The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-24
THE LYNCHING APPROVED
BEST PEOPLE THOUGHT 1T JUsTI-
FLED, SAYS REV. MIR. CLOUDS.
Causes That Led Up TO It-MOb Com
posed Largely of Conservative
German Citizens.

Rev. George c. Clouds a Methodist min
lister from Osgood. is here attending the In
diana Conference. He it was who preached
the funerals of four of the men recently
lynched at Versailles. He was asked yes
terday about the experience.
1T was sad thing. indeed he said. Il
first went to the home of Andrews. He
was a young man who never before had
been arrested. His parents were terribly
shocked and almost Frustrated. l said
nothing of the man in my sermon, but di-
rected my utterances to statements which
might be consoling to his relatives. This
was in the morning. in the afternoon L
made a similar talk over the body of Shut
Ter. AT O'Clock L went TO Lewis home.
Everywhere L was followed by the people of
the town, for every body was deeply inter-
ested in the whole matter, and greatly
agitated. AT Lewis there were few reIa-
tives. He was, without doubt, a lifelong
criminal, although he was an Old soldier.
Il made no reference to his character in
my discourse. What / said was in the ma
ture of a lesson Drawn from the situation.
1 pointed out to the people assembled the
necessity of leading Christian lives. AT the
home of William Jenkins the scene was the
saddest His poor wife / found lying upon
the coffin. She was almost mad with grief.
Here, as at the other homes, merely talked
of such things as would prove consohng
to the relatives. They were not Christian
people, and L urged them to put their faith
ana trust in Christ"
What is the feeling down there now?"
Mr. Clouds was asked.
When the affair occurred it shocked the
people, chiefly because of the surprise of
it. The rougher element was amazed, stu
pefed, and still remains quiet. Ii there are
any people inclined TO be reyengeful ac-
count of the killing of the five men they
are inactive, and will probably do nothing.
The better class of people looked upon the
lynching as necessary, and they feel that
no mistake was made
DO you mean that the better class APP
proves the lynchings?'
We'll, yes; L suppose that would mean
approval. They feel certain that the right
men We're killed. In justification of the
deed long lists of robberies and crimes were
cited. The people of the county remem-
Der only a few months ago when an aged
couple was tortured almost to death. The
robbers tried to make the man and his wife
tell where their money was hidden, and
burned their feet until the man is crippled
for life and the woman is insane. This is
only one case, and there are scores of
others.
ROBBERS TOO INFLUENTIAL.
People became tired of this. Men were
arrested for crimes and not punished. Per-
haps it was, as the Governor said, a loose
ness in the administration of Justice The
people of the county, that is, the honest and
law-abiding portion, found that justice
could not be obtained owing to the influence
of these robbers. They had so many friends
who were ready to swear to anything to
clear them of crime that it was impossible
to convict them. And the crimes went on.
The county was teirorized. People never
knew when they were to be killed or tor
tured. Finally five men, who the people are
satisfied We're responsible for large part
of the crimes recently committed, We're
locked up in Jail awaiting trial. From ex-
perience the people had d right to expect
that alibS would be proven, and that the
two men who were shot Whlle attempting TO
rob WooHy'S store at Correct would be able
to prove that their wounds We're received
in an entirely different manner, and that
they were not in the county at the time.
Such things have been done before, and
criminals nave walked out free to repeat
their depredations. 1t was an opportunity
TO break up the gang, and the people felt
that society demanded such measures. 1t
was done on the principle of the greatest
good to the greatest number.
COMPOSED LARGELY OF GERMANS.
ut is believed that the mob (no will
not call it a mob for it was not a mob, for
it was as we'll organized as an army, was
made up largely of Germans. There are
many German families in the county, and
it has been against them that the most
of the crimes of the gang have been COM
mitted. The discipline under which the
men who did the lynching acted seems to
hot
Germans in the body AS a nation they are
well drilled and well disciplined. Many of
the Germans in the county came to this
country after having served their required
three years in the German army. They are
of disciplined natures, and only such men
could have acted as the body of men did
when the five men were killed.
The men who made up the party evil
IDENTIFY came from all over the county, the
majority of them probably from the north
east and northwest, where the Germans
have settled most thickly The Germans are
considered among the best citizens of the
county. They are quiet and orderly and
conservative. 1t must have been a strong
motive which could have moved them TO Or
ganize and take the lives of five men. They
must have had intense prOvCcation.
What will be the effect of the lynchings
on the community Mr. Clouds was asked.
Il would not like to hazard a guess on
what it will be morally, or what it will be
in the future; but the effect is certainly
good at the present. There seems to be an
absolute certainty in the convictions of the
people that the right men were killed. They
are positive that the strength of the gang
that has terrorized the county for years is
gone and are certain that they will not
be bothered by the gang again. And it
would seem that remaining members of the
gang are likewise convinced, for it is said
that two or three of them have skipped out
At any rate two or three citizens have
quietly departed, and rumor has 1t that
they went away in order not to figure as
principals in another lynching party.
Business has been resumed and quiet is
restored Business men say they feel easier
now that the gang is gone They declare
that they have never felt safe before. They
lived in fear of being robbed, tortured or
killed. They We're in a state of constant
terror. and a great strain has been taken
from them
"How generally was it known that these
men were to be lynched, before the night of
the lynchng?"
''Of course L cannot say as to that. But
I have heard since that 1t was generally
understood that something was going to
happen tho gh of con Sc no man will COM
nit himself so far as to say that he knew
what that something was to be. 1t seems
to me that it was almost publicly known
that the men were to be taken from the
Jail and hanged.