Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1897-09-24
ROBBERS STRUNG UP.
Five DisreputabIe Characters Put Out
OF Harms Way by a Mob.


were found hanging to the same tree
near the Jail this morning. This
caused sensation in the city, and it
rapidly spread throughout the county,
and no occasion ever attracted such
crowds to the city. For years South
ern Indiana has been afflicted with law
less gangs. The railroads and express
companies broke mp the depredations Of
those gangs along their hines. and lat.
terly they have preyed upon the citi-
zens. The citizens have taken the law
into their own hands in this locality
before, but never to such an extent az
today.
The Reno brothers were lynched to-
gether at Seymour, Ind. 20 years ago;
the Archer gang, three in number,
were strung up together at showles,
Ind, IL years ago. There have been
numerous lyDchings, one at time, but
tile tjCb lot" Of five today breaks the
record.
That an unusual state OF feeling ex-
listed is shown by the ferocity Of the
mob, which first killed three Of the
men in the Jail, and then, dragging out
the living and dead together, hanged
them to the same tree.
1t is notable, too, that no outrage
that usually rouses mob's vengeance
mo murder-was charged against the
victims, but their death was decreed
because of long and exasperating suf-
fering from robberies, some of which
were accompanied by torture to VIC
tins. The excitement of the day was
not lessened by the suppressed hints
that more objects of the peoples wrath
would be made to suffer in the same
way.
The FIVE victims are: Lyle Levi,
aged 81; William jenkins, aged 2s,
unmarried; Henry Schuller, aged "a,
married: Bert Anderson, aged 80, and
Cliff Gordon, aged 81.
They we're all residents of Osgood,
three miles away. Two men were left
in jail-Charles Kelly, aged IA, for
burglary, and Arthur McMillen, fol
carrying concealed weapons. The lat
ter was let out tonight on bond. Nc.
Millen says three OF the prisoners were
killed in the Jail, and one of the Others
was almost killed there. Tonight the
town is picketed, it being feared the
| friends OF the lynched men will burr
the town out Of revenge.
Versailles is town of 500 people
and has no telegraphic communication
For four or five years the farmers Of tht
county have been the victims of a law.
less gang, who have piled their vocation
to the terror OF the people. The farm
! ers would come into town with bunct
( of cattle or load OF farming products
and next morning would be found
along the roadside suffering from
wounds and minus the proceeds of thei
sale. Old German farmers have beer
I visited and both men and women hav'
been subjected to all the tortures tina
hardened mind could conceive.
1t was / O'Clock this morning whel
the mob seemed to come from all quar-
ters and dismounted on the side of tn
hill near Versailles. About 400 mel
marched into the town. The Jail wa
in charge of William Kenan, Sheriff
Bushing's brother-in-law. Shortly be
fore o'clock there was knock at tn
door and when Kenan and the other
opened it they were confronted wit
pistols by three masked men and aske,
to turn over the keys. This they did
Then the mob filed into the Jail.
Levi, Jenkins and Schuller shove
fight. Levi was shot through tn
breast, while the skulls of the two lai
ter were crushed with stools. Rope
were in readiness. A moose was adjust
ed around the neck of each man, thei
feet and hands were pinioned and the
the march began. With several men q
the end of each rope the five prisoner
were dragged distance of 200 feet
the elm tree, where their bodies wer
suspended.
1t is said Levi, Jenkins and Schulle
were dead before they reached the place
Death resulted from hanging in tn
cases of Gordon and Anderson. Non
of the lynchers are known. They a
! caua from, a distanca