THE RAINSBARGER GANG OF IOWA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6496, 27 May 1899, Page 1

THE RAINSBARGER GANG OF lOWA.

j'i , (Capo lllustrated Ma.ga.tinc.) : In -the early 'eighties— l think '82— whilst marching through ■ the midland States of North America, I -was uirown amongst one of 'the \worst gangs of outlaws that that coun.'try has ever produced. Known as the , "Raiiisbarger Gang," they terrorised the country with murder and rapine. Banks were* robbed, trains held up, people shot ] dow[n, counterfeit money floated, and a .general, fear instilled into every law-abiding citizen's heart as to his personal safety. This gang, composed of five brothers and a numerous following, lived in the mountainous, regions of Hardin County, lowa, in & thick forest of hickory and red oak, -where a dense undergrowth sheltered them from all observation, and thus enabled their nefarious acts, to continue unabated for many years. .-'. .;. '.\. . . ..;' At the time I wish to speak of, however, iour of these : brothers had been captured. Two had been placed in strong steel cages hi the gaol at Marshalltown, and Manch and Pinch incarcerated in an old-fashioned gaol made of cross logs, spiked with irons, at Eldora, the county seat of Hardin. The light following the capture . of the latter two, I was sleeping in the Edgington, Hotel, ilot far away from the gaol, when about ■two o'clock in ,the morning I Was awak:aied by piercing dries of ''Help.! Help ! Murder ! People of Eldora, for God's sake, help '! help ! " evidently coming from the gaol. It was a stilll nightj and their voices must have penetrated to the very limits of the town. I quickly dressed myself, and rushed down stairs, feeling sure that retribution had come to Manch and, Finch Rains-barg-aiy and that . the " Yigitants " were about to make them expiate their crimes without the process of • legal law. . When I opened the front door, I was suddenly confronted by a revolver, thrust within three inches of my face, accompanied by j a rr.RF,jrpTOHY command i to "Go back." The man wore a mask, and his every attitude indicated a resolution I could not mistake, so I closed the door and hurriedly returned to my room. On opening the window, I could distinctly hear ; the thud, thud, thud of some ponderous instrument, \ised with great force, battering at the prison door, across the public square. From its slumbers the town was awakened. The, screams of terrified women, the wails ;o£ children, and the anxious voices of men could be heard upon the air from every side. Armed sentinels walked .the streets, stern' and determined, calling put — "Stay in your homes— stay in.; Judge Lynch is out to-night, and bolding' court. Stay in, stay in!" accompanied by volleys from their guns as a warning to those who disobeyed. Being an artist, I made up my mind to venture out, and by some circuitous; route .try and get near ■the 1 gaol to skptch the scene. I climbed . from' a back window of the hotel, and, after many narrow escapes, managed to ♦secrete myself on the roof /of an umtssd one-storey , house, within, fifty feet, quite unobserved. It was with, great difficulty I did so, for I found a guard iiad been placed' by tbe"'Vigilants" to watch all avenues leading to the gaol, and thus prevent;.: any interference with, or identifier tion of,- "any of these so desperately at work there; Seating myself as best I could upon the shingles of the roof, behind a big signboard, I could see very distinctly all that was going on. Not far away fully" cne hundred horses^ saddled -and bridled,' were hitched in a vacant lot; while below- me, across the street, ' : A BIG CIIOWD OF AHMED MEX, ! >-. , all wearing ' red bandana handkerchiefs across their faces, were silently at work, trying to break open the gaol door. Not a word was spoken, but like spectres they moved about, each one intent on a desperate deed. As I watched them, I could see about forty men swinging a huge tree, fully thirty feet long, against the door. The. branches had been sawn off, while spikes had been driven in along its lengtii, for willing hands to hold. With pendulum strokes it swung, each time striking a doleful sound which carried terror to Manch, and Finch Rainsbarger'sV hearts; I could -hear curses coming from within, with shouts for heH : but the steady thud, thud, continued, and no man relaxed liis energies to 'break down. -the- -bolts, and bars which held the door to its lunges. There was one man standing amongst them, evidently a leader— a fine-looking fellow, with a slouch hat placed, on one. side of his head — who, by the motion of his hand, gave orders. Everyone seemed to obey him, and, at a given signal, a mighty eifort was made, and with one tremendous rush the door was at last burst from its hinges, and an entrance made into the dark passage Within. Yet. not a word was uttered —no ; exultation shown. A stern, deliberate body of men inarched in, and only their tread could be heard as they groped their way along the walls to the cell, where, in defiance, Manch. and Finch Rainsbarger were shouting blood-curdling execrations. The very atmosphere seemed to-reek with blasphemy'' from those desperate men. Soon the sledge hammers were at ; work beating at the cell door, but, owing.' to the : narrowness . of the passage, very little, force could be used. . Blow after blow Jell, hood when at last it began to give Avay, with; a desperate leap, both brothers tlirew themselves with superhuman strength against it, imd, with their feet braced- against the cots, . and their hands on the wall, frustrated all further efforts to, free it. Baulked, in their attempts tq break open the door, a consultation was held. Suddenly a dozen men emerged ifrbm the passage, and went round to a .narrow window, which looked into the cell. .jSacli one in turn fired six chambers from bis revolver through the iron gratings into the darkness. Not a sound came from withm as round after round was fired. In the distance I could still hear the- "■:■•■ . ' ■; :•■;■ . SHRIEKS OF WOMEN AND CHttDBEN, but all else relapsed into stillness as these men returned to the passage and

rejoined their companions. 1 For a long time I heard nothing— irioments of suspense Avhich . seemed ages to me; But suddenly there broke upon the air shouts and the scuffling sound of men, which made the gaol shake to its very foundation. The cell door had given way, and, like a tiger: springing from its lair, Finch Raiasbarger had . leaped through the opening, and, 'midst oaths and desperate struggles, was fighting his Avay along the passage, calling to his brother to follow. But. Manch lay mortally Avounded on the damp floor of his cell, with his blood oozing out, and his life passing away, from bullet wounds received through the iron gratings of the window, and made no response. Through a living mass of men Avfao soupht his life, Finch fought his way to the front door, calling, as he went, to the other criminals in the paol— "Tell the . boys I died like a man !" With oaths pouring from his lips, he stepped over the threshold : and, while the ' stars twinMed and the glory of Heaven shone ' from innumerable worlds, he straightened himself, and, with a auick gasp, fell to : the ground, pierced with mnny balls, and' his spirit fled away. Almost simultaneously, shots were fired from the cell, as the heart and brain of Manch were pierced with lead ; and together these two brothers, whose lives had been steeped in crime, crossed the borderland to face their God. I cannot describe my feelings as I looked upon the solemn scene of silent men. ETouped round the prostrate body of Finch Ruinsbarger. Stern — THE VERT EMBODIMENT OF VENGEANCE seemed to mark their actions as they stood there, the smoke still curling from their revolvers, regarding the dead. Presently from the gao] the leader came, and. as tliey. all gathered round him. he stood a-while and surveyed the scene, then, stepping forward and leaning over the corpse, he lifted the head by the hair and i scanned it. With a cry of disgust he let it fall with a thud, and, pulling out his revilver, fired two more shots, ' crashing through the brain. Turning to his companions, he. said: — "Boys, Judge Lynch has held court to-night, and this rotten carcase, as well a-s that one in yonder, have stood before the bar. The next raid they make 'will, I reckon, be against the one they have served, for I guess the devil will have a lively time Avhen they meet across the divide. . Our law courts are mock tribunals and trials a farce. Bribery, influence, and intimidation corrupt the Bench as well as jury. Reprieves are found by Governors and technical errors by laAvyers for those who should expiate their crimes upon the gallows. . We have no justice, no law courts, no resource, but that which Judge Lynch has given to us tonight. Let it. be a Avarning to those who defy the people's law. Noav, boys, let us to our horses. Give the signal, mount and | aAvay." * • . S Three successive shots were fired into the air from rifles, and Avith a kick at the dead body they all moved towards their horses. From all directions the sentinels placed aroun r d, the town came hurrying, up, and in a body rode away into the darkness, where they dispersed to. their homes throughout the country, leaving no trace as to their identity. Within an hour thousands of people thronged around the gaol and viewed the scene. No sympathy was expressed, but all seemeti to think a just retribution had been meted out, and the costly process of law rightly deprived of its legal earnings.