The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-24
PROBING A LYNCHINC
EFFORTS TO BRING THE RIPLEY
COUNTY MOB TO JUSTICE.
H
Attorney General Ketcham BaHied ut
Almost Every Point I'm His At
tempt to Get mt Facts.
WITNESSES SEEM TO FEAR
THE CONSEQUENCES or TELLING
TRUTH ABOUT THE TRAGEDY.
Yesterdays Developments at the
Hearing of the Case Against G.
III. Hughes ut Cross Plains.
speeIal to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
CROSS PLAINS, via courier to osgood.
Ind. Feb. 2S-Little to give satisfaction to
Governor Mount or Attorney General
Ketcham in prosecuting the lynching case
can be found in the evidence of the first
two days thus far produced before Justice
Craig at this remote corner of trackless
Ripley county. Witness after witness to
testify against c. III. Hughes has been
called since the case opened yesterday
afternoon, but if each one had helped haul
on the ropes that swung the five Osgood
robbers to the old elm tree in Versailles,
last September, they could not have been
less communicative to the honest justice of
peace hearing the evidence. The conviction
is growing that the quintuple killing has
left blood stains on the hands of so many
prominent people of this county that they
Will all stand by each other in denying all
knowledge of the crime. 1t is even sus-
pected that if every citizen in Versailles
we're called to the witness stand it would
appear that no one in that little county seat
knew there was a lynching i'll town that
night until after it occurred. A constable
admitted he had been stopped by three men
while on his way home that night, but he
thought they were masked" and he
quickly retreated to a house and did not
show himself until after the crime was
finished.
Attorney General Ketcham does not wear
the confident air Of man winning his case
since his interviews with the new witnesses
to-day. On tie other hand, the attorneys
for the accused inhrlnary superintendent
are in excellent temper and believe it will
be impossible for the state to dig up any
one in the county who knows aught of the
lynching. Attorney General Ketcham be-
lieves he has had the man on the stand
who bought the rope in Greensburg and
thinks the man is IN the courtroom who
helped place it around the necks of the
victims. He believes the men who met and
directed all the movements of the lynch
ing that night have been before him. but
he has got no admissions that connect Hez
Hughes with the murder of Henry
Schueter, as charged in the warrant, be-
yond'the fact that the county infirmary SUI
perlntendent was in town as late as .
o'clock that night
Mr.. Ketcham could scarcely conceal his
feelings with regards to the sweeping de-
hiais or some Of the witnesses to-day There
was evidence of some pretty thorough
coaching. Unless the attorney general in
PRODUCES more proof than he has, saws
John .. Cravens, one of Hughess attor-
neys I'VE will not call any witnesses in
rebuttal There has been no evidence. di-
rect or indirect; no circumstances of any
sort introduced showing that Mr. Hughes
had any knowledge of or any hand in the
lynching. We feel perfectly safe tonight
We could not be in better condition OF
course it all depends on the evidence that
Is brought out Tomorrow what course we
shall pursue"
1t can be said that Ketcham has held
back his strongest witnesses and that there
VIII be sensation when they tell what
they know. The boy Kelly who was in
Schueter's cell when the young man was
Drained with a club, and who, it is claimed,
saw Hughess face when his mask fell off,
has not yet been called. Hughes's attor-
neys were surprised to learn that Pete Hos
tatIer was rot to be called to testify. He
turned up as a spectator. but the State
had nothing to do with his presence at the
hearing.
The hearing had to be stopped tonight
OH account Of the failure of witnesses to
appear The attorney general especially
wants one of them. The son of Bloss Bay
lor, who Is said to have had blood on his
trousers the next day after the lynching,
did not appear. Attachments will be placed
IN the hands OF conStableS with orders to
bring them before Justice Craig.
1t is likely the hearing will be finished
to-day so far as the state is concerned.
Hughes's attorneys may find it eXpedient
to retaliate 1t is not likely that much
time will be given to arguments, so that
some time Friday. If he holds the defend
ant to the grand jury Hughes's attorneys
will al once institute habeas corpus pro-
ceedings before Judge New. That is the
only way he could get out of JAIL as the
offense is not baflable If Judge New does
not grant the writ an appeal viii at once
be taken to the Supreme Court About
every member of the Ripley county bar is
watching the case in the interest Of the
lynchers. There will be no lack of legal
talent to defeat the end Ketcham is seek
ing. Ketcham is firmly convinced that he
is on the right track.
All the witnesses examined to-day by the
attorney general the defendants attorneys
excused without cross-eXamination. Harry
Andrews, of OsgOod, the first witness
called this morning On the day Of the
where he worked at z o'clock, went home
TO see his wife, then went to his fathers
house and stayed until II o'clock He said
he did not see James Mccoy on that day,
and did not go TO McCoy's to ger his buggy
on that evening, or go to Versailles at II
o'clock that night with a bundle of rope in
the buggy He denied point blank that he
was in the jail with Mccoy and Hughes,
and said he did not help drag Schueter out
OF his cell. He admitted being in Yer
saiiles two weeks after the lynching, but
said he did not have d private conversation
with Hughes. Ii was attempted to show
that Weisenfelder James Mccoy, Bloss
Baylor and Arch Wright went to $. NJ.
Smiths drug store on Dec. II to consult
over the situation. Andrews denied that
he held another conversation with num-
Der of suspected lynchers at the Norwood
6fOtel two weeks ago. The attorney general
attempted to connect him with several of
these meetings. giving the names of nearly
dozen witnesses in each case.
Witness John Eckert was called aud
while he mad heard OF the lynching, at his
hardware store in Osgood, he claimed that
sist the mob He admitted that Charles
Gray and his wife had called at his house,