Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-09-16
OUTRAGED CITIZENS
TAKE QUICK VENGEANCE.
Five Men Strung Up By the NecFat
Versailles, Indiana n
They Were Members Of a Gang That
Had Long Terrorized

adQ Long lorr9Illou
The County and Made the Posses
sion Of Valuables Dangerous.
Finally, Four of Them Were
Caught in the Act of Robbing a
Store, and Placed in Jail-Four
Hundred Farmers Gathered, Rode
to the County Seat, and Quickly
Put an End to Them-People Of
Versailles Not Sorry and More
Lynchings May Follow
Osgood, Ind, September 15.-Incens-
ed by numerous depredations, repeated
burglaries and daylight robberies, the
people of Ripley county, Indiana, have
taken the law into their own hands and
melted out to the perpetrators a pun
ishment greater than provided by the
law. Five men, who have long been
a terror to the citizens of this county.
met their death at the hands of an en-
ragged populace, and when the citizens
I'll NclSdlllCS, ILO Guilty SCAT olOoO
this morning, it was to find the bodies
of five men dangling from as many
limbs of an elm tree in the centre of
the public square.
A stout rope, not over six fet in
length, had served to send each to his
eternity, and their feet were but few
oh xha xrrhi hnip
hands and feet had been securely pin
toned with strong ropes.
Versailles is a town of some eight
hundred people. 1t is one Of the old
est in the State, and although it is five
miles from railroad station and has
no Geographic communication with the
outside world, as have more preten-
tious towns of the county, it is still
the county seat. For four or five years,
and even longer, the farmers of the
county have been the victims of law
less gang, who apparently lacking in
fear, have piled their vocation to the
terror of the people, for they seeming
ly have had no visible means of earn
ing living. Farmers would come into
: town with bunch Of cattle or load of
farming products and next morning
they would be found along the roadside
suffering from wounds and minus the
proceeds of their sale. Old German
farmers have been visited and both
men and women have been subjected
to all the fortunes that hardened
mind could stand. Aged German Wo-
men have been forced to stand upon a
red hot stove in an effort to compel
them to disclose the hiding place of
the treasure in the house. These dep
relations have continued INCREASINGLY.
Arrests have been made, but the guilty
parties had covered up their lawless-
ness and it was seldom that conviction
followed.
During the past week robberies had
increased alarmingly On last Satur-
day word was received by the sheriff
that the store of Wooley Bros, at
Correct, Ind, ten miles from here, was
to be entered. The information was
given by one Of the gangs confeder-
ates, who had been under suspicion.
Sheriff Henry Bushing arranged that
his informant should accompany them
and securing five deputies they went to
the place. Sheriff Bushing concealed
himself in the cellar, while his depu-
ties were stationed at a convenient dis
lance outside. Shortly after midnight
the gang reached Wooley Bros store.
Clifford Gordon and the sheriff's in
formant were designated to break into
the building. Gordon himself effected
an entrance, and just as he stepped
inside the sheriff grabbed him. Both
pulled pistols at the same time and
began firing. Bert Andrews was with
the robbers and he, too. Joined in the
fusilade, while the deputies came to
the assistance Of the sheriff. Some
thirty shots were fired The sheriff
was shot through the hand and Gordon
was shot severl TINS Three pistol
balls entered his body and he was also
shot in the leg. Gordon and Andrews
succeeded in escaping and came to Os-
good, where they were arrested. The
robbers had driven out to the place in
q buggy belonging to Lyle Levi and
from information subsequently gath
cred it was learned that the robbery
had been planned at the home of VIM.
Jenkins. The two latter were arrest
ed as accessories. All were taken to
the Jail at Versailles. Henry Schulter.
"a years, was put in the Jail for rob-
bling the barber shop at Osgood last
week. Levi was 81 years of age. Cor
don %. Andrews 80 and Jenkins 81.
While the citizens have not been
able to fix the various robberies upon
these men, they were thought to be
part of a gang that has committed
most of them When it became known
that thew were in iail. it was quietly
suggested by the victims and sympa-
thizers that Justice" be summarilv
dealt the prisoners. 1t was one o'clock
this morning when horsemen seemed
to come from all quarters and dis
mounted on hillside near Versailles
Little time was lost. for the details
had been prearranged. Quietly about
four hundred men marched into town.
The jail was in charge Of William
\Kenan. Sheriff Bushing's brother-in-
Vaw. the former being at home on
Recount of his injury In front of the
iail proper is the residence, and in
that were Acting Jailer Kenan and
Robert Barnett. William Block and
Len Senze1 deputies.
Shorty before 2 o'clock there was
knockNt the door and when Kenan
and the HherS oneued tho doo,, 49,,