Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-10-29
PEOPLES
COUNCIL
LEAD LEADER
THRASHED|| j
Herbert S. Bigelow Kidnap
ed at Newport, KY, and
Horsewhipped.
ABDUCTORs CLADIN
ROBES AND HOODS
Punishment Administered
"in Name of Poor Bel
gian Women.

Cincinnati, Ohio. Oct. 2s.-Herbert
S. Bigelow. head of the Peoples
church of this city, one of the lead.
ers of the Peoples Council for DEM
ocracy and Terms of Peace, Socialist
and pacifist. was taken into a dense
wood near Florence, KY, shortly be-
fore midnight last night, tied to
tree and horsewhipped by men ''wllo
wore long robes and hoods, similar
to those described as worn by the
Ku Klux Khan according to report
received todayi'from Florence.
Thisl report stated that the party.
and handcuffed, worked its way to
the centre of the wood. Here they
removed the handouts long enough
to disrobe him and then tied him to
a tree. One of the leaders Of the
party then read from a piece of paper
by the light of a lantern. held by one
of his associates. The reader said:
In Name of Belgiaus.
I'm the name. Of the poor women
and children of Belgium this man
should be whipped"
At signal another man, clad from
head tp foot in white. stepped out Of
a circle that had been formed, and,
viii. X. = g 1. ..hi 81 acssnake' whip delivered
low. The ropes were then CUT Bige-
| low was warned to stay away from
Cincinnati and he was released, while
the party made their way back to
their waiting automobiles and disap-
peared.
Bigelow wandered an hour in tho
woods and seeing a church spire In
the distance, he made his way to-
ward it and found himself in Flor
OF rf1,
this city. He was taken to the home
of DR.. H. K. Grant, where he received
medical attention, and then, accord
ing to his own statement, he stayed
up the remainder of the night writ
ing in detail his experiences Of the
evening. It was not until late in the
morning that he notified his friends
In this city where he was.
Taken BY Five Men.
Bigelow was taken into custody by
five men as b. was entering a nah in
Newport KY. shortly before O'Clock
last night. He was scheduled to ad-
dress meeting of socialists At the
timt of his apprehension handouts
were put upon him and he was nur-
riedly thrust into a waiting automo-
bile and spirited away.
Recently federal authorities con-
Quoted raid on Bigelow's Office in
Cincinnati, where documents concern
ing the activities of the local Peoples
council were seized. Sunday after
noon, at his Peoples church services,
Bigelow prayed for 1.-The repose of the
soul of Emperor William and the
proud men surrounding him."
Oil Poured On Head.
Bigelow's own statement, written
last night at Florence, KY, pears out
the earlier story of the abduction and
whipping. He added, however, that
oil was poured over his head after
the lashes were administered.
In statement this morning, Bige-
low stated that owing to the men
wearing long white robes" he was
unable to recognize any of his abduc-
tors and that, because of the dark
ness, he could not give an accurate
guess as to how many made up the
party
Residents along the Lexington pike
state that they noticed line Of
twenty-five automobiles pass on the
way to Florence, KY, last night,
some Of which were carrying men
upon the runnino boards.
Bigelow was democratic candidate
for secretary of state of Ohio in 1902
and was a delegate from Hamilton
county to the constitutional conven-
ton in 1912. He was elected by this
convention as its president. For the
last several years, however. he has
been actively associated with the
Socialist party.