The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-06-22
SUFFER IN SILENCE.
THOUGH TORMENTED AND ROBBED,
THE AMlSHlTES NEVER COMPLAIN.

Will Not Appear In Court-Are Devout,
but Have No Congregational Worship.
Their Little Settlement the Scene of
Many Crimes.
The recent cepredations and crimes
in the Amish settlement a few miles
northwest of Toledo have attracted the
attention Of the authorities of two or
three counties, and have been a source
Of comment all over the state.
The Amish sect is a peculiar and ex-
elusive class Of people, who worship
privately according to their own belief,
and, no matter how great a grievance
they may have against individual or
corporation, it is one of their funda-
mental principles never, under any cir.
cumstances, to go into court.
They refuse to obey summonses and
! will not testify under any conditions.
| Should a member of a family be muir
dered the remaining members OF that
family or any of the sect, for that mat
ter, will not enter complaint, nor will
they testify, no matter how great pres
sure Is DTOuSHC u Dedl.
That section of country has during
the last few months been the location
of several mysterious crimes. -Four
masked men entered the house Of one OF
them some three months ago, and by
threats and horrible torture inflicted
upon the man and his wife, as we'll as
threats against the children, secured
several thousand dollars and escaped.
Although it was believed that the crime
was committed by local parties, and that
the family knew who the culprits We're,
they refused to make any complaint or
give any information that would lead
to the apprehension Of the criminals.
These people seem to have an abun-
dance Of everything III the way OF
property and are excellent farmers, al
though they refuse to adopt any OF the
improved machinery i'll vogue III this age
Of the world. They continue to use the
sickle. scythe, fail and the old fash
toned beam plows. Their harness, cloth
ing. etc, are all hand made, and their
general simplicity brings them into rldl-
Guile.
During the last few months two or
J three farmers, not connected With the
: Amish people, have mysteriOusly dis
appeared from the community. The
people around that part of the state
| have become very suspicious OF then
e sanctitied appearances and creeds, anc
) no little talk has been INDUCED Ill Il
G the way Of threats. They have been sub
f jected to merciless torments. Their crop
J... ,oo, ,,-,,ol fc,nnc h1J,),nI 11thl
sis broken, stock stolen and many 9th
er ~indisnities heaped upon them.
Joel Handst was only a few days ag
!, taken from his home by several mel
dressed as White Caps and subjected t
l. torture, one Of his ears being cut OFT an
the other slit. He never murlnured o
complained, but declares he will perml
le the matter to rest with his Maker. ]
he has since been learned that a crowd
! these White Caps took a man name
|, Henry Anker out into the woods a fe'
nights ago, and, after tying him secure
e, " to a tree, fayed him nearly to deaf
as with Witles,
a. One night last week several maske
marauders went to the home OF
a Amish family named Menkler and SUI
I'd iected them to all sorts of indignitle
ok made them prepare a meal, after Whl'
C, they ransacked the premises, carrie
away v~aluables and insulted the ag'
ne mother and three young daughters gros
".
IN The Amishites are professedly devo
on to an extreme, although they have
he congregational worship of any Sol
ny They never go to town or to the city u
less it is for the purpose Of disposlng
their products Or paying taxes. In
never patronize any amusement or pr
~ lie gathering affair.
oy The more conservative of the outsl
III world who have been carefully scru
Sc nizing their conduct say hat they
IL, sincere in their eccentricities, and tina
leo tough lot of citizens in a certain loo
TIC ity in northwestern Ohio for years no
vas for lawlessness take advantage OF tn
'lt' persistent refusal to prosecute, and,
way of excuse, urge the stories that
MS Amish people are guilty of the Grill
'or' they themselves have committed.
ar searching investigation is to be III
Ally tuted and efforts will be made to p
1gl- ish-the guilty. New York Recorder