Gloucester County Democrat., 1897-09-16
AN INDIANA LYNCHING.
Five Men Foroibly Taken From
Jail and Strung Up.
ALL CHARGED WITH ROBBERY

Three OF the Victims, It Is Said, Were
Dead When Dragged From the jail
to Convenient Elm Tree-Governor
Mount Indignant.
Versailles, Ind, Sept. 1s.-Yesterday
was the most exciting day in the his
tory Of this city. The bodies of five
men who had been lynched early yes
terday morning were found hanging
together to the same tree near the Jail
at daylight. Their feet were but few
inches from the ground, while their
hands and feet had been securely tied
with strong ropes.
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, but never
to such an extent as yesterday. The
Reno brothers were lynched together
at Seymour, Ind, 20 years ago, and
the Meyer gang, three in number, were
strung up together at Shoals, Ind, 12
years ago. There have been numerous
lynchings of one at a time, but 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 the
Jail and then dragging the living and
dead together and hanging them to the
same tree. 1t is notable, too, that no
outrage that usually arouses a mob's
vengeance-no murder-was charged
against the victims, but their death
was decreed because of long and ex-
asperating. suffering from robberies,
some of which were accompanied by
torture of victims. The excitement of
the day was not lessened by the sup
pressed hints that more objects of the
peoples wrath would be made to suf-
fer in the same way.
The men lynched yesterday were
Lyle Levi, Bert Andrews, Clifford Cor
don, William Jenkins and Hiney Shuler.
All were in jail for burglary. Andrews
and Gordon had already been wound
ed, having been shot several times
while attempting to rob a store at Cor
rect last Saturday night. 4
1t was o'clock in the morning when
horsemen seemed to come from all
quarters and dismounted on a hillside
near Versailles. Little time was lost,
for the details had been prearranged.
Quietly about 400 men marched into the
town.
The jail was in charge of William
Kenan, Sheriff Bushing's brother-in-
law, the former being at home ON ac-
count of a wound received in the cap
ture of Andrews and Gordon. In front
of the Jail proper Is the residence, and
in that were Acting Jailer Kenan and
Robert Barnett, William Block and
Len Wenzel, deputies.
Shortly before o'clock there was
knock at the door, and when Kenan
and others opened the door they were
presented to pistols held by three
masked men and asked to turn over the
keys. They did SO, and then the mob
filed into the Jail. Three of the prison
ers, Levi Jenkins and Shuler, were on
the lower floor, while Gordon and An
drews were in the upper tier. Levi,
Jenkins and Shuler 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, adjusting a moose about
were pinioned, and then the march be-
gan.
They were not carried, but with sew
eral men at the end of each rope the
five prisoners were dragged distance
of 200 feet to an elm tree, where their
bodies were suspended. 1t is said Levi,
JenlWls and Shuler We're dead before
they reached the place.
None of the citizens seem to deplore
the action of the mob, but on the con-
trary the hanging of three or four more
members of the gang is being talked Of
The sheriff has received a telegram
from Governor Mount directing him to
proceed with all the power you can
command to bring to Justice all parties
guilty of participation in the murder
of the five men alleged to have been
lynched. Such lawlessness is intoler-
able, and all the power of the state,
if necessary, will be vigorously en-
ployed for the arrest and punishment
of all parties implicated"
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