The Indianapolis journal., 1897-09-16
LYNCHED FIVE.
(ConcIuded from First PaRe.l

from A4CD
ice officers The famous Webster-head
plates, for making the most dangerous
counterfeit bill ever known by the gov
ernment, seemed to have been in use about
TINS TINS time, and the Lewis aided IN ilooqIng l,l
the country with the $40 counterfeits. The
gang got in touch with the famous briggs
gang at Dayton (O.) and the Pete McCart-
ney crowd, II was suspected for long
time that the Webster plates. supposed to
have been buried In Mississippi river
island, had been dug up and conveyed to
Ripley county, but the ddiTssasury disa ,Sen Repart-
ton. although the government has never
located the plates.
In the latter part of the seventies Kitten
house was captured. having passed some
spurious gold coins that led to his arrest,
and officers also found his outfit His wife,
missouri Rlttenhouse, hanosome woman
She was sentenced to the Female Reforma-
tory at Indianapolis, and he was started on
a fourteen year term at the Jeffersonville
the sympathy Of the Jury by her little the
atrical plays. Once she tainted in court
matron to bring her before Walter Q.
Gresham. who was then on the Federal
Circuit bench, and there she pleaded for the
release or her husband whom, she claimed,
was dying in prison. The husband was in
the conSumptive ward of the prison hospl-
tai. Judge Gresham was somewhat af-
fected by the cunning woman's tears, and
he took the matter under Amusement. The
next day the dying consumptive escaped
from prison, Whero ne was serving a seven
year term, and is still at large. He reached
Mexico safely. A recent attempt of the
federal authorities to lure him into Texas
faifed. While Mrs. Rittenhouse was in
prison her home was leased to a stranger,
who on turning over hay in the barn one
day three years ago, discovered $500 in bo-
store window at Osgood and then sent to
the United States treasury. where they
We're ranked as some of the best limitations
ever sent in Upon her release Mrs. Rftten-
house returned to Osgood. Her brothers
Ike and Lyle had both been convicted again
for counterfeiting, the government holding
the family under close surveillance after
it's operations became SO well known. These
two men both served two terms Lyle has
been out five years and Ike. now an old
man, has been out only two years.
Six years ago William Murphy, son Of
Francis Murphy, temperance evangelist,
visited Osgood and held revival. Rev.
Francis A. Guthrie, a Methodist preacher
who had but recently moved to the town,
persuaded Lyle Levi to attend the revival.
Lyle was converted and signed the pledge
besides. The preacher called on Missouri
Rittenhouse introduced his wife to her and
in q short time had the queen of the cOun-
terfeiters in the bosom of the church. There
she has remained till this day, and Mr..
Guthrie, in speaking of her to-day said she
IS thoroughly reformed and is a genuinely
pious woman Lyle Levi, who was lynched
to-day, was admitted to the church on pro-
baton but was soon backslider.
The Rittenhouse home, now remodeled,
ceased to be the haunts of counterfeiters
and horse thieves In the old days 1T was
famous renQSZVOuS ana at night the IdTH-
ers heSitated to pass the place. The old
house was a log cabin, weatherboarded,
and with additions shooting out in various
directions. 1t set back about two hundred
yards from the road, with a creek on one
side and wild shrubbery on the other.
Isaac Levi the oldest of the boys. is now
about eighty years old About three years
ago he was before Judge Baker in Indian
apolis for counterfeiting. his old offense
but account of his age he was merely
given a years sentence Lyle Levi was
fifty-seven years old the day he was
hanged by the mob. Bunk Levi, another
brother, now in Ripley county is prize
fighter of some local prominence and only
Hostutler, the man who has been playing
detective and who trapped the gang Satur-
day night Tom Levi, the fourth brother.
lives at Noblesville. He was once arrested
for counterfeiting, but was shown to be in
nocent. Mrs. Rittenhouse, the sister. is
about sixty years old, and still retains
some of her beauty
In recent years Lyle Levi has kept Sa-
loon in that part of Osgood known as TEX
as" There have been dark rumorS of af-
fairs in that saloon, but none of these have
ever resulted in arrests.
Bert Andrews, one of the men lynched,
came from good family. After his wife
left him he began to associate with the
Levi gang. His father Ike Andrews, was
shot five times through the back during the
war and now lives a pension.
Heine Shutter has always been known as
a reckless young German and was in Jail
at Versailles for burglarizing barber shop
ten days ago.
Clifford Gordon was teamster at Os-
good and a tough member of the gang, un-
1nx Afnf sna nNsll Nl1(lI ,rN-1p