The Indianapolis journal., 1897-09-16
GOVERNORS prompt ACTION.
Deputy Attorney General MOOres Sent
to Scene of Lynchimg.

to Scene of LynchinG.
Governor Mount not only took prompt
steps to investigate the Ripley county
lynching but late in the evening he COM
missoned Deputy Attorney General Moores
to visit the scene of the mob violence and
invoke, in the name of the State of Indiana,
any power or force necessary to prevent
further trouble. The reports late in the aft
ernoon had it that a mob would probably
swing up a few more members of the gang
that has been terrorizing Ripley county for
so long a time, and if Mr.. Moores gets there
on the eve of another affair similar to that
Of early yesterday morning he may find
himself in an interesting situation. But he
has in his breast pocket the commission
issued by the Governor and bearing the seal
of Indiana stamped on big red disk. This
commission not only authorizes him to thor
oughly investigate the troubles, but to take
such steps as he may deem necessary to
prevent any occurrences of mob violence
drawing on any force that the Governor
himself might call cut to maintain law and
order.
Mr.. Moores left at 6:15 last night over the
Big -Four and expected to reach Osgood by
8 o'clock in the evening. Orders have been
issued to railroad employees to hold trains
The Governor was much shocked upon
receipt of the news from Ripley county in
the morning and expressed his Indignation
that the fair name of the State had been
sullied by such lawlessness. He at once
sent the following message to the sheriff:
wire me at once particulars of lynching
reported to have occurred in your county.
l further direct that you proceed imme-
diately, with all the power you can COM
mand, to bBng to justice all parties guilty
of participation in the murder of the five
men alleged to have been lynched. Such
10 vyIessnpSs is iutolera hle and All the mower
of the State, If necessary, Will be vigorous
ly employed for the arrest and punishment
of all parties implicated"
At late hour last night no reply was
received from the sheriff After the mes
sage was sent to the sheriff the Governor
exhausted every effort to reach the official
by telephone. 1t is. believed the Governors 5
message will be ignored A private Dispatch
received in the city in the afternoon, says
the Governors message was read with in
dignation by the people, who insisted that
no help was needed to capture the lynchers
and added that three more would probably
swing before morning.
Governor Mount spent most of last even
ing waiting in his office for some news from
Ripley county, but in this he was disap-
pointed. His telegram to the sheriff could
go by wire only as far as Osgood and would
have to go from there to Versailles by
stage. so it is doubtful if the sheriff got
it before evening. A prominent citizen of
Decatur county dropped into the Office to
ask if anything further had been heard.
while there is no excuse for the lynch
ing," said he, the people of Ripley and
| adjoining counties have been long suffering
with a bad gang of thieves and / am not
so much surprised at the action as / would
| be if 1 did not know the state Of affairs
| that has existed there for years. There has
| been a more or less loosely organized gang
| extending from the southern edge of De-
| catur and Franklin counties, down through
| the hills of Ripley, into Ohio and Switzer-
| land counties They have an 'un-
| derground railroad and stock stolen around
| there-and a great deal OF it is StOlen--iS
| never heard Of again. Country merchants
| have their stores sacked and the goods are
never found There even have been not q
| few instances of old mon and women being
| visited IN the night and tortured into
! telling where their money was So thor
Oughly have the people of the rural dis
| tricts been terrorized that they were afraid
| TO appear in court against these thieves
| lest they be visited at night and made 10
| suffer-
GOVERNOR TELLS A STORY.
This recital brought story from Gov
| ernor Mount. A number of years ago the
| Farmers Detective Company of Montgom-
| cry county traced a team stolen In that
| county to Ripley where it had been hidden
/ by family named White. The father and
| his two sons were doctors and the family
| was accounted eminently respectable. but
| investigation showed that they made a reg
ular business OF taking care of stolen stock.