The times., 1898-03-07
DEFENDED BY PRAYER
Real Reason for the Acquittal of an
a lie reH IYncher

Allc ged I-yncher.
Indianapolis, Ind. March e.-Not in re-
cent years has there been another trial
like that which closed al Cross Plains,
Ripley County. this week Bret Harte
and Nj, Quad have described such trials,
and they have rarely been held in any
other places than towns on the extreme
frontier. Monday Hezekiah Hughes was
acquitted Of charge Of having assisted
| in the murder OF hve men. His acquittal
was undoubtedly due to the influence of
a Methodist preacher, the Rev. Louden,
who is Hughes minister.
One night last September a mob broke
the heavy door of the Jail at Versailles,
in Southern Indiana. and dragged out five
thieves, cutting them. shooting them and
torturing them horribly, and hanged them
to trees. The mob then dispersed and the
persons who recognized any of the MEM
bers Of the mob quickly forgot.
The county authorities made no move
to apprehend the lynchers The men who
were lynched had been scourge to the
people of Southern Indiana for years
They were guilty of almost every crime.
\ fav0rite trick was to stand a farmer
and his wife on hot stove until they re-
vealed the place where their money was
hidden. The courts were unable TO con-
Wet any of the gang; it was too strong;
alibis could be easily shown. When at
last five members of the gang were con-
fined in the Ripley County Jail at one
blow revenged those who had been
wronged by the gang.
The county grand jury could gather no
evidence as to the identity Of the mob
and found no indictments Gov Mount
regarded the Iynchng as a blot on his
administration, and he determined that
the Iynchers should be brought to justice.
He instructed Attorney General Ketcham
10 spare neither money nor pains to run
| the Iynchers to earth. The new Ripley
County grand jury was informed that il
must do its duty, but it reported no IN
dictments.
The State then decided that if the
Iynchers We're punished ii must come
through the efforts Of either the State or
| the Federal Government The State en-
ployed two Government detectives TO
gather evidence against the lynchers.
/ That the grand jury had made no effort
/ to procure evidence was shown by the
comparative ease with which the detect
ives gathered sufficient evidence 10 hang
| fifty men. When the State thought the
| time ripe TO begin its great campaign
| against at least one hundred of the lead
| ing citizens of Southern Indiana war-
rants were sworn out by the governor,
/ and as a test case Hezekiah Hughes was
| arrested on a charge of having assisted
in the murder of five men at Versailles
| Hughes was taken 10 Cross Plains,
twelve miles from railroad, telegraph or
| telephone. and brought to trial before
| Justice Of the Peace William r. Craig
in little schoolhouse. The attorney gem
| eral personally took charge Of the prose-
| cution. The village was crowded with
| farmers from miles around, and the
| courtroom in the schoolhouse was packed
at every session Of the court Stories
were circulated that the friends of
| Hughes would do something desperate"
and the attorney general sat in court
| with two heavy reVolvers in yalise at
his side. Most of the witnesses examined
| had been charged with being members of
| the mob by the detectives who Were en-
ployed by the State. As the trial pro-
| gressed the State authorities became con-
| fident that Hughes would be bound over
| 10 a higher court and that the lynchers
would, one by one, be brought TO justice.
Justice Craig confessed that he knew
little law but he showed himself to be on
honest man. He was proof against bribes
and threats, and he denounced the lyncn-
ers as murderers Of the lowest type.
There is no doubt that he would have
found Hughes guilty had IL not been for
| the influence of a Methodist preacher.
1 m knees on pT
| the courtroom he had prayed 10 God al
4 each session OF the court that Hughes
| might be proven innocent. The night be-
| fore Justice Craig pronounced Hughes in
| nocent he had a long consultation with
| the Rev. Mr. Louden. Hughess pastor.
| The next morning when Justice Craig
| opened court he said:
| Il have passed Sleepless nights over
! this case. 1t is known here that before
| this trial opened that | had and did de-
| nOunce mob law, and l say now, as !
| said then, that every man that was in
| that mob or cOnspired to have those
| men hanged are murderers, and should
be punished as such 10 the fullest extent
| Of the law. This mob put out the lives
/ OF five robbers and hardened criminals,
| but by so doing TWO hundred men. more
| or less, become murderers. ] care not
| whether il was my old friend Hughes.
| who sits by my side or who. / denounce
| gree. / only say this to show the posi-
| tion where / stand. II was not my wish
10 try this case, but the attorney gen
| cral came and put the case I'm my hands,
! and the duty was involved upon me-
prayed over this thing and took counsel
1 with no man until left here last night.
as the attorneys Informed me ] had the
| right TO do. ! have weighed the evil
! dence and considering the law. as ] un-
derstand II, | have To acquit Mr.. Hughes
| Of the charges against him.
Thus came 10 an end the trial Of a
| man charged with completely in no less
| crime than were Sheriff Martin and his
deputies, who shot down the Pennsyl-
/ vania miners. II is believed that further
| efforts TO punish the lynchers viii be
| futile, but the governor and the attor-
ney general will go ahead until their
/ last means have been exhausted until
| the Federal Court tries the cases.
| Justice Craig is now being congratu-
! lated and praised by the men who before
| threatened him. Governor Mount IS be-
/ ing denounced by the friends OF Hughes
| and the arm Of the law has not been
| strengthened except that the State au-
| thorities have shown. as they never did
| before. that they can bring TO trial cul-
| prits in the uu-law-abiding sections of
| Southern Indiana, even though all Of the
! people Of the sections oppose the authori-
| ties.