Extraordinary Outrage.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 5 January 1918, Page 4

Extraordinary Outrage.

PACIFIST PARSON STRIPPED AND FLOGGED. It was thought that the pacifist propaganda in America had been successfully squelched, but it has broken out momentarily again in the State of Kentucky, with an extraordinary sequel, which has served as a tp rjl,ll K to f'ther peacemongers in the (United States. Stripped of his clothing und beaten unmercifully, Mr Herbert S. Bigelow, the pacifist leader and pastor of the People's. Church of Cincinnati, Ohio, was found at Florence, Kentucky, in a dying condition. He had be?n kidnapped by a band of men in* iil automobiles, who turned him looss after dipping his head in thick crude petroleum. 'All the evidence indicated that he was the victim of an oath-bouud organisation, sworn to wreak vei geance on pacifists and others not in i.jeord with the United State's Govern:mm%'h waV policies. A black-snake whip was used on Bigelow, whoso condition was serious when picked up later, lie was president of the recent Ohio constitutional convention, and was kidnapped at 8 p.m. on Sunday as he was about to_ enter a hall to address a meeting of Socialists i in Cincinnati. With him were Professor Edward J. Cantrcll (Minneapolis) and Vernon Rose (Kansas City). Two men approached 3'golow, seized him,, handcuffed him, and thrust him into a waiting automobile. Those with Bigely supposed he had been taken by Federil authorities. The kidnappers wore traced with another posse. Farmers saw a strange procession of motor cars winding through the Kentucky liills, and counted 21 machines. The kidnappers returned from the scene of the whipping singly. Automobile parties of searchers were unable to apprehend them. Bigelow had received vague threats recently, but refused to heed them. There were rumours that a secret organisation had been formed in Kentucky to "teach a'lesson to pacifists." On Sunday Bigelow's motor was followed about Cincinnati by an- . other auto.

Bigelow was able to tell of his evperience. He had entered a physician's office in Florence at 1.30 a.m., and remained until morning. His back and legs were lacerated and a portion of his hair had been cut off. After he had been stripped his hands were tied around a tree. Then the leader of the Vigilantes said: "In the name of the women and children of Belgium and France, strike." The first blow fell. Seven more lashes fell across his back. Then there was a pause, said Bigelow. "Apparently the man with the whip was waiting for orders," he said. "Then the whip camc down on my back again. I believe there were ten or a dozen lashes. The men were masked and wore white aprons. They reminded me of the Ku lOux figures I saw in 'The Birth of a Nation.' After I had been seized and handcuffcd I was taken out into the country. A sack was thrown over my head. My feet were tied. I had no notion of either time or distance. I could tell only that wc were going over rough roads and smooth,ones. Nothing was said. At last wo came to a stop. I was lifted out of the automobile and the sack was taken off my head. They led up to a hill to a schoolhouse, and took mo a tree ,to which they tied me. 'Off with his clohes!' somebody exclaimed. My clothes were taken off my back." Then followed Bigclow's description-of the lashing. '' They cut off some of my hair,'' said Bigelow, "and then poured something out of a bottle over my hair. I judged it was crude oil. The men then left me, except two, who remained to guard mo. One had a revolver. When the nthcrw .vere gone a cons|<iei : able_tim.c. ■:iy guards also left me after telling me not to go away for ten minutes. They instructed me to go to a certain house, -,vnerc I would get directions. It T'turh'il to me that the oil had been : D nod oil my head so that I might be identified ft the house to which I had been directed. I feared something more I was in store for mo there, so I walked away in the opposite direction, and fin ally reached Florence." Bigelow was a leader in the local branch of the People's Council for Democracy and Terms of Pcacc —opposed to the United States Administration^ — and this was raided several weeks previously by United States Federal agents, and' much seditious literature was seized there. As pastor of the People's Church and in campaign speeches for the Socialist ticket he had criticised America's entrance into the war, and urged peace by negotiation ivith Germany. At the People's Church a few hours before he was kidnapped, instead of offering prayer for the success of the war, in accordancc with President Wilson's proclamation, he offered prayer for immediate peace. This so enraged the citizens of Cincinnati that they considered his activties as a-. pro-German should bo peremptorily closured. The usual "mass" meeting of protest was held by the pacifists, but nobody appeared to be worrying much about their attitude.