Morning journal and courier., 1889-07-11
PLUCKY LAWYER WILSON.

He Reasoned With the Lynchers
While They snapped Pistols About
Eais Head.
TFrom the Louisville Courier-Journal.l
One incident in connection with the lynch
ing of James Deavin and Charles Tennyson
at Corydon, Ind, at one O'Clock last Thurs
day morning is particularly noteworthy, and
has since been the talk Of the county. It
was the nerve displayed by Deputy Prosecu-
tor Thomas j. Wilson, of Harrison county
who had the courage to do what no one else
would do.
Mr.. Jerry L. Suddarth, of Leavenworth,
is the prosecutor for the district of Harrison
aud Crawford counties, and Mr.. Wilson Is
his deputy for Harrison county. He is a
young man to occupy such a place, but his
brains, courage and legal knowledge have al
ready marked him as one of those upon
whom honors are likely to fall in the future.
Nothing has raised him more in the estima-
ton of the people of his county than his ac-
tion before the mob. Mr. Wilson, or, as he
is familiarly called, tTom," suspected trou-
BILE, and, when he noticed countrymen riding
into tho town in pairs about midnight, he
knew what was coming and stayed up to do
what he could.
He first went to Town Marshal Willis G.
Heth and told him he thought the mob was
gathering, and asked him to 60 with him to
help guard the Jail. Marshal Heth did so at
once. The advance guards of the regulators
had posted themselves about town In pairs,
when the thunder of the horses hoofs of the
main body was heard on the bridge few
hundred yards from the jail. In another
minute the mob had surrounded the jail, and
two hundred pistols were being brandished
| in the air. About fifty Of the lynching par
| ty wore masks of various colors, while the
| larger body wore none, but were otherwise
disguised The masked men Immediately
| surrounded the Jail doors, while the others
| undertook the job of keeping the town'pso--
| ple back at a safe distance, SO that none OF
| the lynching squad could be recognized.
"Stand back; get backl" commanded the
leaders to the people; get away from here!'
| and the citizens of the town, with few ex'
| ceptions, ''got."
! Several of the mob had forced their way
| into the hall of the residence connected with
the jail and had Sheriff Shuck covered with
revolvers, aud were demanding the keys
which the sheriff refused to give up. Al
this moment Deputy Prosecutor Wilson
pushed his way through the crowd and
mounted riding block in front of the houss
"Listen to mel" he shouted. "What de
you want herep
| "We demand of the Sheriff OF Harrison
county the keys to the jail"
"Well, you can't get them," said Wilson
eff we don't get them tonight We viii
burn the town and come back some othe
night and take them," cried the leader, tt
| which sentiment the mob gave expressed ap
| proval.
"No, you won't do anything of the kind,
answered Wilson, in whose face dozen pis
tolls were cleaning. "You would not dis
grace yourselves and the county by such al
aot.'
"We've got enough of that talk" severa
yelled; 'get down and go away from here, o
we'll shoot you too"
"You'll not do any such thing. You mus
listen to me- Obi don't care for your pis
| tolls; Pm going to make you hear me. Don
put such blot on the fair name of thi
county. To lynch these men either prove
that there is a mob spirit In the eommunit
or that the courts do not do their duty. III
courts always have done their duty, and the
q will do it with these men, Deavin and Ten
nyson. Let the law take Its course"
"Dry upl Get down from there, or yo
: will get the next bullet from this pistol" WI
: his revolver in the air.
"I don't care for your threats" returne
y the plucky young prosecutor. "You mu
a listen to reason, and Pm going to talk,
don't care how much you shoot"
> At this dozen more pistols were thru
under Mr.. Wilson's nose, and there was
10 ominous clicking of the old fashioned har
4 mers. Marshal Heth and Mr.. Cyrus B. Le
- is, who had made their way to where y
10 Wilson was facing the mob, single hand
and unarmed, heard the clicking, accomI
MED by cries of ''Hang him, too, If he dol
y stop talking!" They expected every nome
,e to see Wilson shot, and they stole up behi
D. him, and, grabbing him tightly, pulled h
down from the block and away, their pl
> gress being accelerated by the hurrying
10 the mob. At that moment the hammeri
er of the large sledges on the doors began, a
IS, then Deavin and Tennyson,were in the har
~ of the regulators before anything could