Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1907 — "BIG STICK" REFORM [ARTICLE]

"BIG STICK" REFORM

Scheme for That Kind Leaks Out -Mob Law Comes Near Being Substituted. MOB PROMPTLY BEGINS WOBK Race War Averted by a PolicemanOrigin of the Temporary In-, sanity Defense. Greensburg, Ind., May 2. Prompt action on the part of the local police is all that prevented what might have been a serious race riot in this city. As a result of the assault upon the aged Mrs. Caroline Sefton by John Green last Thursday night, feeling has been aroused against the negroes of the city. The city officers, seeing that the time was ripe to rid the city ot the objectionable class of blacks, hel l a meeting at the mayor’s office and de elded to order them to leave at once.

Mob Hears of the Reform. The class of negroes ordered away Is for the most part those who remained here after employment on thi> Big Four improvements anl the city sewer works. Those negroes who have been residents of Greens burg for several years, and who are regarded us good citizens, were not molested. The result of th’s conference leaked out, and by 7 p. m. fully 200 men and boys had gathered in the public square and proceeded to attack every > negro that appeared in the street. In the course of the evening six negroes were roughly bandied. They were knocked down and kicked, but all managed to escape without extreme injury.

Policeman Pleads tor Time. The party moved In a body toward the negro quarters, In the southern part of the city, with the determination to “clean It out.” Bimer Robbins, policeman, at this juncture rushed into the center of the mob, and seizing two of the leaders, called on the crowd to listen to reason. He begged the leaders to give the police a little time and they would rid the city of all bad negroes. But for his prompt action serious results would undoubtedly have happened. At 8 p. m. every saloon in the city was ordered to close, to remain closed the remainder of the night. Authorities Given Forty-Eight Hours. After Robbins had talked the crowd Into a reasonable frame of mind, it scattered Into small groups and discussed the situation thoroughly. The police were then given to understand that unless the objectionable negroes were out of town in forty-eight hours the citizens would take it upon themselves to. see that they were removed.

Ey 11 <>'rl <-k the streets were comparatively quiet. ORIGIN OF THE “BRAIN STORM” Plea Was First Set Up in Defense of a Homicide by Richard W. Thompson. Terre Haute, I nd., May 2. Since the Thaw trial there has been wide publicity of a story of the defense of Daniel McFarland for the murder of Albert D. Richaidson in New York as the first case in which temporary Insanity was pleaded, but the fact la, that the first time “brain storm,” then called “temporary,” or “emotional insanity,” was used to defend a murderer, was In Bedford, Lawrence county, Ind., nearly ten years before th* McFarland trial. The late Colonel Richard W. Thompson set up the plea for Dr., Newlin, who killed a man for betraying Newlin’s daughter. Dr. Newlin was acquitted. A few years later Colonel Thompson set up the same defense in the famous Parkinson ca-e. taken from Rensselaer to Lafayette on a change of venue-. Again the defendant was acquitted.

Young Man Had Been Doped. Richmond, Ind., May 2. Joseph Werts, 21 years old, was taken off a Pennsylvania train here in an unconscious condition. He had a ticket reading from Warsaw, Ind., to West Alexandria. 0., and the conductor of the train supposed he was asleep until an effort was made to arouse him when It was found that he had been drugged. Indiana’s Diamond Field. Columbus. Ind., May 2. George Pence, of this city, visited his Brown county farm and returned with a diamond which, when weighed by a local jeweler, was found to be of one karat size. He also found six er seven smaller diamonds. They were picked up on the farm where a five-karat diamond was discovered several years ago. Big Cremation of Birds. Dublin, Ind~ May 2. chicken and pigeon house has dlsappeared In smoke and fiaine, cremating 100 chickens' and 460 fancy pigeons. For some of the pigeons he paid $2 each. Stunt started in business this spring The fire is thought to have originated from the incubator. Was a Mighty “Dry Hole.” Waterloo, Ind., May 2.—The Commercial bank at Ashley was looted by burglars. The robbers escaped, though shots were exchanged amid great excitement. The loss is $7.50.