Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1893 — ANOTHER LYNCHING. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER LYNCHING.

A Seymour Mob at Brownstown Hangs Lou Trenck. ATrain PressedXntoService-The Terri tory Famous for Mob Law r,v " eK1 eT- - With the blood of John Turley on their hands from the Bedford lynching, Monday morning, the Seymour lynchers,about the same hour Tuesday morning, went to Brownstown, and swung into eternity the murderer, Lou Trenck, who shot and in : stantly killed landlord Henry Feadlera week ago Sunday, in Seymour. The first Intention of the mbb had been to wreak vengeance on the two murderers the same night, but the distance between the two county seats was too great. Those who had been with the desperate men who, with unswerving determination, took Turley from the Bedford jail, knew that it would be Trenpk’s turn next, and waited in secret places for the time to arrive when they should make the journey to Brownstown. All Monday evening the streets of Seymour were crowded with excited, expectant people who felt what was coming, but who knew nothing of the arrangements. The mob was being quietly organized, and its movements were carefully veiled until midnight. At that hour the leader led the way.tCL the Ohio & Mississippi yards, and with no noise, every man knowing his duty, anengine and two cabooses were seized and the mob piled on. Experienced men were on the engine, and the throttle being pulled out to its limits the train plunged down the road toward Brownstown, eleven miles distant. Arriving opposite the town the train was halted and the men descended and marched almost a mile across the country to the jail. Here they met their first opposition. The sheriff, not to be tricked, had left, and no keys could be procured to fit the locks. The turnkey was routed out, but he had no keys. There was nothing to do but to batter down the doors, which the mob at once proceeded to do. A rude battering-ram was constructed, and with no fear of interruption, pickets having been sent out to patrol the streets in all directions, the heavy iron doors were soon forced to give way to the ponderous blows. Heavy iron sledge-hammers assisted in making an opening, after which the men crowded in under a nervy leader, who soon located Trenck’s cell. Forcing an entrance to his small apartment was only play to the determined men, and the doomed murderer was dragged from a corner out 'in the corridor and from there to the side of the court house.

It was all a matter of grim business. The man with the rope was ready, and the loop being quickly adjusted to his neck,the other end was tossed over a limb of a convenient tree. One man spoke to him and said: “Have you anything to say?” With trembling voice, al most choked, the wretched victim said: “Oh, this is awful! You are not treating me fair.” “Pray!” commanded his executioner. “Oh, God! Bless my soul,” said Trenck, huskily. The next instant the signal was given and he was jerked from his knees to which he had half fallen as he started to pray, and Ms further utterance was only a gurgle. It was just 1:20 a? m. when he swung in the air. The rope was wound around tho tree, leaving the body suspended, and tho crowd filed back to where the waiting train was standing without a dozen citizens of Brownstown knowing that a tragedy had taken place. The mob.JJmn_returned to Seymour, aud the story was given to newspaper correspondents in waiting by masked men who had accompanied the mob.