Semi-weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings Co., S.D.) 1894-1898, 1897-09-18
THE INDIANA LYNCHING
Record for the State Broken
by the Act of the Mob
at Versailles.
Only Charge Against the Five
Victims an Accusation
of Robbery.
People Aroused by Continued
Depredations of Law
less Gangs.

VERSAILLES, Ind, Sept. 16. - The
lynching of Lyle Levi, Bert Andrews,
Clifford Gordon, William Jenkins and
Henry Shuller, accused Of various
crimes, has caused the greatest excite
ment in this city and has attracted large
crowds from the surrounding country.
For years Southern Indiana has been
afflicted 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 There
have been numerous lynchings of one
at time, but this "job lot" Of five
breaks the record.
That an unusual state of feeling ex-
listed is shown by the determination OF
the mob which led it to the ferocity Of
first killing three of the men in Jail and
then dragging the living and dead to-
gether and hanging them to the same
tree. 1t is notable. too. that the out
rage which usually arouses mob's ven-
geance - murder - was not charged
against the victims, but their death
was decreed because Of long and exas-
perating suffering from robberies, some
of which were accompanied by torture
of the victims. 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 way.
Matters Brought to q Crisis.
During the past week robberies had
increased alarmingly. On last Satur.
day word was received by the sheriff
that the store of Wooley Bros, at Cor.
rect, Ind, 10 miles from here, was to
be entered. With several deputies he
went to the place indicated. He found
two of the men there and exchanged
many shots with them, wounding both
men-Clifford Gordon and Bert An.
drews.
Gordon and Andrews succeeded in
escaping and came to Osgood, where
they were arrested. The robbers had
driven out to the place in buggy be-
longing to Lyle Levi, and from infor-
nation subsequently gathered it was
learned that the robbery had been
planned at the home of William Jen-
kins. The two latter were arrested as
accessories. All were taken to the Jail
at Versailles. Henry Shuller, "a years,
was put in the Jail for robbing the
barber shop at Osgood last week. Levi
was 81 years old, Gordon 20, Andrews
80 and Jenkins ~.
While the citizens have not been able
to fix the various robberies upon these
men, they were thought to be part Of q
gang that has committed host of
them. When it became known that
they were in Jail, it was quietly sug.
gested by the victims and sympathizers
that "justice" be summarily dealt the
prisoners. A programme was mapped
out and 400 men rode into town to put
it in operation.
Jailer and Guard Overpowered.
Shortly before 2 o'clock, there was O
knock at the door, and when the jailer
and guard opened the door, they
were presented with pistols by three
masked men, and asked to turn over the
keys. This they did, and then the mob
filed into the Jail. Three of the pris-
oners, Levi, Jenkins and Shuller, were
ON the lower floor, while Gordon and
Andrews were in the upper tier. Levi,
Jenkins and Shuller showed fight, and
the former was shot through the breast
while the skulls Of the two latter were
crushed with stool.
| Ropes were in readiness, and adjust
ing moose around the neck of each,
their feet and hands were pinioned, and
then the march began. The five pris-
oners were dragged distance of 200
feet to an elm tree, where their bodies
were suspended. It is said Levi, Jen.
kins and Shuller were dead before they
reached the place. Death resulted from
hanging in the case Of Gordon aud An.
drews. Justice Of the Peace Charles
Lowell held an inquest over the five
bodies.
None Of the citizens seem to deplore
the action of the mob, but on the con.
traSy, the. hanging Of three more