CURTIS, Alix - arrested - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Veedersburg, Ind., Jan. 12—Great excitement prevailed here last night and for a time it looked like a lynching might occur. The cause was the arrest of Ailix Curtis, who was arrested near here last night by an Indianapolis detective, accused with having made a cowardly and brutal assault on Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Thompson, the night before Christmas. The detective says he is sure of his man and will have Mr. and Mrs. Thompson identify him. When it was learned that Curtis was in town under arrest a great crowd of citizens gathered and some hot heads wanted Judge Lynch to open court on the spot, but wiser counsels prevailed and the man was finally hung in effigy as a vent to their indignation. The crime of which Curtis is accused was revolting in its wanton cruelty and caused popular feeling at the time to run high. He forced an entrance into their house and with a revolver compelled his victims to give him all the money they had, amounting to $44, and then beating Mr. Thompson with a stick of stove wood till he was insensible, he locked him in a closet. He then asked Mrs. Thompson where she wished to be buried and cut a large gash in her head with a club, cursing her all the time. He compelled her to wash his hands, which were covered with blood from her wounds, and finally left her for dead.  Curtis was taken to Covington last night.