared to teach school, and some
families, TO my knowledge, have five teachers.
if this indicates low Intelligence or unculti-
waited people be it So NJ.