The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-24
WHITE CAPS.
Awful Atrocities In Northumber-
land County, Pennsylvania.
A Ghostly Spectacle.
Three Miners Accidently En-
counter a Meeting of the
Order-What They Saw.

New YORK, January IA Shamokin,
Pa, special says: The White Caps in
the eastern and western portions of North
cumberland county worked with possibly
fatal results Thursday night, since which
time vigilance committees have been
formed all over the country, and insti-
tuted search for the hsartless wretohes,
1t is as hard task to find who the men,
bers of the committees are as to establish
the identity of the White Gaps.
Patrick, Doolan and two Hungarian
laborers left the mines of Oorbin oolliery
at 2 O'Clock. yesterday morning to go home.
They live in Springfield, mile from
this city and two miles from the mines. As
they were 200, yards from their homes,
walking on the turnpike, Doolan suddenly
stopped, calling the attention of his COM
panions to number of strange looking
objects 100. yards to the left on both sides
of a deep aud swift running stream. He
told the men to accompany him to find
out what it all meant. After the men had
walked fifty yards toward the creek the
moon drifted out from behind a bank of
clouds and revealed to the eyes of the
miners about thirty men dressed in white
flowing robes, their faces being concealed
with black masks, while tall, white cone
shaped hats were mounted on their heads.
1t was weird and ghostly spectacle. Tn,
masked men all carried switches in their
arms, and number hourished knives in
tn air.
Before Doolan and his companions
could draw back seven of the ghost-like
figures ran behind the miners and COM
PEELED them to throw up their hands, after
which they were marched to the water'-
edge and surrounded by heavy guard
Then one of the band addressed the
miners in gruff voice, informing them
that there they would behold the last act
of White Cap tragedy. Turning on his
heel, the man, evidently the leader, gave a
shrill whistle which caused clump OF
bushes to part twenty yards off in the
woods. Out of the opening emerged -four
White Gaps carrying naked man whose
figure resembled quarter of raw beef
This appearance was caused, the
leader told the affrighted min.
ers, by having twenty lashes OF
CATO -nlne-tails laid on him
When the procession reached the spol
where Doolan and the White Gaps stood
the bleeding man, who was unconscious
was held up in front of them, and DoolaI
recognized him as Thomas Heague OF
Coal Run, a reputed harmless idiot. Doc
Ian mustered enough courage to ask why
the unfortunate wretch was so treated
when the White Gaps replied that Heagu.
had tried to assault girl on her way II
Shamokin early in the evening, and on,
of the band saw him and rescued the girl
He told the man to go home, afte
which he knocked him down, tied hi
limbs, carried him into the woods anc
bound him TO tree. He then reported
the case to the rest of the brethren anC
they are now wreaking vengeance on tn,
wrongdoer.
A rope was now tied around Heague
and he was cast into the cold stream ant
dragged up and down ia the water for {
short while when he was laid on tn
ground, and the White Gaps then ordered
| OOOldu anu llOu w huOOt anu ICmull
in that position until they were out o
sight, The men did so and the band dis
persed into the woods. The men carried
Heague into hostelry in Springfield
where he now lies at the point of death
The alarm was at once given and bands
of angry miners secured the woods TO
miles around, but no trail of the brute
could be found. In yesterday morning
mail was number of warnings to differ
emit people to leave Shamokin in twenty
four hours or receive punishment from
the White Gaps. 1t is feared there will b
bloodshed, as everybody is heavily armed
At the time that Heague was receiving
his brutal treatment similar scene wa
enacted in the forest near Milton, thirty
five miles away, where two white men an
a negro were taken from their cabin by
body of masked men, who tied them T.
trees and dashed them numerically. N
clue to the perpetrators has been dis
covered. =