In the late 1800's and
early 1900's there were groups of individuals who took the law into
their own hands, the groups in Crittenden County were known as White
Cappers by the local citizens..
It was a lawless movement mostly
among local farmers. It was originally a form of enforcing community
standards, appropriate behavior and traditional rights.
Men who
neglected or abused their family, people who showed excessive
laziness, people that stole from their neighbors, and women who had
children out of wedlock or were seen with too many different men,
are all prime examples of possible targets.
Despite the different
white capping targets, the methods used by the White Caps remained
somewhat constant.
Generally the members of this society were
disguised in a way that somewhat resembled that of the Ku Kux Klan,
and always attacked at night. Physical attacks could include such
things as whipping, or beatings with sticks, firing shorts into
houses or just a strong verbal warning to straighten up or face the
consequences.
Some people thought them
a useful asset to the community, others, such as the ones they
visited and the elected local law enforcers had a different opinion
of their activities. In a few instances they did get out of control
and severely hurt people with their beatings and even the hanging of
one individual that we have documentation for.
From the archives of The
Crittenden Press, here are some interesting cases that attracted the
attention of the local White Cappers.
************
Dec. 12. 1895 -The White
Cappers still Making Things Unpleasant
It was hoped that the
night marauders, commonly called white caps, had retired from
business in the county, but such is not the case. According to
reliable reports more depredations have been committees in the
Hurricane neighborhood, since circuit court.
Two or three persons
have been called from their homes by these self-constituted
regulators and shamefully treated, and the community is still in a
state of unrest. Some of the best people in that section think the
matter will end in a very serious trouble, unless a speedy stop is
put to the business. So far all efforts have failed to bring to
light any of the persons connected with the shameful affair, but
should a killing or two grow out of it, and such a consequence is
only a matter of time, if the thing continues, then there will be a
reckoning which will cause some sober thinking.
April 4, 1895 – Weston
Community Items
William Holloman, wife
and two dogs, from south of Weston, crossed the river a few days ago.
According to a pretty authentic report the “white caps” had
given Holloman his marching orders, after giving him a thrashing. He
was told that he must go to work and support his family or leave, or
take worse. He left. The dogs remained in town long enough to rob
Dr. Truitt's hen nests.
Reports from the Bells
Mines country came here this morning that a mob of disguised persons
went to the home of Bert Curier and A. T. Cooper who live somewhere
in the area and gave each of them a severe whipping, and told them it
would be dangerous for them to remain longer in that locality, giving
them a certain time in which to depart. They are suspected of being
connected with some local vandalism and barn burnings.
July 30, 1896 – Masked
Men Visit a Home at Night and Whip Three Persons.
On Saturday night a lot
of masked men went to the home of Obadiah Burgess, who lives about
seven miles north of Marion and with switches and sticks severely
beat Burgess, Isaac Hughes and a fifteen year old boy who lives with
Burgess. The particulars of the affair are meager, in fact a simple
statement is about all there is known concerning it.
Also visited was Henry
Milligan. He was a very lazy man, his wife had to make all the
living. The White Cappers decided to change this so they hunted up
old Henry. Finding him, they gave him a whipping and he began
working and almost worked himself to death.
***
These are just a few of
the tales and adventures of the long ago White Cappers that roamed
our county. I'm sure there were numerous more visits that were not
recorded as most people visited were frightened so bad that they
wouldn't tell of their visits, and still wouldn't, even under the
questioning of the local law.
Imagine the sense of
fear one would have hearing the sound of those approaching horses and
visualizing the masked men in the dark of night coming closer and
closer to your home, especially if you knew they were after you.
Yes, I'm sure many stories are lost to these forgotten passages of
time.
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