Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1884 — CHARLES HARVEY’S FATE. [ARTICLE]

CHARLES HARVEY’S FATE.

A Mob Takes Him from Jail at burg, Ind. ' • His Body Afterward Found Dangling to a Locust Tree. [Telegram from Vincennes, Ind.] Sunday morning, between the hours of 1 and 2 o’clock, from fifty to seventy-five men! surrounded the jail inPetersburg,Pike county 1 Ind., in which was confined young Charlie || Harvey, the murderer of Henry Custin, Jrf The front door was broken and unfastened! and a guard was stationed near it, but h» was quickly overpowered. The jailer was ini bed. and the leaders of the mob crowded , into his room and demaiMod the keys. i< to the jail doors. These he gave up at once, seeing that it was useless to attempt resistance. The mob marched with, the keys to the cell where Harvey was confined. As soon as he heard the noise he was struck dumb wifo terror. Grabbing hold of him the mob placed a rope around his neck, pinioned his arms, and bade him walk ahead. They hurried the doomed man to the edge of _ the town, and, arriving at a locust tree, pro- * ceeded to bang him up. After hanging him, ’ they placed a card in his hand bearing the words: ”Mose to follow.” It is stated that Harvey made a confession of the murder of Henry Custin, which occurred Friday night. Nothing positive isknown, as the men who received the cons as- < aion are mute. The confession is said to im--plicate one of the most desperate characters of Petersburg. The body hung suspended from the tree from 2 until 10 o’clock Sundaymorning, and was covered with sleet and iceand frozen stiff. Three thousand people vis- i ited the scene Sunday. The Coroner cut the- 1 body down between 9 and 10 o’clock, and ren- ,j dered a verdict that Charles Harvey came to- ’ his death by hanging at the hands of nn- - known parties. The crime which young Harvey expiated in so horrible a manner was one of the most cold-blooded murders on record. Henry Custin was employed in the dry-goods store of Ed Montgomery, and i.t is supposed the murderer thought he carried some of Montgomery’s money or that he mistook Custin for Montgomery. Custin was returning homeabout 10 o’clock in the evening, and was shot almost at his own door. A barber who lived near heard two shots, raised a window, and saw one man bending over the prostrate form of another. The murderer fled, and the dead man was borne to his home. Those in pursuit went to Harvey’s home, two miles east of Petersburg, at a village; called Alford. Harvey wa? requested to, come forth, and with reluctance put on his clothes. He put on one boot, and then, refused to put on the other. His mothef' brought his boot from the kitchen, and walk- 1 noticed rubbing it with her fingers. The boot was snatched out of her hand and blood was discovered upon it. The boot exactly; fitted the track of the man who shot Custß® Harvey was taken to Petersburg. He reX quested that they should lock him securely in. jail, as he feared the mob.