USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of the Regulators of northern Indiana > Part 5
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Tracy; took also a saddle; came to Fort Wayne and sold the horse to Bill Vanalstine, keeper of a livery stable, for a gold watch valued at $75 and $55 in money; I was told afterwards that he was one of the boys; Bill Hill was there at the time I made the trade. I then started to come north again ; Ilill overtook me ; he asked me to get into the buggy and ride with him ; I did so; he asked me if that horse I sold Vanalstine was pulled; I said no; said he, 'you can't fool me;' he then told me if I would fetch him some stock he would buy it of me. I then went to Morrow county. Ohio; took a bay horse near Bebec's and started for the State of Virginia ; took another on the road in Piqua county, from Caleb Moore; traveled on to Virginia ; was pursued by Moore and son, overtaken and arrested after I had got into Virginia; I gave my- self up freely ; they ironed me, put me on a horse, and we started back; I bore all with patience and endeavored to make myself as companionable to the old gentleman as I could ; the next day I complained some to the old man that the handcuffs hurt my wriste and finally succeeded in coaxing him to take them off; I then gave my gold watch to the son and told him to keep it until I called for it; I had also in the mean time lent the old man $40 in money; so that by this time I had so far succeeded in gaining the old man's confidence and friendship that I concluded I could venture to suggest a compromise ; so after we had put up for the night I sat conversing privately with the old gentleman and stated to him that he would not find me here in the morning; to my surprise his only reply was, 'well, if you leave you must not dis- turb the horses;' said I, never you fear that, -old man; in the morning, about 3 o'clock, I left. I then came to Harding county, Ohio, took a grey mare from a man by the name of Wheeler, a tavern keeper, six miles east of Canton; took her to Aker's, eight miles from Coldwater, Michigan. After that, by the advice and aid of John Goorich, Jim Shearer and others, I took a span of borses from E. Spencer in Noble county, (said Spencer was pre- gent at the examination,) which were sold near Cincinnati. Then I went to Champaign county, Ohio, took a span of bay horses. run them them off to New York State, and sold them to Read in Chemung county. Then came to Sidney, Ohio; had some coun - terfeit money with me. McDougle told me I should fetch some horses baek with me, and then he would go with me to Ohio and pull a lot of jewelry. I came to Palestine, bought a pair of boot- and gave the man a $5 counterfeit bill, and in the afternoon
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passed another-all Wisconsin money. Saw some horses come into town that I fancied; Sunday I took a walk into the country and found where they were kept; on Monday hunted up a saddle, pulled it and hid it; next Sunday night walked to where the horses were ; found them in the barn ; dog made some fuss ; took two horses, went and got my saddle, rode thirty-five miles ; took another saddle of a doctor; came to Fort Wayne, then to Jixa Shearer's in this place; asked what was said about Spencer's horses ; Shearer said, 'not a d-d word ;' I went then to Bur nam's; staid all night. From thence MeDougle and I went to Bill Hall's in a wagon ; stopped on the way at Perry Randolph's; went from HIall's to Saginaw, but could not sell there; started from thence to Detroit ; traveled seventy miles in one day ; and from there we went to Canadaville, Chatauque county, N. Y .; McDougle had to keep secreted there for fear of being arrested ; but as we could not sell there, the horses were left to be taken care of. I then came to Maumee City, Ohio ; took a gray mare that was a fast trotter. Soon after that I was taken and brought to the place where I am now. If I had not been betrayed you never would have caught me."
GEORGE T. ULMER AND PERRY RANDOLPIL
G. T. Ulmer emigrated to this country from Portage county, Ohio, in the year 1835, and became one of the pioneers of Noble county. He settled on a farm near where the village of Kendallville now stands, and his house for many years became the home and refuge of the vile. Shrewd, cunning and bold, no qualifications were wanting to constitute him one of the most successful accomplices in all villainy. His most intimate companions and associates among the blackleg pioneers were, Ike Rice, Wm. Latta, Wm. D. Hill, and Ed. Metlock. Ulmer, after having remained in this country about eight years, ro- turned to Ohio, joined himself to the Methodist Church, and, as we learn from reliable information, was a licensed exhorter in said church for several years. Afterward, he again emigrated to this State and settled in Lagrange county, where, at the opening of the Regulator movement, we find him comfortably
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situated in the capacity of a farmer, secretly carrying on an extensive blackleging business, as usual through the assistance of a large number of his allies. Immediately after the ex- citement broke out, and as soon as it became manifest that a speedy flight presented the only hope of safety, Ulmer, Hill and Randolph, who were at that time the ringleaders of the whole gang in this country, fled for refuge to parts unknown.
Perry Randolph emigrated with his father to Bath, Medina county, Ohio, about the year 1832, and although his father is reputed to have been a man of honest and industrious habits, his son Perry gave early indications of his inclinations to and genius in crime. The time of his emigration to Indiana is not precisely known.
The reader will readily perceive, from the foregoing confes- sions, that the house of Perry Randolph was a rendezvous and trading point in all the commodities of criminal commerce, for the whole fraternity of felons and counterfeiters, east, west, north and south. It now became absolutely necessary, in order to the final success of the Regulators and the full accomplish- ment of the work they had undertaken, and the triumph of honesty over villainy, that these men should be speedily fer- reted out and brought to justice. Every effort of the detective committee, appointed by the Regulators to make the arrest of these men, had hitherto failed. In the early part of the month of June, 1858, C. P. Bradley, of Chicago, Ill., was employed by the Regulators to arrest and deliver to the Sheriff of La- grange county, George T. Ulmer and Perry Randolph, at $500 each.
Agreeably to contract, Mr. Bradley, about the 10th of June, proceeded to Louisville, Ky., to commence the search. After watching for several days the ferry boat, and examining the hotel registers, and after having obtained several names regis- tered in a suspicious manner, he became convinced that the parties were east and north of Louisville. From thence he proceeded to Cincinnati, about the 15th of June. Here he searched the register of the Kentucky Hotel and found names and handwriting that satisfied him that Randolph had been there about one week before, and that he had been to Walnut
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Hill, near Cincinnati, to visit Ed. Nevers, a notorious counter- feiter and copper and steel plate printer, who for years has baffled the police of the city, until recently a descent was made upon his premises, (through information given by some parties arrested at the depot of the Ohio and Mississippi Rail- road, in Cincinnati, with a large quantity of counterfeit money in their possession,) and all the evidences indicative of his business obtained, including plates, presses, counterfeit money, bank note paper, ink, &c. Leaving this place he proceeded up the Ohio to Wheeling, Va .; but obtaining no traces there, he went immediately to Pittsburgh, put up at a hotel, registered a fictitious name, watched all the stages that left Alleghany and Pittsburgh for the interior of Pennsylvania within one week ; but in the latter part of the week, just as the Butler county stage was leaving the Red Lion Hotel in Pittsburgh, Perry Randolph was seen to enter the coach. With Mr. Brad- ley, the time for making the arrest had not yet come, so Ran- dolph was permitted to pass on unmolested, for he well knew that to arrest him at this point would endanger the chances for finding Ulmer. So it was determined to follow up the stage and trace Perry to his destination. Accordingly a trusty man, unknown to Randolph, was procured and mounted on a fast horse, and started by a different route to intersect the stage road at a point some ten miles distant from Pittsburgh, with instructions to enter the stage and pay fare through to a point beyond, or as far as that stage company ran, and to watch the point where Randolph should leave, and to leave the stage himself at the first stopping place beyond where Randolph stopped, and return in the night and reconnoiter the place and see if Randolph could be discovered. The spy followed up instructions to the letter and discovered that Randolph stopped at the old Stone House in Butler, and that he was frequently seen with an old man who was partially gray, but that no person bearing the description of Ulmer could be seen. These facts were communicated to Bradley. It was then determined to place a strict watch upon the avenues leading in and out of Butler and Brownington. This was accordingly done, and a man stationed at a point twelve miles distant on the Pittsburgh
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road, with a good horse to post through to Pittsburgh as soon as Ulmer and Randolph should be seen together. On the 7th of July the carrier arrived in Pittsburgh with information that the old man who had been seen with Randolph, (White, the engraver for counterfeiting,) had left the day before, and that Ulmer and Randolph had gone up towards Warren, in Trum- bull county, Ohio, and that one of the men who had been appointed to watch the Stone House was following them up, and would leave signals along the road indicating the route taken by them. These signals were made by stones placed at the corner of the cross roads, as agreed upon, indicating the route.
On the morning of the 7th of July, accompanied by a gen- tleman by the name of Robert Hague, chief of the police of Pittsburgh, and Andy Moon, one of the chief's aids, they pro- ceeded with a double team over the hills and dusty roads of that country, and traveled a distance of forty-eight miles that day. Next morning, the 8th, they started before daybreak and found that the signals were leading them on the road to West Greenville, Mercer county, Penn .; traveled all day over the roughest roads imaginable, through clouds of dust and under the burning rays of a July sun, and arrived within six miles of West Greenville about 8 o'clock at night. Here one of their horses failed, and Mr. Moon was sent on to West Greenville by stage, at which place he learned that Ulmer and Randolph had left at 3 o'clock P. M., that afternoon, on the road for Warren, Ohio. Procuring a man with a buggy, he returned to inform Mr. Bradley of the facts. After trying in vain to procure a fresh team, Mr. Moon was sent back to West Greenville to get a team and return and meet them, in order that they might follow on that night. Mr. Moon not being able to procure a team, Mr. Bradley and his comrade were compelled to take it on foot. They arrived at West Greenville about 11 o'clock in the night. Here they put up until morn- ing. Early on the morning of the 9th they started for Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio. Having got a description of the horse and buggy in which Ulmer and Randolph had left, they had but little difficulty in following them up. About fifteen miles
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from West Granville they stopped at a tavern to water the team, and from the carriage they were in-it being a covered. one-Ulmer was seen standing upon the steps of the hotel. Mr. Bradley not being recognized by him, concluded to pass on to the next farm house and ascertain if the horse and buggy had gone towards Warren, (it not being in view at the place where Ulmer was seen.) They had not gone far before they were informed that Randolph had passed about two and a half hours before in the buggy alone. Without molesting Ulmer, they proceeded to Warren on the track of Randolph, but after arriving in Warren they learned he had taken the road toward Akron, and was still from two to three hours ahead. Here again they procured a fresh team, and taking the Akron road followed at the rate of ten miles an hour and overtook Mr. Randolph fifteen miles west of Warren, at a small tavern three miles west of Newton Falls, quietly waiting to rest and feed his horse.
On the arrival of Mr. Bradley and company, Randolph, who was on the lookout for breakers, walked out the back door of the tavern and went down toward the timber, but finding that no one was watching, (that he could perceive,) he in a short time returned to the house, when he was arrested and searched. Upon his person was found about $2 in good money, and one five dollar bill counterfeit on the Northern Bank of Kentucky. He was immediately handcuffed and placed in the carriage. Upon searching his carpet bag there was found two counterfeit plates, one for printing ten dollar bills on the Wayne County Bank at Wooster of the State Bank of Ohio, and the other for printing the red back of the same. They then returned to Warren, and leaving Randolph with Mr. Moon, Mr. Bradley and Mr. Hague returned to the rendezvous of George T. Ulmer, and arrived at Johnson's Tavern, in Hartford Center, at 9 o'clock P. M., just in time to prevent G. T. Ulmer, alias Colonel Foster, (a name he assumed,) from going to bed, and in less than five minutes he was on his way to join his late comrade, Mr. Randolph. They arrived at Warren about 12 o'clock at night, and put Mr. Ulmer and Mr Randolph in the same bed to slumber for the night. They had then boon
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constantly on the move for about sixty-four hours in search of these men, so we may reasonably conclude by this time they had some inelinations to rest.
On the morning of the 10th of July they started from War- ren, and arrived in Kendallville on the 11th, from which place they were furnished with a team and conveyed to Lagrange, and there delivered into the custody of Sheriff Cummings. The counterfeiting plates taken from Randolph's carpet bag were taken to Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio, in which county they were found, and deposited with the Mayor of that city ; and on the 26th day of October, 1858, at the first term of the Court in that county after the arrests, Randolph and Ulmer were indicted for having them in their possession, and a requi- sition procured from the Governor of Ohio on the Governor of Indiana, for their removal there for trial, provided they should escape justice in Indiana. They made no resistance when arrested, but readily consented to return to Lagrange county, provided they could be assured of a safe delivery to the Sheriff, and not to the Regulators, for whom they had great dread. They both exhibited much fear at South Milford, when a num- ber of the Regulators had assembled there to look at them on their way to Lagrange. Ulmer passed under the name of Col. Foster and had that name engraved on the cover of his spec- tacle case. Randolph went under the name of J. E. Eddie.
The following is a copy of a letter found in his possession, addressed to him under the assumed name, which will show the nature of his correspondence:
"CINCINNATI, July 1, 1858.
" MR. J. E. EDDIE:
Dear Sir .- Ann received your note yesterday stating your whereabouts, so I will answer it, hoping you will receive it im- mediately, as I have some important business with you. Mr. L. Dean wishes you to write to him, and direct to the Kentucky Hotel, concerning some business that you are acquainted with. Times are dull. If you have any merchandize on hand that is new please forward some by express. If not new, please send to Dean and myself one thousand Ohio Sawbucks, as we are going to start for Wisconsin as soon as we can get a lot of goods. You
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can send them by express to me, No. 20, as you know. I passed through Iowa City the day after you left, and was sorry I did not meet you, for then I would have staid East for a while. Send the prices along with the articles, and put them as low as possible, and we will send the money to you. Please answer immediately on receipt of this, and much oblige,
" Your friend, R. W."
"P. S .- Simpson has enlisted for five years, much against the consent of his friends. The old man is still siek, with little pros- peets of getting well. The Stutterer is engaged in Lawrenceburg ; got a situation the next day after he left here."
NOTE .- The Ohio Sawbucks are the $20 bills with the XX's. The merchandize undoubtedly refers to counterfeit money, of which Randolph was one of the chief venders.
"WALNUT HILLS, June 24, 1858.
"Dear Sir :- I received yours yesterday, requesting me to for- ward you a deed and papers, which I will do cheerfully. I shall mail them to-day. We are all about as usual here, doing the best we ean. N. will come before the Judge the 25th, (to-morrow.) The attorneys say he cannot be held, and I think so too, without some underground business comes up unknown to us.
" Respectfully, &e.,
" T. C. M." " Write often."
Perry Randolph was indicted at the fall term of the La- grange Circuit Court on a charge of receiving and secreting a part of the gloves stolen from Mckinley of Ontario. At said term of Court he filed an affidavit for a change of venue, which was granted, and the case referred for trial to the ensning term of the Dekalb Court, where he was tried and sentenced to the Penitentiary for a term of two years. At the expiration of which time other charges will be forthcoming sufficient to retain him there until he shall have received a full recompense for all his labors.
George T. Ulmer was indicted at the same term of the La- grange Court on a charge of having secreted stolen property, filed his affidavit for a change of venue, and was also sent to
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Dekalb for trial. Upon trial he was found guilty and sentenced to the Penitentiary for a term of five years. His attorneys filed a motion for an arrest of judgment for some defect in the indictment, which was sustained by the Court, and he was held to bail in the sum of $2,000 for his appearance at the next term of the Lagrange Circuit Court. Having obtained security on the bonds he was thereupon released, but in about five minutes he was again arrested by Sheriff Cummings on another charge and returned to the Lagrange County Jail, to await the decision of the Spring term of that Court.
At the Spring term of said Court he was tried again on the first charge, found guilty and sentenced for seven years, and again obtained a new trial. He then consented to go to trial on the charges in the second indictment, which was accordingly so done, and he was found guilty and again sentenced to the Penitentiary for seven years, where he is now suffering the just penalty of his erimes.
It is evident that every stratagem in the power or ingenuity of man to invent has been resorted to, in order to rescue these men from the just claims of the law. And nothing but the vigilant eye and the indomitable perseverance of those who had enlisted to conquer this infernal gang or die, could have ever brought them to the bar of justice.
WM. D. HILL,
As we have heretofore stated, was one of the pioneer black- legs of Noble county, and has always been recognized as one of the ringleaders and the chief counsellor in every act of vil- lainy. Hill, Ulmer and Latta were very intimate companions, and operated extensively together in this country at an early day. Some time in the month of January, or February, 1857, he came very near loosing his life by an affray that took place between him and one Fisher. A warrant had been issued to search Hill's house to ascertain whether the goods stolen from Mr. Wright, at Fairfield Center, were in his possession. When Fisher approached the house he met with resistance from Hill, whereupon some words passed between them, and Ilill flew in
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a passion and called for his pistol. At this, Fisher, who was well armed for the occasion, drew a revolver from his pocket and shot Hill in the thigh just below the body, the ball passing round the bone and lodging on the inner part of the thigh. Immediately after the Regulating excitement broke out, Hill, presuming that absence would be his only safety, was soon missing.
Some time during the summer of 1858, the Regulators entered into a contract with the celebrated C. P. Bradley and C. E. Smith, of Chicago, Ill., two of the most active and zealous police officers in the Western States, to make the arrest of Wm. D. Hill. Accordingly they commenced the search, and after having traveled some three or four thousand miles, and spent a large amount of money, they succeeded in capturing him near the Missouri and Iowa line. At the time of his arrest he was living on a farm, and had about him a large amount of stock, and secmed to be in a situation to enjoy life. Much skill and ingenuity was manifested in making the arrest. Hill had often said he would never be taken alive, but Bradley and Smith manifested such indifference in his presence as to cause him to dispel all fears of being taken, and he consequently was captured with but little difficulty, except he fought severely for about fifteen minutes. He was in due time brought to Chi- eago, Ill., and from thence to Noble county, Ind., and delivered to Sheriff Simons, where he remained in custody until March 5th, 1859. His fears of the Regulators were overwhelming. He expected, if brought to Noble county, to share the fate of McDougle without fail.
On the morning of the 6th of March, our citizens were startled with the sad intelligence of the elopement of Hill and Wilson from the Noble County Jail. How or by what means they made their escape is not entirely known. The following, however, are some of the particulars connected with the escape :
" The manner of the escape of Hill and Wilson from the Noble County Jail was effected very ingeniously, considering the kind and small variety of tools at their command. They by some means had got hold of a piece of iron which had apparently been
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used for a common door latch, and having bent this into the shape of the letter S they had fastened it into a piece of wood in such a manner that it could command all the strength of the iron with the wood for a lever-the wood enabling them to reach one of the locks which would otherwise have been entirely inacces- gible. Added to this, it appears, by a wire fastened to the end of a small stick of wood, it enabled them to hold the lock in a posi- tion to operate with the said latch, and then by the aid of a very small piece of broken looking glass they were enabled to see the lock. These tools were left behind. If they used any others they were carried away, except two rather dangerous looking clubs which were also left. They chose a night in which there was to be an exhibition in town, and the citizens were all assembled at the Church, and the night being very dark it presented one of the most fitful opportunities they could have selected in which to make their escape. There being some snow on the ground, they were tracked for some considerable distance, the tracks showing that they ran in their stocking fect. They threw a quilt out of the diamond hole, to prevent a noise by the falling of the lock. In fine, the whole proceeding was characterized by great shrewd- ness and cunning."
The escape of these men was the most lamentable circum- stance that transpired during the whole Regulator movement. They are to be feared in any community wherever they may locate, for no erime is too horrible to satiate their fiendish ambition. The following article, which we copy from the Chicago Press and Tribune, shows the notoriety of IIill, Ulmer and Randolph, as ringleading blacklegs :
THE INDIANA COUNTERFEITERS.
THE "LAST OF THE MOHICANS" DELIVERED TO THE REGULATORS.
The readers of the Journals of the country at large, and par- ticularly those of the West and Northwest, will remember the sensation that was created when an outraged and indignant com- munity banded together in an association which was at once a terror to the daring violators of the law, and under the name of
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the " Indiana Regulators," routed and put to flight the lurking bands of counterfeiters which had infested Noble, Lagrange and other counties in Northern Indiana. Their proceedings were prompt-these Regulators. They burst upon their men like lightning from a summer cloud. McDougle and others were hung, many were brought to justice at the hands of the Courts, while others who could do so fled.
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