Anarchy in the Heartland: The Reno Gang Saga

Anarchy in the Heartland is a new book about robbery, arson, mayhem, kidnap and mass murder during the post-Civil War era in Southern Indiana. At the time, these despicable events captured world-wide attention and garnered considerable public outrage. As a result, most of the grim detail of this true story was left out of historical and political texts and had been forgotten.....until now. Anarchy in the Heartland paints a vivid picture of the world s first and second train robberies that did not occur in the Old West, but in Indiana. These robberies stunned the nation and quickly resulted in the mass lynching of ten suspected gang members at the hands of dozens, if not hundreds, of everyday law-abiding citizens. The book examines the hearsay and rumors surrounding the wealthy business leaders-turned vigilantes who conspired to kidnap and execute the prisoners; not an easy task considering the suspected gang members were held in protective custody awaiting trial by both the United States Government and the Pinkerton Detective Agency.