Evening star., 1917-10-29
HERBERT B|GEL0W
WHIPPED BY MOB
Ohio Pacifist Spirited Away in
Automobile to Lonely Woods
and Thrashed.
BLACKSNAKE, WHIP USED

| CINCINNATI, Ohio, October 29.-Her-
| bert S. Bigelow, head of the Peoples
Church of this city, one of the leaders
of the Peoples Council, socialist and
| pacifst, was taken into a dense woods
near Florence, KY, shortly before mid
| night last night, tied to a tree and
horsewhipped by men "who wore long
robes and hoods, similar to those de-
| scribed as worn by the renowned "ku-
| Klux klan," according to report from
Florence this morning
Disrobed and Tied to Tree.
The report stated that the party. with
Bigelow as prisoner. gagged and hand
cuffed, worked its way to the center of
| the woods Here they removed the hand
cuffs long enough to disrobe him, and
then tied him to tree. One of the
leaders Of the party then read from
piece Of paper he held in his hand. with
the light Of a lantern held by one OF
his associates rejecting over his shoulder.
The reader said:
In the Name of Poor Belgium.
'In the name of the poor women and
children of Belgium this man should be
whipped"
At a given signal another man, clad
from head to foot in white, stepped out
of huge circle that had beer formed.
drew a long whip of the "blacksnake"
kind and delivered twelve lashes upon
the back of Bigelow. The ropes were
then cut, Bigelow was warned to stay
y
leased. while the party made their way
back to their waiting automobiles and
disappeared.
Wandered an Hour in Woods.
Bigelow wandered an hour in the
woods. and seeing a tall church spire
in the distance he made his way there.
finding himself in Florence. KY. about
twenty miles from this city. He was
taken to the home of DR.. H K. Grant.
where he received medical attention.
and then, according to his own state
ment, he stayed up the remainder OF
the night writing in detail his expert
late in the morning that he notified his
friends in this city where he was.
Bigelow was taken into custody by
five men as he was entering a hall in
the city of Newport, KY. shortly before
o'clock last night He was scheduled
to address a meeting Of socialists. At
the time of his apprehension handouts
were put upon him. and he was hur-
safs 5iis zaa spsssisa away. s .s'slaF anf'm'-
Prayed for the Kaiser.
ed raid on Bigelow's once in Cfncin-
natl. where documents concerning the
activities of the local peoples council
were seized Yesterday afternoon. at
his Peoples Church services. BiEelow
prayed for "the repose of the souls of
Emperor William and the proud men
surrounding him..
Bigelow Makes Statement.
Mr.. Bigelow's own statement. written
last night at Florence. KY, bears out
the earlier story of the abduction and
whipping. He added. however. that
prior to being taken into the woods he
party alighted preparatory to going in
to the woods. q bag was thrown over
his head and he had no idea of the
! location or the direction in which he
was being led.
He also states that oil was poured
over his head after the lashes were
administered
Couldn't Recognize Abductors.
In statement issued this morning
Bigelow stated that owing 20 the men
wearing long white robes" he was
unable to recognize any of his abduc-
tors. He stated that he did not know
the men who seized him In front of
the hall in Newport, but at the time
asked where he was to be taken and
received the answer ito headquarters. !"
He says that owing to the darkness
he was unable to give an accurate guess
as to how many made up the party
but residents along the Lexington nike
| state that they noticed a line of twen-
ty-two automobiles pass on the way to
Florence, KY, last night, some of which
were crowded and carrying men unon
! the running boards Of the cars.
Why he Made No Resistance,
| Mr.. Bigelow in his statement said
] that he was under the impression that
he was being arrested by government
secret service men, and that he made
no resistance. but trusted to the fustice
of the United States courts to prove his
| innocence of any wrong doing. He add
| ed that any resistance on his part he
thought. would bring trouble upon his
numerous friends. who were all around
him at the time he was abducted
! Prominent in Ohio Politics.
| Mr.. Bigelow was democratic cand;
| date for secretary of state Of Ohio IN
1902. and was a delegate from HamiI.
ton county to the constitutional cnn
vention in 1912. He was elected bv thi,
convention as its president. For the