The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-14
SUIT AGAINST LYNCHERS
ACTION BROUGHT BY Lulu C. JEN-
KINs IN FEDERAL COURT.
Grows Out of the LynchinG at Ner-
sailIcs, Ripley County, i'm Sep
tember, 1897.

The Ripley county lynching was yesterday
brought into the United States Court,
through damage suits brought by Lulu c.
Jenkins of Chicago. Mrs. Jenk.1s is the
widow of William III. jenkins, who was one
of the five men lynched at Versailles in
September, 1897. The counties of Ripley and
Jennings had been. for some time. infested
with a gang of robbers. and it was impos-
sible to secure a conviction. The torturing
Of an old German and his wife was the last
act of the gang to exasperate the people
and when five men were put in jail on the
charge of attempting TO rob a store. they
were lynched. although there was no direct
evidence connecting them with any of the
other crimes Through the efforts Of the
state authorities Hezekiah Hughes was ar
rested, but was discharged by the justice
before whom the preliminary trial was held.
1t was found to be impossible to secure
conviction in the local courts and it was de-
cided to try to reach them through the
United States courts Mrs. Jenkins moved
to Chicago. where she is dressmaker and
she has brought the suits She makes afii-
davit that she is a poor person and unable
to prosecute the suits, and Judge Baker
has permitted her to bring the suits as such.
bond w. r. Crawford, of Chicago, is her
attorney, and he will be assisted by Merrill
Moores. deputy attorney general. The i've
men lynched were william II. Jenkins,
Clifford Gordon, Henry Shuetter, Lyle Levi
and Burt Andrews.
The first suit is brought by Mrs. Jenkins,
as administrative of her husbands estate,
against Henry Busching. The petition states
Dt,e. ~fe at NJ aU
on Sept. IA. 1897, and had the care and GUS
tody of Jenkins at that time. 1t is charged
that the sheriff negligently, carelessly and
wrongfully permitted a mob of lawless per-
sons to assemble. 1t is further charged that
he did not protect the jail, that he aided
the mob by failing to make any cutlery. that
he did not give the alarm or interpose any
distractions to the work or the mop, tnat
by reason of his failure to act the men
We're lynched, that he did not cut down the
body Of jenkins and made no EFFORT to re-
suscitate him. Damages are asked OF him
Another suit is brought in the name Of the
State Of Indiana on the relation of Lulu g.
liam II. Jenkins, against Henry Busching,
George j. Cravens, Cary II. Hughes, James
M. Singer. William Hunter, John Fl. Austin,
These men are Sheriff Buschings bondsmen.
Mrs. Jenkins tells the story OF the lynching
in the first part of the complaint and says
anas STt and GosG ad n n aI
and about the same time William III. Jen-
kins and Lyle Levi were arrested by a con-
stable. but were not delivered at the jail
until the evening of Sept. IL, 1897. The COM
plant charges that Busching knew for a
long time the excited, iawless and dangerous
sentiment In the community against the men
lynched, but that he took no precautions to
guard the jail against any mob that might
attack 1t. II is further charged that he
turned the care of the jail over to his
hfarafh Inn CO. o. Dc
father-in-law's TO live. It is charged that
on the night Of the lynching Busching per-
mitted the jail TO be guarded by youthful.
lowed the mob to kill the five men under
particularly atrocious and barbarous cir
cumstances without firing a shot or offering
any resistance to the mob. 1t is further
charged that the residence door of the Jail
was opened to the leaders of the mob and
no cutlery was raised. The complaint then
says the mob shot and dubbed the five men.
outside and hanged them to trees. but the
guards made no cutlery and remained in the
jail for an hour without notifying the law,
been done. 1t is charged that Busching
knew or should have known the attack was
to be made and yet he permitted 1t TO be
be murdered by the mob. In two para
graphs OF the complaint demand is made
for $4,000 damages and In the third COM
PLANT the demand Is for 200.
SIXTY CITIZENS SUED.
The third suit names sixty citizens of
Ripley county. and charges that they aided
and abetted the mob. 1t was brought by
Lulu c. Jenkins. as Administrative. against
Grant johnson, c. w. Gray, William Kelly,
James Spencer, Calvin Skeen, Christ Heinz
saith. Toney Starkes, Cash Ross. william
Hoffmeister, Steve Hudson, Miller Brown,
Charles Wright, Nick Wagner. James Nc
Coy, Ed Mccoy. N. s. Baylor, known as
Bloss Baylor. Charles weisenfelder. John
Eckert. Clarence b. Wilson, Clarence Row,
w: r.. GLASGOW. Harry Andrews. Ed Brice,
William T. Johnson, L. u. Singer, Jo I'm
Poppenhouse, Dan Gilland, John Coei =,
SAMUEL SAMUEL M Smith A3ht Philip EDel William
Baylor, Henry Dammeyer, Steve Schlueter
John Johnson, Robert E. Wooley. Joseph
Wo9ley. Charles 4. Wilson, Henry Wilson.
w. d. Wilson, William c. Prentiss. Heze-
kiah Hughes. Henry Buching Hendricks
Rimstead, August Gabieman. George Prem Prem.
dergras, Mack Beard or Mack Eaird, Sam
Overturf, William Kenan, Dora Brenton,
alexander Smith, - Glendenning and div
1t is charged in this petition that the
defendants entered into a conspiracy to
Kill the defendant and the other persons
conspiracy they procured the arrest of
Jenkins and had him put in JAIL 1t is
further claimed that in the furtherance of
the conspiracy against Jenkins and others
on the morning, Of the next day. the de-
PENDANTS entered the jail and took Jenkins
out and strangled him to death. For this
$4,000 is asked. The second paragraph
charges that the defendants, or some OF
them. melted Burt Andrews and Clifford
Gordon to commit a robbery at the town
of Correct, Ripley county. in order that
the arrest of these and other persons might
be made. 1t is claimed that their efforts
were successful and that Gordon and An
drews did make an attempt to rob the store
of Robert Wooley on Sept. II and that some
OF the defendants laid a trap to catch Cor
don and Andrews, who escaped but were
captured and put In Jail on the following
Sunday. II Is claimed that the defendants
were not satisfied with this and they had
charges filed against william II. Jenkins
and Lyle Levi and had them arrested and
turned over to the care of Sheriff Rusching.
1t is further charged that some of the de-
PENDANTS after the arrests were made, took
further steps in the conspiracy and about
midnight of Sept. IA a mob composed of the
defendants. or a part of them, or persons
unknown, marched TO the Jail at Versailles
and, without any obstruction on the part
of the guards. effected their entrance and
killed Jenkins. Gordon. Andrews. Levi and
Schueter. Mrs. Jenkins asks $4,000 dam