Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-30
LEADER BEATEN .
UNMERCIFULLY BY MOB
Cincinnati Preacher Kidnapped
as He Was Entering Hall
to Make Address

Z CINCINNATI, Oct. ZS.-SIrlppeu OF
his clothing and beaten numerically.
Herbert S. Bigelow. paciist leader and
pastor of the Peoples church here, was
found al Florence, KY. today. He had
I been kidnapped by band Of men in TWEEN
/ ty-One automobiles, who turned him
loose after dipping his head in crude
petroleum.
! All evidence indicates he was the vic
! time of an oath-bound organization
sworn TO wreak vengeance on pacifists
and others Lot IL accord with the
/ governments war policies.
/ \ black snake whip had been used on
! BigeIow. whose condition is serious.
/ Sigelow was president of the recent
! Ohio constitutional convention.
He was kidnapped at p. m. Sunday as
/ he was about TO enter a hall to address
! a meeting of Socialists.
with him were Prof Edward ]. Can
/ trell. of Minneapolis. and Vernon Rose,
! of Kansas City. Two men approached
Bigelow, seized him. handcuffed him, and
/ thrust him into waiting automobile.
I Those with Bigelow supposed he had
been taken by federal officers
| The kidnapers were traced to Latonia,
! where they had a rendezvous with other
posses
! Farmers saw strange procession of
IauLOuODlltS N4luAuE luAOuSA AiAS hCll-
lucky hills and counted twenty-one
machines.
4 The vendetta returned from the scene
OF the whitecapping singly. Automo-
bile parties of searchers were una BILE TO
/ apprehend them.
Il BigeIow has received vague threats
recently. but refused to heed them. There
were rumors that a secret organization
had been formed in Kentucky to teach
II 70 Sunday RiUa1nuy'S
automobile was followed about Cincin-
! natl by another machine.
/ Bigelow was able to tell Of his ex-
perience. He had entered a physicians
office in Florence at 1880 a. m. and re-
manned there till morning.
| His back and legs were lacerated and
a portion of his hair had been cut of.
After he had been stripped his hands
were tied around a tree Then the lead
er of the vigilantes said: I'm the name
Of the women and children of Belgium
and France, strike" Then the first blow
fell. Seven more lashes fell across his
back Then there was a pause, said
lBigelow.
apparently the man with the whip
twas waiting for orders" he said Then
the whip came down on my back again.
1 believe there were ten or dozen
Iashes.
The men we're masked and wore white
aprons Bhey reminded me Of the Ku-
Klux figures I saw in The Birth of a
Nation.
After I had been seized and hand
cuffed was taken out into the country.
A sack was thrown over my head. My
feet were tied. 1 had no notion of either
time or distance. 1 could tell only that
We were going over smooth roads"
AT last We came to a stop. i was
nf - qntnmnhflP and the
sack was taken off my head.
"They led me up a hill to a school
house and took me to a tree TO which
they tied me.
d" off with his clothes" somebody ex-
claimed.
MY clothes were taken off my back"
Then follows Bigelow's description of
the lashing.
They cut off some of my hair" said
Bigelow. land then poured something
out of a bottle over my head. 1 judged
it was crude oil The men then left
, me, except two. who remained to guard
me. One had a revolver.
when the others were. gone a con-
? siderable time, my guards also left me
/ after telling me not TO go away for ten
: minutes.
They instructed me TO go to q certain
house where I would get directions,
1T occurred 70 me that the oil had
been poured on my head so that might
be identified at the house to which I
had been directed.
Il feared something more was in
STORE for me there. so I walked away
i'm the opposite direction, and finally
reached Florence"
Bigelow said in parting, his kidnapers
/ told him he must leave Cincinnati with
in thirty-six hours and stay away from
; Cincinnati during the rest of the war.
|; He said today he would stay in Gin
cinnati IL given proper protection by
: federal authorities.
Recently federal authorities conduct
ed a raid on Bigelows office in Gin
cinnati where documents concerning
] the activities Of the local peoples coun-
ell were seized. Sunday afternoon, at
Peoples church services, Bigelow pray
ed for "the repose of the souls Of EN-
peror William and the proud men sur
rounding him"
Mr.. Bigelow was Democratic candi-
date for secretary of state OF Ohio in
1912 and was delegate from Hamilton
county to the constitutional convention
1902 and was a delegate from Hamilton
vention as its president For the las,
several years, however, he has been &C
lively associated with the Socialist
, marty