Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-07-03
PREACHER THRASHED
BY H|CHWAYMGN
Rev. R. |. CauIey Again Waylaid
BY Six Masked Men in
Floyd County
He HAD REPORTED MONSHINERS
Assaulted Last Saturday By Six
Masked Highwaymen and Left
on Roadside in an Unconscious
Condition.

Lewis M. Keaton, a star route mail
carrier between Jacks Mill, Floyd
county and Roanoke is authority for
the report that Rev. R. L. Cauley, OF
Vinton, had been waylaid near Sincr's
Mill by six masked men and beaten
into insensibility. He was left by the
roadside and was afterwards found and
taken to a farm house, where his in
ljuries were attended and where he is
said to be in a precarious condition.
| Rev. Mr.. Cauley, who is Baptist
minister, has charge of several county
churches in Franklin and Floyd coun-
| ties each of which he visits once
month holding services on Saturday
and Sunday.
1t is stated that the six masked high
waymen knew that Mr.. Cauley was fill
ing his Copper Hill appointment and
would pass the country road in the
afternoon, where they laid in wait for
him. He was pulled from his buggy
and beaten with whips and cudgels in
a most outrageous manner.
1t will be remembered that some
months ago Rev. Mr.. Cauley was con-
Quoting revival at church in the
community and his services were great
| ly disturbed by the Illicit sale of
moonshine whiskey in the vicinity of
the house of worship. The minister
gathered convicting testimony and re-
ported a man by the name of Stewart
o United States Commissioner Brack
| Scott, and warrants were issued for
| Stewards arrest. Shortly afterwards,
Joseph Hardin Custer, well known
distiller and James Manning, a men,
Der of highly respectable family
both friends of Stewart, met at Copper
| fill on Sunday and conspired to whip
the preacher. They waited until late
in the afternoon and as he was re-
| turning from services held in the
MORNING, accosted him at a narrow
and secluded spot in the road dragged
him from his horse and gave him
sound thrashing. They told him that
their action was due to his having
reported their friend Stewart to the
authorities for "moonshining
The United States authorities at once
took the matter in hand and both Gus
ter and Manning were indicted for
conspiracy.
They were tried in Roanoke at the re-
cent term of the United States court
and Mr.. Cauley was principal witness
for the prosecution. Both men were
sentenced to serve a year in the Fede-
raj prison at Atlanta, Ca, and they
! were sent away from Roanoke the same
night.
| 1t was in evidence at the trial that
I'M. Siner, well known citizen with
Custer and Manning, had warned Philip
NJ, Siner, we'll known citizen with
lwhom the minister often stopped, that
if he did not quit harboring Rev. eau
ley that he would be treated likewise
At the trial District Attorney Thos.
L. Moore in summing up the evidence
tasked the jury to return a verdict COM
imensurate with the crime and make
| the punishment such as to deter moon
5shiners from forming conspiracies to
prevent the ends of justice and also
| to prevent the necessity of a minister
of the gospel from carrying Bible
| in one hand and Winchester rifle
! in the other in this section of the State
| 1t was stated at the time of the trial
| by member of the counsel for Custer
| and Manning that Judge Mcdowell,
thought very seriously of making an
example of the case and giving the men
the full penalty of the law petition
is now being circulated in Floyd county
asking for the pardon of the two con-
victs who are now serving terms in
the Federal prison. Their friends were
in hopes of receiving endorsements
from both Judge Mcdowell and District
Attorney Moore. In the hight of re-
lcent developments it is believed that
the Federal officials will not interfere,
las it is alleged that the six masked
ihighwaymen were friends of Custer
land Manning and sought this manner
lof revenge.
The affair is greatly deplored by the
hest people of the community and from
1.-THE best information received they
Twill use every endeavor to ferret out
1.-THE perpetrators and bring them to
Justice. 1t is also probable that the
United States authorities may take a
lhand and should the identity of the
men be made known, it is hardly pro-
bable that sentiment will enter into the
case but the full limit of the law will
be melted out to them.
Some of the professional humorists