The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-07
FARMER STRIPPED
AND BEATEN UNTIL
He GROWS FAINT
Rush County Whitecappers
Use Tar and Feathers on
Man Who Mistreated Wife
For Another.
BOARDS WITH NAILS
USED IN THE TORTURE.
Not Until Early Morning Was
John Tribbey Found The
Whitecappers Believed to
Be Prominent Men.

Rushyille, Ind, Aug. 7.-Beaten al
most to insensibility by whitecappers,
perforated with small holes caused by
q nail-pronged board, covered with tar
and exhausted by his constant cries
for help John Tribbey, a wealthy far
mer was found bound to tree at day
break Thursday morning.
Tribbey said he had been taken
from his home by eighteen masked
men, stripped of his clothing, beaten
and bound to a tree.
Shortly after the finding of Tribbey
it was learned that the whitecappers
had visited the home near by of Miss
Hessie Smith, with whom he is alleg-
ed to have been intimate, broken in
the windows, torn large strips from
the house and left note warning her
to leave the county with her father
under penalty of death.
There Is much activity in the vicin-
ity of the Smith and Tribbey homes,
and the woman, frightened by the
warning, is preparing to obey it. Of
ficsrs are working on the clew that
some Of the most prominent farmers
in Posey Township, where the white
Gaping occurred, are implicated.
Tribbey recovered sufficiently yes
terday afternoon to tell disconnect-
ed story of his night of terror. He
said he also had been given warning
to quit the county within thirty days
nnder penalty of hanging.
Tells Story of Torture.
Tribbey, according to his story was
in bed when the whitecappers visited
him and dragged him from his home.
He protested, but his entreaties were
unheeded by the masked figures, who,
woods.
The farmer was taken into the
thickest OF the woods and after he had
been stripped of his clothing was
bound to a tree. 1t was then the
whitecappers began to beat him with
the boards which they had filled with
nails.
The torture was continued until
Tribbey was faint with pain.
bucket of tar was brought forth,
and the victim was coated from head
to foot. Feathers were applied and
Tribbey was left bound to the tree.
The whitecappers disappeared as
mysteriously as they came
From the time he was left alone in
the woods until almost daybreak Trib-
hey called loudly for aid-called un.
til hts voice grew faint from exhaus.
ton. When found by his neighbors
Tribbey was almost unconscious and
the ropes which bound him to the tree
were all that prevented his body from
falling limp to the ground
Accused of Intimacy.
1t is charged by neighbors Tribbey
who Is man of family and past 50
years OF age. has been intimate with
Miss Smith and other women of the
neighborhood and that on several oc
casions he has brutally beaten his
wife. A few days ago, 1t is said, he
beat his wife into Inconsistencies af
ter which she told the story to neigh
bors and this 1t is believed here was
responsible for the whitecapping
Trfbbey was compelled to remain In
bed and will probably leave the vicin
aty as soon as he can close his bust
hess affairs. Until a few months age
ne has lived in Posey township as q
highly respected citizen until his wife
Tiled divorce proceedings against him
Mrs. Tribbey said in her complaint
when she left this community with
Tribbey to be married in Ohio. twenty
i've years ago, after reaching thai
place he informed her he did not have
much money and they could dispense
with the expense pf,a marriage cere
mony and return to this country al
man and wife and no one would be
wiser.
She agreed to the proposition an6
they have been living together as
common law man and wife since
They reared number of children ant
accumulated large fortune, includins
large farm. The divorce proceed
ings which she instituted were dropp
ed following settlement
Tribbey few months ago attacked
his wife's half brother, whom he found
talking to her and cut his throat will
a knife, inflicting a wound which die
not prove fatal. He escaped with :
light fine.