Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-24

stone, the county seat. But they never
reached their destination. AS the train
| stopped at d small station some miles from
7 Brownstone a band of masked men. well
armed, rushed on board, overpowered the
otlcers, hurried the three outlaws away
10 neighboring farm yard. and there
strung them up to beech tree.
= This was the first act of retributiye JUS
tice done by the secret vigilance committee
of southern Indiana. an organization as
extraordinary as the situation it was Gre
ated TO deal with The entire population
Of that part of Indiana seemed to have
risen in self-defense to crush out lawless-
ness. second act followed several days
later, when three other men who had been
concerned in the latest train robbery hay-
ing been captured by the county officials,
were taken from their hands and con-
demned to the same fate as their compan-
ions. Each one, as he was about to be
swung off, was asked by the maskers If
he had anything to say The first two shook
their heads suilenly, and died without
speaking. The third, standing on a barrel
with the rope around his neck. looked over
the crowd with contemptuous bravado, and,
addressing them as a lot of 'moss-back
hoosiers," said he was glad he was, not
of their class, and was proud to die as
good republican. The barrel was kicked
away, the rope stiffened with his weight,
and there ends the career of the sixth
member of the band.
Hard times followed for the surviving
Renos. Realizing that their power was
broken, they fled in various directions.
The three brothers, Frank, William and
Sim" though still at large We're not left
long to enjoy their liberty. A large price
was placed on their heads, ard betrayal
came quickly. William and Sin" were ar
rested soon after in Indianapolis, and
turned over to the local authorities who,
in order to avoid the vigilance committee
took the prisoners to New Albany, in an
adjoining county, where they were placed
in jail.
The vigilance committee growing stronger
and more determined every day, now
secured the whole country for other mem
bers of the band or for persons believed to
be in sympathy with 1T. They literally
went on the war path through this whole
region of Indiana, and it went i'll with any
poor wretch who incurred their suspicion.
Like the ''Whitecaps" of later day they
sent warnings to all who came on their
blacklist and administered by night, some
times by day, such promiscuous foggings
and other forms of punishment that the
tough and criminal element of the region
was entirely cowed. and feared to raise a
hand in defense of the RenoS, as it had
previously done Up to the time the vigil
lance committee was formed not a MEM
Der of the Reno gang had been convicted in
that locality, largely because the people
were afraid to testify against them. They
knew that If they should testify, their
stock would be killed. their barns burned
and they themselves waylaid and beaten
This was the reason offered for the forma-
ton oil the vigilance committee of southern
Indiana. Whether Justification or not
the committee must certainly be credited
with having rid the state of a monstrous
evil.
In the excitement of other events the Pin
kertons had not forgotten the men who had
escaped from the Glenwood jail. They fl
nalIy traced Miles Ogle and Albert Perkins
to indianapolis, and there Ogle was cap
tured but Perkins escaped. Frank Reno
was discovered little later at Windsor,
Can, where he was living with Charles
Anderson q professional burglar safe
blower and short card" gambler who had
fled to Canada TO escape prosecution Reno
operating with Anderson. made practice
of registering as Frank Going" If the en-
terprise In which he was engaged was pros
pering and as Frank Coming If ii was
not prospecting.
He and Anderson were now arrested on
the charge of robbery and of assault with
intent to kill, in the case of the express
messenger hurled from his car at Marsh
field Ind. Under this form their offense
became extraditable, and after long trial
before the stipendiary or government mag
.istrate Gilbert McMicken, at Windsor the
men were ordered for extradition. Aided
by the ablest lawyers. they carried their
ease however, to the highest court In
Canada. But the decision OF the lower