The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-09-04

~ The subJoined letter which we copy
from the N. o. Picayune of fhe 9th ult. gives
a fearful picture of organized crime, and Of de-
pravity which sets all;he laws of the land at de.
tiance.
PADUcAH, KY, July %, 1916.
1t has lately come to light, that one Of the
most extensive and thoroughly organised bands
Of outlaws that have yet been banded together
since the days OF Murrell and his gang, have
their haunts in the adjacent countries in Illinois
whence they sally forth to this State, and parts
Of Tennessee, Mississippi, aud Missouri, upon
their erranGs of crime. The immediate cause
OF the discovery Of this horde of robbers, muir
ders. counterfeIters and horse thieves, was the
sudden disappearance OF a man named Davis,
who resided in Christian county, in this State.-
Two men arrived al Davis's house a few weeks
ago, with a deed conveying to them the whole
of his property, consisting of a farm, negroes
and stock. They turned The family out Of the
fatmstead, had the conveyance regularly recor-
ded, and took quiet possession of the premises.
The disappearance OF Davis ca used a widespread
suspicion of foul play. The people Of Christian
county met in public assembly, and adopted res
olutions designed to ferret out the mystery
They divided themselves into companies and sew
eral hundred persons, in small squads, are scour-
ing the county on horseback, to secure the safe
~ OF the country.
A few days ago q partely Of citizens OF Chris
tan county took up u suspicious fellow, carried
htdt ~ NhN RCOoos AAN4 A'Ah ~ 0NAASN oHA hA&0h
ened 10 whip him to death If he did not disclose
to them the secret of Davis's absence. The man
alter protesting for a long time his Ignorance
the subject, became alarmed for his life, and re-
vealed The whole circumstances of his robbery
aud murder II appeared that in making a short
excursion from his house, he fell in with a man
named Penning ton (wio is the ringleader of the
gang) and one ortwo others OF his party. PEN
nington first got Davis drunk lie then, by one
chicanery or another, got him to sign a deed con-
veying to him his property as above mentioned.
To prevent all trouble hereafter, Davis was de-
I~spached, and his body hid away in a cave. and
Pennington Their took possession OF his effects
Before the recovery Of the body Of Davis, PEN
nington made his escape from Kentucky, and is
said TO be at the house OF a member OF his gang.
named Young Linn, on the Illinois side ofahe
river, six miles from opposite this place. Yes
terday a small detachment of the Christian
county patrol arrived hero. They ascertained
that a notorious member of the gang, a fellow
named Cray, was at a little village in Illinois
twelve miles below Paducah A number of the
citizens volunteered TO cross the river and assist
in capturing Gray. This they effected, and last
evening the party returned with the outlaw
safely secured. Whilst | write, efforts are be-
ing made to raise q company large enough TO 60
after Pennington toni ght-The band have an ex-
tcnsive counterfeiting estabiishmentIn Penning-
toms vicinity, and have so land the country I'M
medlately around under contributions, and have
disposed themselves about in such an advanta-
geous manner, as to make all expedition Of the
kind frem another State, one of peril and Doubt
full success. 1t is TO be hoped that the party
will be made up. and that success will attend
their public spirited enterprize-
The fellow who revealed the murder OF Davis
gave in a list of some eighty persons, whom he
named. and denounced as members OF the gang.
In securing the country, the citizens have come
to the knowledge of the preparation Of maRy
most diabolical acts by these men. These were.
generally committed in outof-the-way places
and obscure neighbOrhoods, where they might
not have come TO light blu, for the general ex-
element that now prevails in the countries a.
bove this town.