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BRIEF HISTORYThe White Caps in Harrison Coun-tj. Theanflif of Devin and Tennyson.1FIGHTtory was written at Conrad's Hollow, near Mosquito creek, in Boone township. In a log cabin in the hollow lived three Conrad brothers, with their mother, and sister. Their father, Edward Conrad, had been found several weeks before, a short distance from the cabin, in a dying condition. The three boys were arrested, brought to Corydon, tried, and were acquitted. .George K. Gwart-uey acted as their attorney. TheBelieveing that a brief history .ofHue white caps in this county will _ ___________ _________be interesting to many of our read- j Conra(j boys went back to their log* cabin home.. Then the white capsera we publish below a - reliable account of the so-called “Harrison Couuty Regulators.” To many citi-decided that since the law had notpunished them, they w’Quld.sens of Corydon and Harrison county j pr|en(js Qf the Conrads warned them the facts contained in this article are j that the wmte capg would be therefamiliarThe first time that the white caps were noticed was in 1873. They call-on a certain night, and the three boys were prepared. They hid themselves behind a rail fence near the house,ed themselves Harrison county regu- j with shotguns loaded with buckshot,lators, and took the law in their own hands. Any time that a man or woman did not do just as these xnen thought they should, they went to the house some dark night, called them out aad gave them fifty lashes They held meetings at lonely places In the woods, and prepared their plans of attack, considered reports, and other business. Members of the organization were bound together by strong oaths, and there was never a deserter, as far as anyone knows.Within a few years after the organization of the society there had been over fifty cases of white capping. Nothing could be proven on the men, for they always wore white hoods,successfuly concealed their identityand at no time during the whipping was there a word spoken.The first life lost was in Blue River township, on the night of April 26, 1880 The White Caps had long accused Henry Long of being a legal shark, and of stirring up law suits in the neighborhood. Long was known far and wide, in those days, as a fearless man, and the white caps concocted a scheme, whereby they could capture Long, and not put themselves in any danger. Some sort of a fake charge was trumped up against him, and the trail was set to take place at night. The white caps had a long list of witnesses summoned, so that the triai would last long into the night, giving them a better chance to get in their work. The trial was before ’Squire Archibald Boston, and was nearing its end when the regulators appeared. Long had been disarmed. but a friend slipped him a pistol, and when the first white coated figure appeared in the door he began to fire. After the first shot, the revolver refused to work or Long would have undoubtedly got more of them. The man that he shot proved to be Ed. Henriot, a leading citizezn of Blue River township. He died that night. In his escape Long received a bulleit wound .in his head,*which later caused his death.Nine years lated came the hanging of Devin and Tennyson, on the west bridge at Corydon. This was discussed by papers over the state and nation, and fo* some time afterwards the white caps remained at home. Devin and Tennyson went to the home of Cbales Lemay four miles northeast of Corydon, on Friday, Juneslugs and nails and waited for the regulators to come. Over one hundred rode up in a few minutes. Several of the number dismounted, went to the house, and demanded that the three boys come out. No one answered them, and they began to make threats to burn the building. At this time the Conrads, lying out behind the rail fence, turned loose a volley of buckshot, nails, and slugs into the white robbed throng. Five men fell, mortally wounded, and the rest of the gang fled, not even stopping to pickup the wounded.At eight o’clock the next morning, Sunday, people went into the hollow’ and investigated. They found five dead men, lying just as they fell. They were Edward Huston, Lewis Wiseman, William May, John Timberlake and Alfred N. Howe. The coroner returned a verdict that they came to their death by gunshot wounds inflicted by Samuel and William Conrad. The same night that the shooting took place the Conrad boys went down to the Ohio river, crosed in a skiff, and departed for the south. They werenever tried for the murder.This was the last ever heard of the white caps in this county and end-j ed one of the bloodiest times that j Haristfn county people ever saw. Many a man carried the lash marks inflicted by the white caps to his grave, and mothers would quiet crying childen at night, with the one word, “whitecaps.” Hundreds of people went to the scene of the murder the following day, and the d*ly newspapers all sent reporters andphotographers.The white capping will be a dark spot in the history of Harrison county. It is probable that the regulators could not have been stopped any other way than by murder. Some men expressed themselves affcer the Conrad murder that the Conrad boys would have been acquitted in a fairtial.i7, 18S9, and represented themselves as stock buyers. Mr. Lemay gave them supper and had agreed to keep them that night. One of them 4rew a revolver, and ordered the Lemay family into a room. Mr. Lemay grab- j ed his revolver and began to shoot. He and the two robbers kept up a continuous fire untitl their guns were empty, when the two robbers ranfrom the house. *Calls were sent for help, but before any of the neighbors arrived the men had gotten safely away. They were captured the next day in New Albany and brought to Corydon and placed in jail. Mr. Lemay was wounded five times, and Miss Lucy Lemay was wounded in the arm. On the night of June 12 one hundred and fifty mounted men rode into Corydon. They began to come into the town, fom all directions. ,d*t as the clocks were striking twelve. Every man was masked. Tluy threw put pickets all around the jail anJ no one was allowed to pass thru the lines. No resistance was oil’vred them at the jail, but before they took the men out several Corydon nfen tried to prevail upon the leades to let the men alone, and give them a trial.Different stories are told about the night’s work. Some say that Devin and Tennyson were paralyzed with fear, and others say that they begged lor guns to fight the men with. A reliable party has informed us that Tenneyson was the man that lost his nerve, while Devin swore at the men as they took him out of the cell. Tennyson was not able to walk to the bridge, and was half carried and dragged.The robbers *were led to the center of the bridge and asked if they had anything to say. Devin asked for a gun and said that he could whip thewhole d-n bunch, while Tennysonwas already unconscious. The white caps then proceeded to drop them over, and then rode away, but left instructions that the bodies must be left hanging until the next day. They were cut down at daylight, however, and prepared for burial.The last chapter in white cap his-
Newspaper Details
Corydon Republican
Corydon, Indiana, US
Thu, Aug 06, 1914
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Stephen T.
USA 26 Oct 2019
Other Publications Near Corydon, Indiana
Corydon Press and AntiMasonic Democrat
Corydon Democrat
Corydon Weekly Democrat
Corydon Republican
