The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-03

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found in his possession some of the
best counterfeit plates ever made.
While they we're securing the four
men the detectives mo- iGed sVka8 Exnolxs
was curling out of the Kitchen stove,
accompanied by a sudden blaze. Mr..
Pinkerton pulled of a lid, and found
on the Goals several packages of bank
notes, already on fEessn Fortuna telys
the notes had been 50 tightly wrapped
I together that only few Of them were
destroyed before the packages were
got out Those that remained were
afterward Identified as the money that
had been stolen from the Glenwood
safe. There was thus no question
that these were the robbers so long
sought for. A further search Of the
house brought to light two sets of
burglars tools, which served as cunu-
lative evidence.
The men were carried to 6Ftenwood
by the next train They were met by
a great and excited crowd, and for a
time were in danger of lynehing. Bet
ter counsel prevailed, however, and
they were placed in the jail to await
trial.
With the men in secure. safe Gus
tody, there was no doubt of their I'LL
innate conviction, and everyone was
/ breathing easier at the thought that at
last the Reno gang was robbed of It's
terrors. Then suddenly-noe one viii
ever know how it happened-the pr1s-
oners made their escape. Great was
the surprise and chagrin of the sheriff
of Mills county. when, on the morning
I of April I, 1868, he entered the JAIL
only to find their cells empty. A big
hole sawed through the wall told by
what way they had made their exit
They left behind the knocking saluta-
ton: April Fool scraWled in chalk
I over the floors and walls of the Jail.
A large reward was offered for the
capture of the robbers but nothing
was heard of them until two months
later, when an express car on the
Ohio & Mississippi railroad was board
ed at Marshf1eld, Ind, by a gang Of
masked men, and robbed of $9S, 900.
The messenger made a brave resist
ance, but could not cope with the rob-
bers, who lifted him bodily and hurled
him out of the car, down q steep en-
bankment, while the train was running
at high speed
All the facts in the case pointed to
the Reno brothers as the authors of
this outrage, for by frequent repeti-
ton their methods of robbery had be-
came familiar. Allan Pinleerton, fur
thermore. obtained precise evidence
that It was the work of the Renos
from secret agents whom he had sta
toned at Seymour, to watch the doings
of the gang. Two of these agents en-
gagged apparently in business at Sey-
mour, one setting up as saloon
keeper in rough part of the town
another taking railroad employment,
which kept him constantly near the
station. A third made q. wide acquaiut-
ance by passing for a gambler and gen.
eraf good fellow. So successful were
they that Allan Pinkerton was soon in
possession Of facts proving not only
that the Marshfeld robbery had been
committed by the Renos, but that an
other train robbery which followed was
executed by John Moore. Charles Ger
roll, William Sparks, and three others,
q Il laar rsF fF4a p am riya fiOn
Moore, Gerrol. and Sparks were ar
rested shortly after, and placed on a
train to be taken from Seymour to
BrOwnstone, the county seat But they
never reached their destination. As
the train stopped at a. small station
some miles from Brownstones a band
Of masked men, well armed, rushed on
board; overpoWered the officers, hur-
ried the three outlaws away to 2
neighboring farm yard. and there
strung them up to. a beech. tree, while
an old German. who owned the farm,
looked on approvingly5a -
This was the first act of retributive
Justice done by the secret vigilance
committee of southern Indiana, an or
ganfZation as extra ordinary as the sit
uation It was created to deal with. The
entire population Of that part of In
diana seemed to have risen in self-de-
Tense to crush out laWlessness. A sec
ond act followed several days later,
concerned in the latest train robbery
having been captured by the county Of
fieials were taken from their hands
and condemned to the same fate as
their companions. Each one as he
was about to be swung off, was asked
by the naskers If he had anything to
say. The first two shook their heads
sul1enly, and died without speaking.
The third, standing on a barrel with
the rope round his neck. looked over
and. addressing them as lot OF moss
back Hoosiers," said he was glad he
was not OF their class. and was proud
to die as q good republican The bar
rel was kicked away, the rope stinened
with his weight, and there ended the
career of the sixth member Of the
band.
Hard times followed for the surviv-
ing Renos. Realizing that their pow
er was broken, they fed in various d.
rections. The three brothers, Frank
William and "Sim, though still at
large, were not left long to enjoy their
liberty. A large price was placed on
tn cir heads and betrayal came quickly.
William and Sim were arrested 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 adj
joining county, where they were placed
in jail.
The vigilance committee growing
stronger and more determined every
day. now secured the whole country
for other members of the band or for
persons believed to be in sympathy
with It. They literally went on the
war path" through this whole region
of Indiana, and it went III with any
poor wretch who incurred their suspi-
eion. Like the "Whitecaps of a
later day. they sent warnings to all
who came on their blacklist. and ad-
ministered by night. sometimes by
day, such promiscuous. sioggings and
other FERNS of punishment that the
gion was entirely cowed. and feared
to raise a hand in defense of the
Renos. as it had previously done. Up
to the time the vigilance committee
was formed not a member of the Reno
gang had. been convicted in that local
ity, largely because the people were
afraid to testify AGAINST them. They