Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 January 1903 — White Caps in White County. [ARTICLE]

White Caps in White County.

Between 20 and 30 masked men went to the home of William HHeman, aged 45, in Chalmers, White county, early, Monday morning according to details given by the Lafayette Call,~6nd after enticing him to oome to the door, pounced upon him and dragged him to a small woods near his home, where be was flogged nntil he pleaded for mercy. Marshal Reynolds of Chalmers stated that the wbiteoapping 00cured shoitly after midnight. A man called at the home of Hileman, on the outskirts of the town, and asked Hileman, who had done some butohering throughout White oounty, to oome out and remove the hide from a dead horse. As Hileman stepped from his door he was seized by the stranger and a dozen other men immediately ponnced upon him, He was hurried to a little wood aboqt 40 rods from the houee, where he was severely whipped, after the whipping, Hiieman was allowed to return to and the crowd quietly dispersed. Hileman is said to have been guilty *of negleot of his family, whioh consists of the wife and four

small daughters, the oldest being übout 10 years of age. Hileman it is’alleged, has been in the habit of freqnenting the two saloons in Chalmers, and is said to have carried away fruit that bad been canned by his wife and, after disposing of it, to have spent the money thus derived for liquor. He is also alleged to have made the same disposition of potatoes and other articles that his wife had procured in exohange for washings done by her. The people of the town claim that the wife has been the principal support of the family for some time.

Since the whipping, it is said thaTHileman has not been seen to enter a saloon, and that the saloon men are afraid to sell liquor to him. The whiteoappers threatened more severe treatment if Hileman repeated his abuses of bis family.