The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-02
THE RIPLEY COUNTY BLOT.

Ripley county has again successfully
shielded it's lynchers from prosecution and
punishment, and must henceforth bear
double stigma-that of numbering helpless
prisoners and of upholding such criminal
lawlessness by force of public sentiment. 1t
has had opportunity to free itself from the
first stain by permitting free legal investi-
cation of the crime, but has twice rejected
the one chance and must bear the conse-
quences. 1t is in disgrace, and will remain
disgraced and cause Of shame to the peo-
pie of the State until it shows signs of a
change Of heart and determination TO be
law-abiding and to exhaust every legal pro-
cess in bringing its rascals to justice Two
grand juries made farcical attempts at in
vestigation Of the lynching affair, being
careful to examine no one who was supposed
to know anything important. No indict-
ments were returned. Local officials showed
suspicious Indifference to the matter, and
had it cot been for the presiding judge
would unquestionably have omitted even the
pretense of investigation. When the at
torney general of the State took a hand in
hamper him, and he has proceeded under
the greatest difficulties. He has plenty of
information, gathered by shrewd detective
work during long months; he can probably
call by name every man of the fifty or more
who participated in the cowardly murder of
those five prisoners, but it is out of his pow
er to compel witnesses to tell what they
know. The men of Ripley county perjured
themselves before Justice Craig, of Cross
Plains, not like gentlemen" as some one
foolishly says of them, but like guilty men
anxious to protect themselves. Not only
tLis but they sought to intmidate the JUS
tice by threatening him with dire vengeance
in case he decided to turn the accused man
over to the grand jury. The justice is with
out doubt an honest man, and he may not
have been influenced by the threats, but he
must continue to live at Cross Plains-and
he discharged the prisoner.
1t is idle to say in excuse for the condi-
ton of affairs that the lynching was done
because the people who participated in and
encouraged it were satisfied that the men
would not be duly punished by legal process.
The very unanimity of opinion in behalf OF
the lynchers shows that element to have
been supreme. 1t controls the juries, the
court officials and attaches, and public
sentiment now; it could have controlled
them as well when the five men were called
to trial. And the lawless hanging of these
men was not the taking of life for life, for
the victims were not charged with murder,
but with series of minor crimes. The citi-
zens Of Ripley who gathered that night and
punished theft and robbery by death
showed themselves worse than savages,
for these allow their prisoners at least
form of a trial. They disgraced civilization
to which they profess to belong, and the
fact that they have outwitted the state
prosecutor only emphasizes their shame. In
more enlightened parts of Indiana there is
feeling of resentment toward Mr.. Edward
Eggleston for having represented natives of
Indiana of twenty-five years ago in an I'M
pleasing, and, as some have thought an
unfair light. The scene OF Mr.. Egglestons
stories was in that part of the State in
which Ripley lies, and recent events indi-
cate that his pictures were not overdrawn
and might even be duplicated with some
deeper lines and heavier shadows added and
be true to the life of to-day. AT all events,
it has improved little in the last quarter
of century. In a degree Ripley is shut off
from the direct currents of progress. The
county is without a telegraph Office except
those at the railroad stations; Versailles,
the county seat, is without Geographic
communication with the outside world.
There is no long-distance telephone line in
the county, and the distance of many of the
villages from the railroad isolates the peo-
pie to some extent and renders them I'M
aware Of the drift of opinion outside. This
was indicated by the surprise expressed at
Cross Plains that newspapers should send
correspondents there to report a trial which
could not be interesting to the general pub
lic." 1t was interesting to the public; Rip
ley county was on trial; its own verdict
proves it blot upon the State, anu some
day its slow wits will awaken to that fact.