The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-15

BURGLARS LYNCHED
Versailles, Ind, the Scene
of a Barbarous Popular
Outbreak.
FOUR SHOT AND HANGED
People Excited by a Series Of
Crimes-Vigilants on
Horseback.
FOUR SHOT AND HANGED

VERSAILLES. Ind, Sept. Is, 1SST.-A
mob of four hundred men last night
lynched Lyle Levi, Bert Andrews, Clifford
Gordon. William Jenkins and Hiney
Shuler. whom they took from the au-
thorities. The men had been arrested
for burglary. Frequent robberies had en-
ragged the citizens of the county and the
mob was composed of citizens from Milan,
Sunman and other towns.
The mob. on horseback, entered the
town an hour after midnight and called
out Jailer Roman, who upon refusing to
give up the keys was overpowered. The
mob soon pushed it's way into the cell
rooms and in their impatience first fred
on the five prisoners and then dragged
them to tree square from the Jail door
and hung them up.
Andrews and Gordon had already been
wounded, having been shot several times
while attempting to rob a store at Correct
last Saturday night.
Shuler was m jail for attempted bur-
glary, and Levi and Jenkins had just
been indicted by the Grand Jury for
robbery. They had failed to give bonds
and were put in jail last evening.
1t is thought that Levi and sShuler were
both dead from the shots fired by the mob
when taken out of Jail.
The bandageS that were on the wounded
men were found later this morning along
the street, where they had been torn on
as the men were dragged along.
Lyle Levi was an old soldier and bore
on his face wounds received during the
Civil War while fighting for the Union.
None of the lynchers are known. They
all came from a distance, presumably
from the neighborhood of Correct, where
the two men We're arrested Saturday
night.
When the citizens of Versailles, the
county seat, arose this morning they
found the bodies of five men dangling
from as many limbs of an elm tree In
the centre of the public square.
Their feet were but a few inches from
the ground, while their hands and feet
had been securely tied with strong ropes.
Versailles is town of 800 people It
is one of the Oldest in the State and al
though it is five miles from railroad
station and has no telegraphic connec-
tions, it is still the county seat.
For four or five years the farmers of
the county have been the victims of a.
lawleSS gang, who lived an outlaw exist
ence, robbing indiscriminately and some
times committing graver crimes. Farm
ers would come into town with q bunch
of cattle or load of farming products and
next morning they would be found robbed
and beaten by the roadside Old German
farmers have been visited and both men
and women have been tortured to mako
them give up their savings. Aged Ger
man women have been forced to stand
upon red-hct stove in an effort to con-
pei them to disclose the hiding place OF
some. treasure in the house. These dspre-
dations have continued INCREASINGLY.
Arrests have been made, but the guilty
parties have covered up, their lawlesBness
and it is seldom that conviction followed.
During the past week robberies had ins
creased alarmingly.
On last Saturday word was received bY
the sheriff that the store of Wopaey
Brothers, at Correct, Ind, ten miles from
here, was to be entered.
The information was given By one OF
under suspicion. Sheriff Henry Bushing
arranged that his informant should ad-
company them and securing five deputies
they went to the place.