William H. Roose, Indiana's Birthplace: A History of Harrison County,
Indiana (New Albany, IN: Tribune Company Printers, 1911), p. 62-63.
The closing act of the white cap drama (at Harrison County) was enacted in
Conrad's Hollow in Boone Township on the night of Saturday, August 5, 1893.
Samuel and William Conrad lived in a little log cabin here with their mother
and sister. A few months prior to that date, their father, Edward Conrad
had been found in a dying condition a short distance from his home. The two
boys were accused of having murdered him, and they were arrested and tried
at Corydon, but the evidence being insufficient, the trial resulted in a
prompt acquittal.
George K. Gwartney (sic) who is still practicing law in Corydon, was their
attorney, and he received from them two shotguns in payment of his fee.
Upon receiving an intimation that they would probably be whitecapped, Mr.
Gwartney returned the guns to his clients. The Conrads returned to their
home and when a few days later their dog was mysteriously poisoned, they
realized that they would soon receive a call from the white caps. Secreting
themselves behind an old fence, they patiently awaited the coming of the
regulators and prepared to welcome them in an unexpected manner.
After several nights of waiting and watching, the regulators quietly
appeared and entered the cabin from the rear. After thoroughly searching
the house, they appeared on the front porch when the two vigilant brothers
promptly opened fired with shotguns charged with double loads of buckshot.
Five men fell mortally wounded and the others fled. It was not until eight
o'clock the next morning that the bodies were found. In the meantime, the
Conrads fled to Kentucky where they now live.
The men killed were Edward Huston, Lewis Wiseman, Willis May, John
Timberlake and Alfred N. Howe. While all of the dead men were prominent
citizens of the vicinity, the Conrads were never arrested. This was the
last act of the (whitecap) organization that made Harrison County notorious
as "The Whitecap County."