Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-09-16
FIVE DESPERADOS LYNCHED.
None Of the Participants Have Vel
Been Arrested.

repeated burglaries and daylight
robberies, the people of Ripley county,
Indiana, have taken the law into
their own hands and meted out to the
perpetrators, punishment greater
than that provided by law. FIVE
men who have long been a terror to
the citizesn of that county met their
death at the hands of an enraged pop
ulation.
When the citizens Of Versailles, the
county seat, arose they found the
bodies of FIVE men dangling from as
many limbs of an elm tree in the pub.
lie squa.e. Stout rupes, not over six
feet in length, had served to send the
men to their destiny. Their feet we're
but few inches from the ground,
while their hands and feet had been
securely pinioned with strong ropes.
The farmers would come into town
with a bunch of cattle or a load of
farming products, and next morning
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 tortures ,that a hardened
mind could conceive.
Last Saturday word was received by
the sheriff That the store of Woody
Bros. at Correct, Ind, ten miles
rrun here. Was To be entered. The
Information was given by one of the
gangs confederates. Sheriff Henry
Bushing arranged that his informant
shou d accompany them, and securing
five deputies, they went to the place
Sheriff Bushing concealed himself IL
the celleL while his dupities were
stationed outside.
Shortly after midnight the gang
reached Wooley Bros store. Clifford
Gordon and the sheriff's Informant
were designated to break into the
building. Gordon himself effected an
entrance, but just as he stepped inside
the sheriff grabbed him. Both pulled
pistols at the same time and began
firing. Bert Anderson was with the
robbers, and he, too, began fusillade,
while the deputies came to the assist
ance of the sheriff. The sheriff was
shot through the hand, and Gordon
was shot several times. Three pistol
balls entered his dy,and he was also
shot in the leg. Gordon and Ander-
son succeeded in escaping and came
to Osgood, where they were arrested.
Levi and Jenkins were arrested as ac-
cessories. All were taken to Jail at
Versailles. Henry Schuller, "a years
of age, was put in jail for robbing a
barber shop at Osgood last week.
While the citizeas have not been
able to fix the various robber.es upon
these men, they were thought to be
part of the gang that committed
most of them. When it became known
they were in Jail, it was quietly sug-
gested by the farmers that Justice
be summarily dealt to the prisoners"
1t was O'Clock in the morning
when the mob seemed to come from
all quarters and dismOunted on the
side of the hill near Versailles. About
400 men marched into the town. The
jail was in charge of v illiam Kenan,
sheriff Bushing's brother-in-law,
Shortly before 2 O'Clock there was a
knock at the door and when Kenan
and the Others opened IL they were
confronted with pistols by three
masked men and asked to turn over
the keys. This they did. Then the
mob filed into the jail.
Levi, jenkins and Schuller showed
fight. Levi was shot through the
breast, while the skulls OF the two
latter we're crushed with stools.
Ropes we're 10 readiness. A moose was
adjusted around the ueck Of each
man, their feet and hands were PIN
Ioned and then the march began.