The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-29
PARAMOUNT CITIZENS
4
CHARGED WITH DYNAMITING NOR
RIs'S SALOON BUILDING.
One Leading Member of the Church.
Who Admits Applying the Match,
Makes n Clean Breast.
PROMINENT PEOPLE NAMED
FIFTEEN IN ALL SAID TO HAVE
FORMED THE AVENGING BAND.
Detectives Had Worked on the Case
dence to Convict Anyone.
sreciaI to the 1rdianapolia journal.

| Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
| PARAMOUNT, Ind, Aug. 2S.-For years
this city has been known as one of the few
| towns in the State in which a saloon could
not stay. In the year 1886 a saloon was
started on the west side of Main street In
side of two weeks the building was blown
to atoms by dynamite. The secret was so
we'll guarded that it was impossible to inn
plicate any one, although the grand jury
investigated the affair and attempted to
sift it TO the bottom. 1t was even carried
so far to hire detectives, who came and
worked on the case, but they were power
less. Suspicion rested on several prominent
men of the town nevertheless.
No one made another attempt to start a
saloon until 1S93 when Luther Morris, of
Marion, bought piece of property Qt be-
ing impossible TO rent a building in the
town for that purpose), and started quart
shop after being defeated in getting a
county license through the strenuous eff
forts of the Fairmount people. Things
went along s1noo}nly enough for a week
when one afternoon the prominent members
of the Friends Church walked in and de-
liberately loaded his supply of liquor on
three drays, hauled it to the depot paid
beer and whisky to Marion amid the toll
ing of church bells and the cheers of the
population. No more was heard of Morris
for two weeks, when he brought in a supply
of liquor between two days and resumed
business at the old stand. The very next
night about twenty masked men went to
the quart shop told the negro watchman
to flee for his life, which he did. They then
took possession breaking every bottle
knocking in the heads of the barrels and
letting the fluid run into the cellar. The
next morning the beer and whisky was two
feet deep in the cellar and no one knew who
did the work
Morris came back, however with another
supply and commenced business as if anew
this time putting on a supply of watchmen
sufficient to have stopped any mob. The
vigilance committee then turned its atten-
ton to a new building going up in the
north end of town which was to be occu-
pied by a saloon, and owned by Morris
When nearly completed, but not yet out of
the contractors h&ds, it was also blown
up with dynamite this time injuring a
number of other buildings which were in
close proximity. The next night the ruins
were burned. Detectives were hired and
worked on the case for year, but
| could find no clew. Suspicion
! found resting place on the
heads OF many prominent Quakers on
count of the previous visitation when the
stock of liquors was shipped out of town.
| 1t has been much of a mystery ever since,
| or until last Thursday morning, when
Walter c. Rush, well-knOwn gardener
here and a church member, broke down
under the strain and made a full confess
sion, duplicating the following persons, by
| IA i
destroy the liquor: j. K. Pemberton, of
Anderson at that time a resident of this
city; Nixon Winslow, president of the Citi-
zen's Exchange Bank; Cornelius Small, su-
perintendent of the Friends Sunday school;
Burgess Scale, a wealthy farmer, living a
! mile west of town; A. w. Ray (deceased), a
real-estate dealer; W. c. Winslow, a
leader in prohibition; A. PressnaIl man
! prominent in politics; Jacob Beals, at that
time a shoe dealer; L. r. Whitney,
a travelling man for Cowglps tile
factory; Henry Jeffreys, Ewood; Hais-
| ley, then running a meat market; James
Scott; Perry Scale, wealthy farmer; John
! Charles, then owning a grain elevator, and
James Luther, a travelling man. Many of
the above are leading members in the
! Friends Church.
When Morris's new building in the north
!
detailed to do away with the quart shop the
! same night, but were foiled in their attempt
by the watchmen, according to Rushs
sworn statement He says he is the one
who touched off the bomb that destroyed
! the new building and that in hunting for
| the match he lost a receipt which bore his
| name. The next morning he went and hunt
ed for it, but was unable to find the same.
| This was communicated to his companions
| of the night before, he says and it
was agreed that the ruins should be burned
the following night, and Rush says he
| touched the match. In his statement he
| says that. Z. J. Nixon, then owning the
| flour mill, and A. Henley, a leading ply
| sician of this city, were with and assisted
| him in blowing up the building He then
| duplicates the following: j. 2. Winslow,
wealthy resident and a strong Prohibition
| list; j. X. Pemberton. of Anderson; Nixon
Rush, a Quaker minister; Cornelius Small,
! Burgess Scale, A. w. Ray (deceased), w
c. Winslow, A. Pressnan, L. r. Whitney
and Jacob Beals.
Had a bomb been thrown into the Main
street it would not have caused any more
excitement than did that confession, as all
are among the most prominent people in
this city and most of them are we'll known
over the State especially in the settle
ments of Friends. Rush is entirely reliable
and made the following statement to a
notary public:
Il hereby certify that the above
named parties were in some way i'm
plcated in the destruction Of property
owned by L. Morris, by blowing up a sa-
loon building in the year of 1893, in the
town of Fairmount, at one time, and by
destroying liquors in his saloon at another
time in the same year.
(Signed) wv. G. RUSH.
HENDERSON OLIVER, Notary Pub
Hc."
Rush first made the statement to Nor
| ris, asking his forgiveness and offered to
pay his part. The affair has created
sensation all over the county and will be-
yond a doubt be aired in the courts at the
! next session