Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1889 — MASKED MARAUDERS. [ARTICLE]

MASKED MARAUDERS.

An Old Man Mak a a Brava Beeiataiice and Wounds Five White Caps. The White Caps, unterrified by recent prosecutions, and rather emboldened by the release and acquittal of a number of the band, have commenced fresh, depredations in Warrick and Dubois counties. John Lansford is a Read Supervisor in Madison township, Dubois county, and one of his duties is to take up stray hogs. Recently he impounded a large number of porkers, which he refused to release without the customary fine. Last Monday he received a notice from the White Caps, id regulation style, that these hogs were the property of poor people, unabld to pay the fine, and if not promptly released he would be visited on Wednesday night and compelled to surrender them. Thursday I o’clock,Mr. Ltnsford was awakened by ajdfdypf twenty masked men, who qem/daded the hogs. He refused, and dismounted and proceeded to go through bis premises. He warned them to desist, and when they disregarded him he opened fire with a double-barreled shotgun, wounding two with the first volley. The White Caps returned the fife through the windows of the bouse,wounding a young son of Lansford, who was descending the interior stairway. The old gentleman 4.00 k down a brace of “seven-shooters,” after-discharging his gun, and continued X. *

to poor ballet after ballet into the ranks of the assailants, who. after discharging their weapons, beat a hasty retreat,bearing three of their wounded comrades oat of the yard. One of them has since been identified by the wounds he received, and through him it is learned that five of the White Caps were wonnded. Lansford’s son only received a flesh wound, which is not serious. Mr. Lausford is satisfied that he knows several of the White Caps, and they will be summoned before the Grand Jury. The White Caps also appeared Thursday night’ near Newburgh, Warrick county, About twelfi miles from Evansville. A band of ten visited the house of W. T. Masterson, who, as alleged, fails to provide for his family. He was given ten lashes and promised forty more if he did not improve his ways. The same night the mob visited a negro named James Crews, who has a white wife, and who had been previously warned. They took him to a woods near by, tied him naked to a tree and administered forty lashes to his bare back. He was left tied to the tree, where some of his friends subsequently found him. The terrors of last year in stituted by this gang>of White Caps are breaking out afresh. The indignation of law-abiding citizens is great, and it is said will result in the organization of vigilance Committees to suppress the White Caps.