The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-01-13
KENTUCKY KU-KLUx


TefrofsxIng the People of The Different
Counties by Their Outrageous Proceed
ings-Men. Accused of No Crime Warn
ed, Whipped Murdered. According to
the whim of the Midnight AssassAns-
Baked.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Jan. S.-A special
10 the Commercial from Harrodsburg.
Ky., dated yesterday, says
The regulators, or white caps, who
have for the past two months been
terrorizing not only the west end Of
this county. but also the adjoining
counties of Washington and Boyle.
were out in force last night number
ing not less than fifty men. After
these midnight marauders, masked
and armed to the teeth, had visited
quite number OF country residences
and called out the men, whipping
some very severely and reading the
riot act to others. warning them to
mend their ways, leave the county or
take the consequences, they went on
to the village of Lewisburg, six
miles from this place, and sur
rounded the town. They forced open
the cabin door of Joseph Mitchell and
forcibly dragged him from his bed
and carried him about fifty yards from
his house and tried him before Judge
Lynch
As soon rs Mitchell took in the situ-
alton and saw they meant to do him
great bodily harm he broke through
their line and made haste for his
cabin, where he had a loaded shotgun.
His wife had gotten up and lighted q
lamp and just as Mitchell was nearing
his door, his body, outlined by the light,
was perforated by not less than
twenty-five bullets and his bleeding
corpse fell prostrate on the door sill.
Immediately after killing Mitchell
they attacked the residence of Brack
Bottoms, and forced open his door.
They made his wife strike light, but
could not find their man. His wife
averred that he was absent from home.
but this they did not believe, for the
children kept begging that they would
not kill their father.
After making thorough search
here and about to leave. one of them
perceived some SCOT falling down the
chimney into the smoldering fire. and
looking up the chimney saw Bottoms,
who had been frightened by the shoot
ing when Mitchell was killed, and had
climbed up the chimney for safety.
Dragging him down by the heels, they
carried him off and gave him fifty
lashes on his bare back, lacerating the
flesh at every stroke and causing the
blood to flow freely, while his piteous
cries for mercy rent the midnight air.
Bottoms had been dragged from his
cabin by rope slipped around his
neck, but the pitiful. cries of the little
children and the earnest prayer of the
grief-stricken wife, aroused feeling Of
sympathy in the hearts of his persecu-
tors and they relented little. and con-
cluded instead of hanging to give him
a severe beating, and this they did with
a vengeance.
The next attempt to take the law
into their own hands and to punish a
man without a fair and impartial
trial was frustrated. Oscar Reynolds
had been two weeks since warned to
leave the country, but he publicly
proclaimed that he had done no wrong
anu "Ouiu stdHu HIS grOunu, HIS HOUSE,
being his castle. They visited him,
and, finding his doors so strongly
barred that they would not give in to
their heavy pressure, demanded him to
open the door. He refused, as he had
heard the shooting and the loud and
piteous cries of Bottoms, and was
ready for them; His reply was: Never!
break in or scratch under" They held
council of war, and as the night was
advancing, and they had, some of
them, long distance to go, concluded
to postpone their marauding. and,
mounting their horses, rode away.
There is great excitementin in the neigh
borhood