Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-07
REPULSED A MOB.
A Couple of Brothers Use
Cold Lead.
FOUR OF THE LYNoHERs KILLED

And One Gets Fatal Wound-Sequel of
the Mysterious Murder of an Old Man
The Mob Suspected His Sons and Would
Victims a Constable.
GORDON, Ind, Aug. - Startling news
has reached here Of the slaughter Of a
lynching party by two men whom they
were trying to lynch for the alleged muir.
der Of their father. The fearful ARRAY
took place near Laconia. about sixteen
miles from this place. Four men were in
stantly killed, one fatally wounded and
severa! others more or less injured. Will
lam and Sam Conrad were the alleged
murderers whom the mob intended to
string up. Several months ago the father
of these men was foully murdered His
dead body was found in the woods with his
skull crushed. Suspicion at once fell on
the sons, who, however had always borne
good regulations. They were arrested, but
on the prelim nary hearing were discharged
for want of evidence Indignation ran
high among the people and finally mob
gathered for the purpose of lynching the
Conrads
Had Their Artillery in Readiness
The house where the men lived was at
tackled, but the Conrads were prepared.
As the mob advanced on the house they
poured a deadly volley into its ranks.
Four men dropped dead in their tracks
and several fell wounded. The Courads
then fed, while the unframed were caring
for the dead and dyi & The four men
killed are-Ed Hustin, John Undertake,
VIII Wiswan and Isaac Howe Will Nav
was fatally wounded. Excitement runs
high. Armed bands are securing the coun-
try for the COnrads If caught they will
be instantly killed. At the n:al of the
Conrad boys the testimony against them
was entirely circumstantiat and not
trong at that. On the contrary the moth
er's testimony corroborated the story told
by her sons.
Whitecaps Begin Their Operations.
Still with large portion of the COM
munity the belief was strong that the boys
were guilty, while respectable minority
held them innocent. Since that time the
feeling against the Conrads has been
growing stronger and they had received
several letters from whitecaps warning
them to leave the neighborhood or suffer
the consequences. They did not obey the
request, but on the contrary, said they
would be prepared for any visitation from
the night riders. Several days ago a barn
and its contents. belonging to a man named
Frankes, residing near the Conrads, was
burned and the Conrads were accused of
the act This they denied. Last week
they made a trip to Elizabeth, Harrison
county, and purchased a large supply of
buckshot in anticipation of the whitecaps,
as they had just received another noaice
couched in stronger terms.
Make Fort of Their Home.
They then proceeded to pue the house,
which is situated in the wilds of the coun-
ty, in order for defense. H les were made
to fire through and a watch was kept.
When the gang approached the house and
stepped on the porch they demanded ad-
mittance. At that moment the Conrads
fired with deadly effect. All the men
killed were well-to-do farmers. Howe was
30 years old and leaves family. He was
constable of Boone township and highly
respected. Hustin was the son OF Rev.
W. +. Hustin and was about Is years oil
and unmarried. Will May was about %
years old and was engaged to be married
to Miss Lou Collins, young lady of that
neighborhood. Tim berlake was the older
one of the ciowd and was about 81 years
of age and unmarried.
Not What They Went for
Such reception had not b-en expected
and though the mob was armed to the
teeth and 100 strong after firing few
pounds of lead from safe cover it fled,
leaving it's dead upon the field The Con-
RAIDS have disappeared from the neighbor-
hood and will probably never return I'M
less captured and brought back for trial.
Even if caught and confined in the Cory
don Jail it is not likely that they will ever
be tried in court of justice, for Judge
Lynch will undoubtedly take a prominent
part in the rial OF the men