Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-08-28
From the Tennessee (Randolph) Recorder
ARKANSAS. ROBBERS.

E@IPeotttoH q dLtSt tHS .1ThuHS0St OdnQ2u-
t7renty prisoners taken, administration of
L,ynch's laac, &c.
Oar peaceful town presented last
week more the appearance of war
camp than the abode of peace. An ex-
petition. composed mostly Of our chief
citizens, "thrice armed, their quarrel
being Just" set out from this place, TO
take or extcrminate gang OF lawess.
irocbooters, infesting the Arkansas shore
Of the Mississippi for some hundred
miles, who have been for some wears.
past committing continual depreda(ions
upon the lives and property of indiyidu-
ais upon the river and in this state, and
becoming at length so bold as to require
the measures adopted by our citizens
for the preservation of their lives and
property. Their last depreciation was
their selling, some p or 90 Of them, a
fiat boat owned by MIR. WIN. Mitchell,
of Mays Lick, Ky. laden with flour and
whiskey, that had stranded about 2.
miles below this town; one or two stand
ing over the boatswain with levclled RI.
hcs, whilst the rest p!undercd the boat
and took off in other boats what could
be conveniently removed. Horses, ne
.groes and cattle, and every species Of
property is their prey; and such is their
adroitness and SO impregnable are their
marshy skulking places, as TO make their
detection almost impossible, burying
themselves when pursued in the most
impervious cane brakes. This last au-
Idacious wholesale robbery, aroused
our citizens, many OF whom have suffer
ed by counterfeit money and property
stolen, 10 march against them armed
with rifles.
The robbers held tleir head quarters
about 25 miles below this town, at Il
place called the Shawnee village; thith-
Ter about thirty Of our citizens went, full
y anticipating a warm receptions, but :
returned without having had battle,
after burning two or three crazy cabins,
bringing with them eight or ten prison
ers. The next morning the citizens Of
Covlngton came in, TO the number of
40 or 30, gloriously armed, determined
TO carry on a searching operation among
the Cane brakes. Accordingly they
went on board "A fiat boat, well provided
with blankets, arms and ammunition for
the campaign, and Aoated down the self
same way as when they went to fight
Packenham. After securing the coun-
try iol day or two, they returned with
y or Is prisoners, some Of whom were
engaged in the robbery, some known
to be rogues Of deep dye, and other ref
Iugecs from justice. Securing parties
were kept up for IA week returning daily
with victorious trophies of fresh prison.
ers CT recovered property. Two or 8
guns only were fred by the party,at
some of the robhors, as they were break
ling for the canebrakes.
One of the boatmen, that is suppo,
scd TO have stranded the boat in order
that il might be plunderec, was found
dead in the canes, whittier he had fled, .
the victim of dishonesty, hunger and
mosquitoes. The prisoners were bro't
before the magistrates, who sent seven
lot them TO Jail, some were discharged,
and no proof being found against four or
1--we OF the most noted villains among
them, they were politely escorted back
to Arkansas by sheriff Gaines, and some
oi our citizens, and under its shady
banks were so delighted at being the
happy recipients and 'backers Of Lynch's,
law, as 10 pipe and dance most melodi-
ously. Indeed they ''discourscd most
elegant music which fell upon our own
car softencd by voyage across the wa
ter of upwards of "A mile. After being
amused in this manner by our sheriff,
'hcy departed on their way rejoicing
vita feelings not soon 10 be forgotten.
Que villain named or pronounced Geno
alter being stripped for the dancc, bawl- :
ed and begged so piiiiully, that, altho'
his back bore striped evidence Of his
having before danced around the whp-
ping post, he was spared The LASH and la
ken back, as he promised 10 divuge Sc
crets OF importance. But finding he
could be of little service in this capaci-
ty, he was suffered to return to Arkansas
where his fellow robbers, for his faiths
lessness and cowardice at Lynch's altar.
stripped bin and tied him 10 tree. and
gave him ''smart sprinkle" of the lash
themselves. Since this Geno, with
robbed n Tepn.ssa,, 49,.