The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-09-24
A MOB'S BRUTALITY.
Five Prisoners Taken From al
Indiana Jail and Hanged.
Three OF Them Had Already Bssn shot
Dead and Living strung Up tn the
Same Tree None of the Victims
Guilty of Capital Crimes-

history of this city, The bodies OF
Eve men. who had been lynched dur
ing last night, were found hanging to
the same tree near the Jail this morn
ing.
The quintet of men lynched were Lyle
Lew Bert Andrews. Clifford Gordon.
WIN. jenkins and Hiney >huler.
Frequent robberies had enraged the
citizens OF the county. and the mob
was composed of citizens from Milan,
Correct Sunman and other towns
The mob. on horse back, entered the
town an hour after midnight and called
out Jailor KEENAN,, who, upon refusing
20 give up the keys, was overpowered.
The mob soon pushed its way into the
cell rooms aud in their impatience first
fired 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 sew
eral times while attempting To rob
store at Correct last Saturday night
Schuler was in Jail for attempted
burglary and Levi and Jenkins had
Just been indicted by the grand jury
tor robbery. They had failed TO give
bond. and were put in Jail Tuesday
evening.
1t is thought that Levi and Shuler
were both dead from the shots fired by
the mob when taken out of the jail
The bandages that were on the
wounded men were found along the
street. where they had been torn OF as
the men were dragged along.
Lyle Levi was an old soldier. and bore
on his face wounds received during the
civil war while lighting for the Union.
None OF the lynchers are known
They all came from a distance, pre-
sumably from the neighborhood of Cor
rect, W here the two men were arrested
Saturday night.
The news rapidly spread throughout
the country and no occasion ever at
tracted such crowds to the city. For
wears southern Indiana has been AZ
fiicted with lawless gangs. The rail-
ways and express companies broke up
the depredations Of these gangs along
their lines. and latterly they have
preyed upon the citizens. The citizens
have taken the law INTO their own
hands IN this locality before, but never
20 such an extent as to-day.
The Reno brothers were lynched to-
gcther al Seymour. Ind, % years ago,
and the Archer gang. three in mum Der.
were strung up together at Shoals,
Ind, IL years ago There have been
numerous lynchiugs If one al time.
but the Job lot Of tive to-day breaks
.he record.
That an unusual state Of feeling ex-
listed j. shown by the determination OF
the mob, which led it to the ferocity
OF first killing three of the men in the
Jail and then dragging the living and
dead together and hanging them &c
the same tree. 1t Is notable,
too. that no outrage that usually
rouse. mob's vengeance nc
murder was charged against the vic
tins, rut their death was decreed be
cause Of long and exasperating suffer
ing from robberies. some Of which
were accompanied by torture of the VIC
tins The excitement OF the day was
not lessened by the suppressed hints
that more objects of the peoples wrath
would be made to suffer in the same
wsy.
Versailles is a town o. some 500 peo-
pie. III Is one of the oldest in the state,
and although it is tive miles from a
railroad station and has no telegraphiC
communication with the outside world
as have more pretentious towns OF the
county, IL is still the county
seat. For four or five years
and even longer. the farmers Of tho
county have been the victim Of a law
less gang, who apparently lacking II
fear. have piled their vocation TO tn
terror u the people. for they seemingl.
hay. had no visible means OF earning
a living.
Farmers would come into town will
a bunch Of cattle or load Of farming
products and the next morning the.
would be found along the roadside sui
fcring from a wound and minus tn
proceeds Of their sale. old Germa
farmers have been visited. and bot
men and women have been subjecte
to all the tortures that har'
cned mind could iniiict Age
German women have been fore
70 stand upon "A red h'
stove in an effort TO compel them
disclose the hiding place of some trea
ure in the house. These depreciation
have continued increasingly. Ares
have been Tnade. but the guilty parti
have covered ap their lawlessness. al
twas seldom that conviction followe
Gov. Mount Wal Take "A Hand.
Mount yesterday sent the followi
10 the Sheriff of Ripley county;
w me at once the particulars OF lynch
that has occurred la your county l furtl
direct that YOU proceed Immediately. with
the lower YOU can command. 70 bring 10 lu
all parties guilty OF participating In the IN
der os the nve men. alleged 10 have b