The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-11-24
Blackguardly
and CoWardlyI
Soldiers Graves in Indiana
DeSecrated and Head
stones Ruined.
The Work of the Knights Of
ofthe Golden Circle. They
Bebaubed the Monu-
ments with Paint
AND INSULTED THEFLAG.

SAYS: Daubing, with red paint the
headstones of soldiers graves on
the night of the Democratic jolifi-
cation this past week has aroused
the Grand Army of the Republic
men as nothing else could, perhaps,
short of a midnight raid by Kuklux.
At first, when the report came from
Charlton. in Hendricks county, that
every grave of dead soldier who
served in the Civil War had thus
been violated, it was not regarded
as a matter to demand more than
local concern. but since the news
from numerous towns in Hendricks
and Morgan counties reveals the
fact that in that section of the State,
once honeycombed by the Copper
head class, composing the knights
of the Golden Circle, a preconcerted
raid was made and every Union SOL
dier's grave in nearly dozen burial
grounds was visited and outraged
in this manner, veterans all over
the State are ready to rise in arms.
In some cases the offensive cross of
the Golden Circle was daubed on
the gravestones.
The Grand Army has set to work
to investigate the outrage, and evil
dence has been collected tending to
show that during the recent cam
paign many camps of the Knights
of the Golden Circle were revived
by reason of the belief, that the
rebel sympathizers had an ex-mem.
Der of the order on the ticket, in
the person of Adlai Stevenson. The
members of these camps. it seems.
renewed their REASONABLE oaths to
the supposed extinct but really only
dormant organization, and secretly
worked for the Democratic ticket.
Emboldened by victory, they re-
solved to commit some act that
would show their old Confederate
friends in the South that Copper
headism was still alive in the North.
As result it was decided to sneak
into the cemeteries and despoil the
graves of the fallen soldiers.
On the day of the ratification the
Golden Circlers gathered and the
committees were sent forth to COM
plete the outrage. 1t now appears
that soldiers graves at Clayton, in
Hendricks county, and at West
Union, Munrovia, Mt. Zion, Hall,
Mt. Pleasant, Poplar Grove and
Wilbur, in Morgan county, were
visited. In many instances valu-
able monuments were utterly ruined
by the daubing. Over many of
these graves the National emblem
had been placed by living and loyal
friends, and these flags were also
smeared with paint. At Hall an
elegant shaft, placed at the grave
of Captain Smith, by his widow,
was so daubed that it cannot be
cleaned.
The G. A. R. posts here are lend
ing all the aid in their power to the
searching out and Furnishing Of the
men, and talk of railroading a car
load Of influential Democrats to
prison is heard. Not only G.. A.
R. men, but good citizens generally,
are loud in their condemnation
since it has been learned that it is
claimed that the affair arose from
the election Of Stevenson and not a
mere desire to celebrate the Demo-
cratic victory.
MARTISsvILLI, IND, Nov. 30
Since yesterday reports have arrived
showing two additional cemeteries
to have been desecrated at Hindoo
station and Stilesville. The first
named is in the southern part Of
this county. This makes the third
county that appears to have suffered
by the operations of the vandals.
Soldiers graves alone continue to be
the object of attacks. The mark
ings on the stones are exactly the
same in all cases. A vigorous search
has been inaugurated and if found
only one course is talked of being
pursued-that of instant hanging.
City Marshal George johnson is
a leader of searching party. He
is veteran, and a brothers grave
was desecrated. He is openly avow-
ing that If the men that did it can
be found, they or he will die.
Othrs are just as indignant. The
Circuit Court convenes Monday,
and Judge Grubbs will especially
instruct the grand jury to use every
possible effort to ferret out the ras.
nolo