The age-herald., 1897-09-16
FIVE MEN LYNCHED
 MORE GOT AWAY Citizens of Versailles, Ind, Deal Sum-
 maFiIy With Criminals. WHOSE CAREER OF CRIME Would Make Dime Novel Writers Look
 Green With Envy. OLD MEN AND HELPLESS WOMEN Tortured Most luhumanly to Make Them Re- veal Their Hidden WeaIth-The Mob
 Was Quiet But Determined, and
 Did the Work We'll.
)LD MEN AND HELPLESS WOMEN

Versailles, Ind. Sept. 15.-outraged citizens this morning about 2 o'clock took from the county jail and shot and lynched five most desperate criminals. They were notorious characters and had committed many crimes. They were:
 LYLE LEVI, aged 57.
 HENRY sCHEULTER, aged 23.
 CLIFFORD GORDON, aged 22.
 BERT ANDREWS, aged 30.
 WILLIAM JENKINS, aged 27.
 One of the men was shot during the breaking into the cells and two others had their skulls cracked.
 All five were hanged in front of the Steinmetz hotel on the main thorough fare of the town. The hotel is situated on the northwest corner of the public square.
 Incensed by numerous depredations, repeated burglaries and daylight rob- berries the people of Ripley county, h. diana, have taken the law into their own hands and meted out to the perpe- trators punishment greater than pro- vided for by the law. Five men, who have long been terror to the citizens of this county, met their death at the hands of an enraged populace.
 Stout ropes not over six feet in length had served to send each to his eternity, and their feet were but a few inches from the ground.
 Versailles is town of 800 people. It is one of the oldest in the history of the state and although it is five miles from railroad station and has no telegra pfic communication with the outside world, 1t is still the county seat. For four or five years the farmers of the county have been the victims of a lawless gang. Farmers would come into town with a bunch of cattle or load of farm- ing products and next morning they would be found along the road side suf- fering from wound and minus the proceeds of their sale. Old German farmers have been visited and both men and women have been subjected to tor lures. Aged German women have been forced to stand upon a red hot stove in an effort to compel them to disclose the hiding place of some treasure they had in the house. These depredations have continued unceasingly. Arrests have been made, but the guilty parties had covered up their lawlessness, and 1t was seldom that conviction followed.
 During the past week robberies had increased a.armngly. On last Saturday word was received by the sheriff that the store of Wooley Bros. at Correct, Ind, ten miles from here. was to be entered
 The information was given by one of the gangs confederates who had been under suspicion. Shsriff Henry Bush- ing arranged that his informant should accompany them, and securing five deputies they went to the place. Sheriff Bushing concealed himself in the cellar, while his deputies were stationed at a COnNtul6ul QlSldiiCe Oil tite OulSlQ6. Shortly after midnight the gang reach ed Wooley Bro's.store. Clifford Cor don, himself, effected an entrance and just as ha stepped inside the sheriff grabbed him. Both pulled pistols at the same and began firing. Bert Andrews was with the robbers. and he, too, join ed in the fusilade while the deputies came to the assistancs of the sheriff. The sheriff was shot through the hand and Gordon was shot several times. Three pistol balls entered his body and he was also shot in the leg. Gordon and Andrews succeeded in escaping and went to Osgood, where they were ar rested. The robbers had driven out to the place in buggy belonging to Lyle Levi and from information subsequent Ky gathered it was learned that the rob- bery had been planned at the home of William Jenkins. The two latter were arrested as accessories. All were taken to the jail at Versailles. Henry Schaul- ter, 23 years of age, was put in the jail for robbing the barber shop at Osgood last week. Levi was 57 years of age. Gordon was 22. Andrews 30 and Jenkins 27.
 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