The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-12-31
First Degree Indictment for the I'm
warranted Shooting Of Young Rip
pcy on the Land Farm.
MURDER PURE AND SIMPLE
NO AUTHORITY WHATEVER TO TAKE
A MAN ON INDIANA SOIL.
Seymour Minister Elected Chaplain
for Prison south-statc Dairy
men Adjourn. -

Special to the indianapolis Journal
SALEM Ind, Dec. 30.--There was so
much Indignation among all citizens i'm this
section against the Louisville officers who
yesterday invaded this county and MUIR
dered John Rippey, an innocent farm boy,
that the men were removed from the jail
this evening and rushed to New Albany by
Sheriff Garriott. The two men, Detective
John Sexton and Deputy Jailer john
Brown, were indicted by the grand jury to-
day and held without bail for murder in
the first degree. Last night twenty OF their
friends from Louisville came here and slept
in the jail TO prevent a lynching. which
they feared might take place. The true
story OF the killing is one to fire the blood
OF any citizen. Richard Land, on whose
farm the shooting took place, toll his story
to-day, and il removes all doubt about the
affair. The two officers, with no warrant
or official rights in this State, reached here
late Monday night with young man
named Robert Land. who claimed to have
located Kentucky Jail breaker on the
farm of his uncle, Richard Land, seven
miles from town. Following is the state
ment of Richard Land. who is large
farmer and extensive stock buyer. Land
came to town to-day and said:
Tuesday morning few minutes before
O'Clock my wife came TO my bed, where
sleeping with John Rippey, my farm
hand. and said: There are some men out
here who say they want TO see YOU But
when opened the door they refused 10 tell
their business. / hastily put on my clothes.
took my revolver in my hie pocket and
went out TO the yard fence. There was
closed surrey. They said, Dick. come out
to the carriage L was afraid they were
robbers, and, as they refused TO explain,
1 told them 1 would return to the house and
get lanterns. The three women gathere6n
around me and said: you shall not
out and the door was locked L asked 70
the shotgun, and my wife said IL was in
my bedroom. Rippey. without any request
from any one. knowing where he had put
ii, opened the door, leaving il open. and
started for the smokehouse. My wife closed
the door and refused to let me out. and we
looked out the window. We heard Rippey
say, L hain't, hain't ana. before the last
words were out We saw the flash OF "A pistol
and heard hut one shot and then a groan.
We heard rush upon him, and al was
still.
1t was too dark to see. but il looked az
though there were four men in "A body
rushed on him. Rippey could not have been
over eight feet frAm the point where he
saw the flash. AllNSas still, but the men
struck matches, anu We could see four OF
them bending over the body. They called
for Dick 10 come ont, but the family was
so scared and so sure OF nay being killed
they refused TO let me go. No explanation
was made, and they did not come To the
house. The killing was done about a
Some time after we heard them say 20
WAS driven OFF AT a rapid rate. The men
were there until about o'clock, when with
the approach of daylight they disappeared
md A xx-aG "a a fsn Il q
body near the smokehouse door, the gun
was gone, also some cartridges. The men
struck matches after the killing and went
I'm and out of the smokehouse. 1 believe
the gun was empty: they had plenty OF
opportunity to load the gun and may have
done so. 1 went to town and got the un-
dertaker and telegraphed for the coroner.
The surgeon found but one bullet in the
body OF Rippey. and that had penetrated
the lungs and heart.
Young Rippey.s funeral and burial took
place at noon to-day AT sihi creek ana
was largely attended. He was quiet and
inoffensive. and an orphan son OF the late
M N. Rippey.
The reports sent out have been wholly
one-sided: giving the officers side of the
story. Indignation runs high, and is
spreading rapidly. Last evening the jail
was guarded by about twenty policemen
from New Albany and Louisville. This
alone added fuel 10 the flame. the peo-
pie do not relish the idea of any foreign
invasion OF officers without authority. IL
is clearly shown here that Harry Brooks,
the Kentucky jail breaker whom the ofti-
Robert Land, who furnished Colonel
Watts with the information that caused
him to send officers 20 the scene of Monday
nights tragedy and who acted guide.
is seventeen years old. lie made the fol-
lowing statement: Il heard Brooks was at
Uncle Dicks through pap, who was i'm Jail
with him for three months. and knew all
about the scheme To break jail tBy pap
young Land meant his father. Lewis Land,
who was charged with grand larceny and
was incarcerated in the same cell with
Brooks) He let IL out TO ma last Sunday
about Brooks being up mere and L heard
'em talking. He said he'd told Brooks to
go up TO Uncle Dicks when he got out.
and that when he Went up 10 Salem. Brooks
was working farm hand. When L
heard pap tell ma this 1 remember that
Colonel Watts had offered 500 for the ar
rest of Brooks, and then thought might
as well get this money and do "A little
spludging.
escape from Richard Lands house. Robert
said that he saw man running through
a cornfed near the house, and that he
must have got out OF a window. lie says
he knows Brooks was there.
Charles Richardson. the Salem livery
! stable employe who drove the officers and
young Land TO the farmhouse. corrobo-
| rates farmer Lands story and says |
| further: Before the shots were fired I
heard Robert Land. who had gone .furtherZ
| Here he goes. Here he goes Land after
| ward told me tnat Brooks got out through
| a window and escaped I drove back 10
| town. got the sheriff up and telegraphed 10
| Campbelsburg for the coroner. Then I
| started back over the road TO Lands house
with the sheriff. We met the officers and
| Young Land coming back They had the
| shotgun. They told the snerin that they
| shot Rippey IN self-defense."
Farmer Land denies that a man named
! Brooks was employed on his place Though,
| N is said he admitted that he had a farm
! hand named Duke. which was an alias Civ
| en- by Brooks at the Louisville Jail. Several
! farmers say there is no doubt that Brooks
! was In hiding on Lands place. but whether
| he was hgrbOring a criminal knowingly Is
/ something that no one cares TO venture
an opinion upon.
Sexton and Brown have employed At
torneys John a Earring and Milton II.
Hotel 10 defend them. The attorneys are
of the opinion that the prisoners will be
acquitted
Governor Matthews arrived IN Salem this
morning and seemts- much interested IN
the shooting OF young Rippey. but the oh
iect of his visit could not be ascertaine1
TO have any connection with the case.
No Authority I'm This state.
Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal.
LOUISVILLE. Ky. Dec. S0-Detective
Sexton and Turnkey Brown. who shot
young Rippey In Indiana yesterday. had
no authority on Indiana soil 20 bear arms
or make an arrest. IL h regarded here
a most serious invasion OF a sister State
and It is expected 10 so hard with the