The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-14
A NIGHT OF TORTURE
It Brought a Fortune to It's Halt
Stranded Victim.
AN INNOCENT MANS ORDEAL.
Twice Strung Up BY lynehsrs, He
Confessed 70 Murder and Was After
ward vindieatsd and Recovered $2A.
600 From His Assailants.

ward vindieatsd and Recovered e2A-
900 From His Assailants.
Late in the nfties Of the last CEN
fury George w. King was the pro-
prietor Of a hotel In Oxford. twenty
six miles from Lafayette. Ind. In
1859 q stranger arrived at the hotel
and gave his name as DR.. Rowe. He
told King that he had no money and
asked to be trusted for his board till
he could get practice in the place.
promising to pay him as promptly ~
possible. King consented to the ar
rangement, aud Rowe soon became
favorite with the people on account Of
his companionable disposition and su-
perior intelligence. The doctor. how
ever. fell deeper and deeper In debt.
He had been at the hotel for nearly q
year when King reminded him one
morning that he had not paid any
thing on his board bill for three
months. The conversation. 1t after
ward appeared, was overheard by
some one in the hotel. though moth
ing was thought Of 1t at the time.
A week after the conversation Rowe
vas called out late at night to see a
patient and failed to return. Days
passed without any word from him.
and his disappearance soon was con-
nected with the conversation that had
passed between him and the landlord
about the unpaid board. One night
three months later q party Of disguised
men entered the hotel and, overpoW-
ering King. took him to a woodland
adjoining the town.
He recognized the voices Of several
Of his captors and especially OF the
leader, who told him that he was sus-
mandeA that he confess. King sto1tly
maintained his innocence. and the
leader Of the mob ordered his COM
panions Ito string him up" A rope
was placed around his neck. q dozen
men pulled down q stout limb, over
which the other end Of the rope was
thrown. and when the limb was re-
leased 1t carried King OF his feet and
left him hanging by the neck. He
was nearly unconscious when let down
and again ordered to confess.
After much delay he was restored
sufficiently to understand what was
said to him. and he again refused. de-
claring his innocence and saying hs
did not know what had become Of
Rowe. A second time he was strung
up and a second time let down. but
life was nearly extinct. and he was
much longer in being restored than b.
fore.
The luckless landlord knew he could
not pass through another such ordeal
and live, 50 he consented to confess.
He purposely heightened the confess
sion In order to gain time and said
that he and two men, named Rogers
and Haggard, had poisoned some whis-
Ky and induced Rowe to drink 1t. and
after his death they had buried him
in hollow some distance away. 1t
was nearly daylight when the confes-
sion was made. and the lynchers de.
termined to take King to jail In Lafa-
yette and then arrest Rogers and Has.
gard.
Before the jail was reached day had
dawned. and King recognized his cap.
tors a. members Of the Horse Thief
Detective company Of Benton, Warren
and Tippecanoe counties, nearly all Of
whom were known to him. Confident
Of his gui1t. tie men made no attempt
to conceal their identity. So great
was tie exeitement and % intense the
feeling against King that be waived
examination and went to Jan. hoping
that scnethi1g wsuld turn mp to e.
| tablish hi innocence.
From the jail at Lafayette King ad-
dressed letssfs to editors Of papers IN
Cincinnati, Chicago. q. hsuiR Louis.
vile and ether cities. setting cut the
circumstances Of hi cannnenent and
asking them t. keep - letter ID he
papers = hapes thaA = nigAe I'm -.
der RswoS noe1ca.. Ia a1peaa Was q
pathetic enc ana vos espGoa into
many papers thruoghout the north.
west
Two WEEKS amer NJ 1sse aupsax.
en0 R. R0yx N1aeAN eQ1ua, O.