The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1897-09-23
Hanged to am Elm Tree.

Two squares north of the jail on the
bluff near the famous "Gordon's Leap"
was found an old elm tree, and to its
toughened limbs were hanged the maim-
ed and bruised bodies Of the FIVE prisoners,
naked and ghastly. The scene was ap-
palling, and the bodies were soon cut
down and covered under the shade Of the
tree. Hundreds visited the scene the fol-
lowing day, and hardly twig of the old
elm remains, having been carried away
by the curious throng.
A man named Hostetter a couple Of
weeks ago had given tip to the county
officials, and through him the men were
caught. He said they met and planned
at Jenkins house, and he Jenkins) said
he would help them out at any time, but
how much, if any, they were implicated
will never be known, as they were given
no chance to deny or defend themselves.
Osgood had grown notorious the last
two years on account of the many high
way robberies and hold-ups committed
there. Last winter an aged couple-Mr.
and Mrs. Rineking-living north Of town
were tortured and robbed while alone at
their home. The night of April Mr..
and Mrs. Baulkman, living six miles from
Osgcod, were tortured by three masked
men, who demanded their money. They
made the old lady, who was quite inhrm,
walk over red-hot Goals to tell where her
money was. They got nothing but gun
and few trifles. The latter part of the
same month Mr.. and Mrs. Kammon of
Milan were treated in a similar manner
by maskedanen. The two DR.. Josephs of
Osgood place were arrested, charged with
the robbery, but proved an alibi and were
acquitted without trouble. Men have
been held up on the streets and houses
without number broken into the last two
years, but it seemed as though the guilty
ones could never be caught. How much
or how little these men were implicated
in these robberies may never be known.
Largest Number Ever Lynched.
The hanging is blot on the name of
Ripley County. 1t is the largest number
ever hanged at lynching in the State
and only the second rope execution ever
in the county. Twenty years ago Tim
Boyd of MOore's Hill, who was in Jail for
committing an assault, was visited by
mob and seventeen bullets shot into him,
but nothing has ever aroused the people
like this tragedy. People drove into Yer
sailles from all over the county and
groups stood around discussing it. Schools
were dismissed and business is at a stand
still. The families of the men are almost
insane from the shock. The bodies were
taken to Osgood and delivered to their
several homes.
The sheriff received message from the
Governor to use all means in his power to
apprehend the men composing the mob.
However, it seems that the sheriff is pow
erless, as no means of Identification Of a
single man has been obtained. The Gov
ernor, realizing this and also that the SYM
pathies of the community seemed with |
the lynchers, sent Merrill Moorcs, deputy |
attorney general, to the scene of the |
lynching, with instructions to make Il full |
investigation and spare no expense in
bringing the lynchers to justice. The |
Governor condemned the lynchng in the |
strongest terms. He further said i'll his |
dispatch to the sheriff: "Such lawlessness
is intolerable, and all the power Of the
State WILL, if necessary, be vigorously |
employed for the arrest and punishment |
Of all M artiaS implicatpd -