The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-19

that these women have been prompt
ed by the same spirit that the moth
ers and wives We're actuated by when
they fitted out their sons and hus-
bands when they left for service in
Confederate and Union armies back
in the sixties. Then, again, the wives
are bound TO be in on the secrets Of
/ the night riders. because ii would be
nece ssary for these men to account TO
their wives for their absence at night.
An explanation might be made once
Or twice. but it would not suffice for
any length of time. The exhaustion
Of limb, body and mind of the rider
and his horse could not be kept sec
ret from the wife. and those who have
read and heard of the operations of
the horsemen have no doubt that
while they are scurrying through the
country on their mission of warning,
and sometimes of devastation. the
wives of all of them are keeping a
lonely vigil at home and each one is
wondering whether the band will be
attacked and if it should be, whether
| her husband will escape with mis- life
From the history of the night riders
in Kentucky il is believed that in most
cases the night riders are not resi-
dents Of the county in which the law
lessness is committed
Perfectly Organized.
1t is believed that they come from
other counties. That they have an or
ganizatiOn there can be no doubt, and
that it is one of the most perfectly or
gained bodies of men is not hard to
believe. In the first place. it is neces-
sary for them TO have a meeting place.
1t must be in some remote spot and if
the location Of this place should be
come known it would not be at all
difficult for officers of the law or men
opposed TO the cause of the night rid
ers to lead the hOrsemen into a trap,
pen them up and kill them like rats
Therefore, every move they make
must be kept a secret. Numerous
raids that have been made indicated
that these bands of raiders sometimes
traverse the territory in two or three
counties and travel all the night long
Every man must have a good nOrse
or he would be unable 10 keep up with
the band and would be left by the
wayside. The reports also indicate
that the men who belong to these
bands operate under solemn oath
and that if i'll befalls any member that
he is protected by all the others
Up until the past few weeks there
had been no acts of iaWleSSneSS in
the % counties comprising the white
hurley district. The agitation of the
Equity men that there be no crop in
1908 was successful to a great degree,
but not entirely so. Two or three
weeks ago there were many farmers
in Henry, Shelby, Fayette and other
counties who declare that they could
not be deferred from planting tobacco.
The Deciding Factor.
There is no doubt but that the Oper-
atiOnS of the night riders in WOOdfOrd.
Shelby, Nicholas, Mason and other
counties have won the fight for no
troopers, and it is now certainty
that in some of the counties there will
not be a pipeful grown, and in others
all that will be raised will be used
by the growers themselves for chew
Ing and smoking. A crop of hurley
tobacco that last year amounted to al
most 100000. 600 pounds will have van
1shed. Corn. wheat, hemp and other
products will take its place in the
ground. Even the men who are OBJ
posed to the Equity movement and
who want to grow crop are afraid