The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-16
THREE KILLED FIRST
DRAGGED THROUGH STREETS
OF VERSAILLES.
THE PATIENCE OF THE TOWN EXHAUSTED
| nchings Of Similar Character Have Occurred
Before Depredations Upon the Farmers
Failed to be Met by he Law
and the People Rose.

and the People Rose.
| Louisville Ky, Sept Ia special TO
tho Evening Post from Osgood, Ind,
says:
| inccnscd by numerous depredations, re-
,eoted burglaries and daylight robberies.
| the people Of Ripley county, Indiana,
have taken the law into their own hands,
and meted out to the perpetrators Il pun
ishment greater than provided for py tie
law. Five men, who have long Deen a ter
ror to the citizens of this county. mel
! their death mt their hands TO-DAY. etou.
| ronps not over six feet III ength, hau
served to send each TO his eternity ana
/ tbeir feet were but few lncnes from
the ground. oo :. :.
| Versailles is n town of 800 people. III Is
ono of the oldest in the State, ana al
tbonph il is five miles from raliroad
station and has no telegraphlc communl-
cation with the outside world, 1t is stlii
| rho county seat. For four or flve years,
and even longer, the farmers OK the
icouptv have been the victims OF q law
hes gang Farmers would come into town
,n;+h /. bnncb Of cattle or load of farming
Lnroaucts and next morning they would
ho fonnd along the roadside suffering
| fron, a wound and minus the proceeds of
| their sale Old German farmers have
| heen visited and both men ana women
| have heen subjected TO tortures. Aseu
| German women have been forced 10
stand upon il red hot stove III an el1ort 10
| compel them to disclose the hiding place
| of some treasure in the house. These
Idcpredations have continued increasingly.
| Arrests have been made, but the guilty
tparties had covered up their lawlessness
and ii was seldom that conviction fol-
lowed
| During .hc past week robberies had in
| creased alramingly. On last Saturday
word was received by the sheriff that the
store of Wooley Bros. at Correct, Ind,
| fifteen miles from here. was to be en-
| tered
| The information was given by one of
the gangs confederates, who had been
under suspicion Sheriff Henry Bushins
ARRANGED that his informant should ac-
company them, and securing five deputies
they went to the place Sheriff Bushins
concealed himself in the cellar, while his
deputies were stationed at II convenient
distance outside. Shortly after midnight
the gang reached Wooley Bros store
Clifford Gordon and the sheriffs inform
ant were designated to break into the
building Gordon himself effected an en-
trance and just as he stepped inside the
sheriff grabbed him. Both pulled pistols
at the same time and began firing. Bert
Andrews was with the robbers and he
too joined in the fusilade, while the depu-
ties came to the assistance of the sheriff.
1 Sho shn Ub a
| and Gordon was shot several times The
pistol balls entered his body and he was
also shot in the leg. Gordon and An
drews succeeded in escaping and came
| to Osgood, where they We're arrested.
The robbers had driven out to the place
| in buggy belonging to Lyle Levi, and
| from information subsequently gathered
| it was learned that the robbery had been
| planned at the home of VIM. Jennings.
| The two latter were arrested as acces-
| sories. All were taken to the Jail at
| Versailles. Henry Schulter, "A years,
| was put in Jail for robbing the barber
| shop at Osgood last week. Levi was 81
years of age; Gordon %; Andrews 30
| and Jennings 2I.
While the citizens have not been able
| to fix the various robberies upon these
men they were thought to be part
Of gang that has committed most of
them When it became known that they
were in Jail. it was quietly suggested
by the victims and sympathizers that
Justice" be summarly dealth the pris-
oners. 1t was one o'clock this morning
when horsemen seemed to come from
all quarters and dismounted ON a hill
side near Versailles. Little time was
lost for the details had been arranged.
Quietly, about four hundred men march
ed into the town.
The jail was in charge OF VIM. Kenan,
Sheriff Bushings brother-in-law, the
former being at home on account of his
injury. In front of the jail proper is the
residence and in that were Acting Jailer
Kenan and Robert Barnett, VIM. Block
and Len Wenzel, deputies.
Shortly before = o'clock, there was a
knock at the door and when Kenan and
others opened it, 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 prisoners, Levi, Jennings
and Schulter were on the lower floor,
while Gordon and Andrews were in the
upper tier. Levi and Jenkins and Schul-
ter showed fight and the former was shot |
through the breast while the skulls Of I
the two latter were crushed with STOOL
Ropes were in readiness and adjusting
moose around the neck of each, their
feet and hands were pinioned and then
the march began.
They were not carried, but with sew
eral men at the end of each rope, the