Indianapolis could also boast of a poetess, were it only poetical enough to be aware of it, which I think it was not. For having read one of this lady's poems, I discovered many of my audience dissolved in tears, and perfectly surprised that it was a composition of a native poetess-Mrs. B., whose poems, if handed down to posterity, will make a name and fame of which Indianapolis may well be proud.

This city, some thirty years ago, had only a few hundred inhabitants, and was surrounded by Indians, so that Indianapolis takes much credit to herself for the advance she has made in so short a time, and proudly points to those three semi-Athenian stone columns in front of the Insurance Company's office.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE KU KLUX.

N Indiana, as in most of the Southern and Western States, the law is nearly

powerless for the protection of either life or property. If a man is careful and cautious, and avoids getting into antagonism with his neighbour, then his life may be as safe in Indiana as elsewhere. But if he covets his neighbour's wife, or his neighbour's goods, or should make himself in any way obnoxious to him, his life hangs entirely upon the disposition and character of that neighbour, and not upon the power of the law, to protect him from violence. "Judge Lynch" is the most potent of the United States judges, and frightful scenes occur under his auspices.

During my stay in Indiana, some men, who had been arrested in Canada for robbing the parcel delivery company of a large sum of money, were given up to the American government

under the extradition treaty, and placed in the jail of a small town called Seymour. During the night about a hundred men arrived by train, all masked. There being no other passengers, they secured the conductor, the engine-driver, and other persons belonging to the train, and placed a guard over them, obliging them to back the engine fire, that the train might be able to start again at a moment's notice. The mysterious visitors proceeded in a body to the jail where the robbers were confined. They aroused the jailer, and as he was in the act of opening the door, seized and bound him. They then marched in, and encountering the sheriff or governor of the jail, who made some attempt at resistance, they shot and disabled him. The keys were then demanded of his wife, who lay in bed too terrified to speak. Another jailer, however, making his appearance, was fired at and wounded, and the keys taken from him. The whole scene was witnessed by a negro boy, who had contrived to hide himself.

The Lynchers all wore masks of red flannel, and garments of the same colour, and addressed each other by number instead of name. They opened the door of the first cell, and when the light of their lanterns burst upon the eyes of the wretched criminal, he at once knew his fate. He braced himself for the encounter, and being

a powerful and desperate man, the struggle which ensued was terrific. Not all the strength of numbers which could be brought to bear upon him could for some time force him from his cell. It would seem that they had some reason for not using their pistols, or even their knives, with which these desperadoes are always armed, as they might at once have stabbed or shot him to the heart. This man's frantic strength was so great, that he disabled several of his tormentors. But having flung himself against a railing, they leapt upon him and literally broke his back. He was dead enough then, but they proceeded to hang him, as Lynch law requires, and left him suspended over the stairs.

After this, these tigers in human form, known in the western world under the title of American citizens, went to the next cell, where the brother of the first victim was confined-for the robbers. were three brothers and a brother-in-law. The second brother—a young man of some eighteen or twenty years-having heard the struggle, and guessing the cause, was found in an agony of terror, the most excruciating agony of which a human being is susceptible. He begged piteously for his life, or, at least, for five minutes alone, to make his peace with his God; but no such mercy was extended. He was dragged

The

face to face with the distorted corpse of his brother, and hanged by his side on the same banister. For some reason or other, death did not immediately ensue, and the murderers rushed upon him, breaking the spinal cord, and twisting his head nearly from his body. end of the third victim equalled in horror that of the others; but with the fourth they would appear to have been hurried, for they left him hanging without being dead, and for two hours he hung writhing like an eel, the boy not daring to come out of his hiding-place and release him. Life was barely extinct when he was discovered by some of the officials of the jail.

Murder or atrocities were not alleged against these men, only a bold and extensive robbery of the express waggon; but so-called retributive justice inflicted on them fearful torture and a most diabolical death, with the connivance and approval of the whole community. The reason assigned for the toleration, by respectable citizens, of the Ku Klux and Lynch law clans, is the corruption prevailing in the courts of justice, where, if the accused parties have wealth to buy themselves off, they invariably escape. Sometimes a train has been stopped, in which a newlyarrested prisoner was being conveyed to take his trial. If his offence should happen to be murder, he may go unscathed; but should it chance to