The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-24
The Situation at Seymour.

The people of Seymour are experiencing
a period of belated and spasmodic virtue
that is very close in moral character to
the recent lynching. in some respects. A
correspondent gives the following account
OF it.
The work of cleaning out the city is still
going on. WILL BURNS, who was with
TRENCK at the time OF the shooting and
who had loaned him the revolver from
which the fatal shot was fired, has been
advised by friends to make himself
scarce, and he packed his valise and last
night left for parts unknown. The city
council has ordered the city marshal TO
close I'D all saloons on Sundays, and see
that both the front and back doors are
closed. The house which TRENCK ran
into after the murder was committed was
visited at night by body OF men with a
hose reel, and the hose was attached to q
hvdrant and the inmates were given a
duckinR. Notices are being given 10 own
ers OF the houses of prostitution TO move
out and leave the town.
Old man TURLEY, the father of the muir
dsrer OF Conductor PRICE, and who is
very wealthy, has been notified to sell II
of his possessions or divide thew among his
children within thirty days or he will be
punished. Men who have no visible
means of support and who are found upon
the streets at all hours are being notified
TO leave town. Gambling dens are being
ordered closed. and when all these are
disposed OF Seymour will sgain be the
best city of its size in Indiana. Twenty
five years ago the town passed through a
similar cleansing ordeal, and evil dOers
gave it wide berth for years. Il is ex-
pected that the same will result from the
present baptism of mob violence.
Nearly all of these actions are disgrace
full and unjustifable. No attempt has
been made to give any lawful punishment
to the man BURNS, who might have been
fined for carrying concealed weapons aud
disturbing the peace. if nothing more. In
stead of that he is chased away to annoy
some other community. No attempt has
been made to punish the saloonkeepers
who violated city ordinances aud state
laws by keeping open on Sunday and SELL
Ing TRENCK and others liquor. No attempt
has been made to infict lawful punish
ment on the keepers and inmates OF the
houses of prostitution. Instead OF that a
most unlawful assault is made on one of
them. However disreputable the place
may have been it was no worse because
a drunken murderer took refuge there.
Indeed, the inmates would probably have
been much gratified il ne had selected
some other retreat. But the climax is
capped by the notification to TURKEY to
sell his property and divide it among his
children. His apparent offense is being
father OF murderer, and If his other
children resemble that ono it is diffic nit to
see how the common welfare would be
advanced by this unique proceeding. Per-
haps it is too strong to say that this caps
the climax. That should be reserved for
the fact that no effort whatever appears to
be made to punish the men who murdered
TURKEY and TRENcK.
II the people OF Seymour are really de-
sirous of renovsting the place. would it
not be better to hang the mayor, aud
marshal. and common council, for per-
uniting these Objectionable institutions to
grow up and these events to occur? That
would be a wholesome lesson. Their sue
cessors in office would be very careful to
0hiOico VIZ laws hSieeA'oI. Ahu ehon VIC
people OF Seymour could proftably hang
themselves for electing these persons to
Office, for therein, after all, is the root OF
the disease. 1t is the public sentiment
that tolerates lawlessness which is most
responsible, and from all accounts Sey-
mour appears to have an abundance Of
that sort of sentiment. After this furry
is over it will probably settle down under
the terrorizing influence of its virtuous
murderers. and gradually grow into the
same condition that produced such
results.