The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-27
INDIANAPOLIS MORNING MARCH

surrender the house would be battered or
burned over their heads. This seemed 10
impress them, and both expressed their WILL
ingness 10 surrender TO the authorities.
They claimed to be only afraid Of the mob.
/ told them that the mob about dis
persed and enough troops and officers were
present TO protect them. They held a con-
sutation In German and decided TO surren-
der their arms to me- They had two good
Marlin repeaters and a brace of Smith &
Wesson revolvers and ammunition 10 burn.
They might have held the officers off an in
definite period.
81 was treated cordially by the men, but
the wife Of John was sullen and had little 10
say. The men first wanted me TO go and get
their attorney Hook, and 1 went where ne
was and tried TO induce him to go with me,
but he refused, believing they were deter
mined to Kill him or at least do him bodily
harm. Meanwhile the women got breakfast
or at least made some bean soup and, upon
invitation, 1 sat down TO breakfast with
them and we discussed the situation. The
men both expressed their regret at the kill
ing of Clarence Wittenmyer last night,
whom they said was killed unintentionally.
AS 10 the third man, who was supposed 10
have been killed, his injuries were not Sc
so long that it was believed he was killed.
Neither of the Zeltners nor the women
expressed the slightest regret over the kill
ing of Lawyer Westenhaven. They had not
one word of sorrow or regret for the Incl
dent Of yesterday noon. The men made
proposition TO me that If 1 could guarantee
them protection from the fury OF the several
hundred men who had surrounded the house
for the past halliday and night and insure
their safe delivery from the would-be lynch
ers into the Jail at Bowling Green they
would turn over their weapons ard ammuni-
tion and surrender. OF course 1 could not
promise anything of the sort, not being an
official, but / told them i would send for
Sheriff Kingsbury and see what could be
done. L soon had Sheriff Kingsbury on the
spot and we went into the house together
The Zeltners made the same proposition TO
kinSsbury as they had made TO me, and he
said he thought il could be arranged. He
ordered the troops drawn up in such a way
as to hold the crowd back on the front and
sides Of the house, and then ii was decided
to take them out the rear way and hustle
them across the country to Custer Station,
six miles away. The two brothers were
handcuffed and marched out, the two COM
panies of State militia having meantime
| been drawn up in such a way as to easily
| repel any attempt at securing the prison
| ers. The men stood there stolidly while the
crowd passed by, much as spectators do at
| a funeral, and satisfied their curiosity. The
| ceremony over, the sheriff and his assist
| ants took the prisoners, and, under escort
of the two military companies, marched six
| miles through mud and slush to Custer,
where a train was taken for Tontogany, and
| from thence the men were hurried across
| the country to Bowling Green.
''As an instance Of the temper of Mrs.
| Zeltner, at one time during the night she
| came out on the porch and deliberately fired
| five shots at the mob; fortunately, no one
| received more than slight abrasions from
| the bullets as they cut close"