MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – The Gibson Museum is hosting an exhibit on Middletown’s White Cap Murders.

The exhibit is offered through Nov. 25.

The year was 1890.

When reporters heard that 11 men had stormed a rural tavern and shot the proprietor and his wife, they got out their tablets.

But when they learned the vigilantes had disguised themselves by pulling pillowcases over their heads, headlines cried “Klu Klux Klan.” Thought to be racially motivated the news went viral as “White Cap Murders.”

Easily identified, the 11 claimed they had only meant to catch, tar and feather, and teach the bartender a lesson.

Still, one vigilante, a woman and her husband were all shot dead. Convicted and sentenced for murder, several of the men were sentenced to San Quentin prison.

The White Cap Murders exhibit shows unretouched photos of the convicts, articles used by Judge R. W. Crump, presiding judge at the trial, weapons and restraints really used in the day – verified and authenticated.

The Gibson Museum and Cultural Center in Middletown is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon until 4 p.m. It will be closed Nov. 23 and 24 for the Thanksgiving holiday and will reopen Nov. 25.