The Reno Brothers, Frank, John, William, and
Simeon, embarked on the trail to infamy during the final year of the Civil War
when they became involved in "bounty jumping". (Draftees who wanted to avoid the
war could hire someone else to go in their place. The Reno boys would accept the
bounty and enlist in another's stead, only to desert later and repeat the
process.) Then in late 1864 and 65 the Reno Brothers and associates began
robbing a number of post offices, business and homes in Jackson County, Indiana,
and before long they would add murder to their list of crimes. Their
depredations in Southern Indiana made history on October 6, 1866, when they
committed the world's first known peacetime train robbery. Over the next two
years the Reno Brothers and their gang terrorized Indiana and the Midwest as far
West as Missouri (where John Reno was captured by Pinkertons and imprisoned for
25 years) and Iowa.
To counter the Reno's reign of terror the citizens of Jackson County formed the
Jackson County (or Southern Indiana) Vigilance Committee, which was also known
as the Scarlet Mask Society because of the long red bandannas they wore. In
March of 1867, 250 to 300 members of the Scarlet Mask Society broke into the
jail in Brownstown, Ind. and grabbed two Reno Gang members which they promptly
hung from a large tree on the courthouse lawn.
Later, in July of 1868, when 6 members of the Reno Gang were captured while
trying to rob a train near Brownstown, Ind. on July 20, the Scarlet Mask Society
took three of the robbers being transported from Seymour to Brownstown, by train
and hung them from a large beech tree. Fearing the same fate would await the
other three prisoners, county authorities decided to secretly transport them by
wagon to Brownstown. However, on July 25, the Scarlet Mask Society stopped the
wagon near the same crossing were they had stopped the train, and took the other
three robbers and hung them from the same limb of the same large beech tree.
That spot is still well known to this very day as "Hangman's Crossing."
Finally, on the night of December 11-12, 1868, about 100 masked men of the
Scarlet Mask Society arrived by rail in New Albany were Frank, William, and Sim
Reno along with two of their gang were being held in the jail. The masked men of
the Scarlet Mask Society organized themselves into columns and at the leader's
cry of "Salus Populi Suprema Lex" ("The Wish of the People is the Supreme Law")
began their march on the jail. Where they overpowered the jailer and the
sheriff, and then hung the three Renos and the two gang members inside the jail.
The Reno's' reign of terror was over.
Some Reno supporters threatened retaliation for the hangings, but notices posted
by the Jackson County Vigilance Committee promising a "a short shift and a
hempen collar" to outlaws were well heeded. Peace was restored to Southern
Indiana.
Reproduction of the Warning Poster put out by the Scarlet Mask
Society in December of 1868.
Click on the image or HERE to view a
larger PDF version of the poster.
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Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society would be happy to hear from you.
Please contact us with any questions, or comments, at:
bill@surf-ici.com
Updated March 30, 2008.