, 1866-05-08
THH RAID ON HORSE THIEVES.
4 he Lato LynchiuG Anair~ In Southern
1ifinnia-H1a1ury OF The Disturbances
etrikfnE Chapter Of Ufime and Re-

4 Inc L nta Lynchiue Anair~ IN Southern
Aifsn"Is-a1asory or The Disturbances
4 striking Chapter Of Ufime and he.
t fbut1on.
lfFon the Alton t1ll.) Democrht. May 81
tor several years the people Of tha Illinois
hottom and vicinity have been annoyed BY
tnelts and depFtdallons Of various kinds. As
t,me passed On, the thieves, inflated by sue
moro numerous. During the last month rob-
nerie6 were committed in broad daylight.
Hardly night passed but that some ncfrh-
bor's horse was stolen. Some two weeks a9o.
q German, living In Graham's Hollow, lost
TWO horses. The people Of the vitini:y had,
however, oee9 on the q1i uirt, watching Ger
tafn suspected parties. Those suspected par-
ties seemed 10 have no visible means Of sup-
port, and It was observed thnt In the event OF
8 horse being stolen, one or more Of these
parties was generally absent d few days, and
On returning had plenty of money. Under
these circumstances the citizens held meet
ing and appointed i sort OF Vlsilant Con-
mittee, consisting of some halt dozen per
sons, men Of firm determination, who had
solcmnly sworn to destroy the robber gang.
They hEst arrested two MIN named Rollins
and Donahue- These two men were forced to
confess what they knew Of the robber gang,
aud on their attempt to escape Donahuc was
shot dead and Rollins wounded in the arm !;
the latter, however, escaped. This was on
Thursday, and on Sunday the committee ar
rested young man named Charles Parker,
who made clean breast Of the whole matter.
Young Parker gave the names and history of
the gnng, revealing course of crime in our
midst That Is perfectly astounding.
Among other things there was plan to rob
and perhaps murder several Of the prominent
citizens OF that vicinity. Afr James D.rby.
who has saw mill in the ucishborhood. was
marked as one OF the victims. Darby was TO
be Wnylaid on his return from st. Louis. to
Which he went every few days, delivering
lumber. It was usual with Darby to return
homs on one Of the Illinois River boats, which
pass his house in the night. The thieves were
lying in wait for him near bis usual landing
place in the woods. but It happened proyiaeu.
lially, that he took notion to get ashore be-
low Instead OF atoye his house, thus Escaping
the fate in etore for him.
Mr.. Darby went to- st. Louis again last
week THIS time the robbers, to be sure oi
their victim, sent one OF their number to St.
Louis TO accompany Darby home, but in the
| meantime, the Whole thing being diyulsed,
men went to st. Louis and arrested the vii.
lain, who was no other than Rollins, who FIRST
escaped with I wounded arm. Rollins was
brought tn Grafton, where the Vi.flance Com.
mittee took possession Of him, and lew lev
miles above the town, shot him. He was
| buried the next dny near tbs roadside by citi
zcns. This happened last Tuesday. Monday
Parser had been killed, and Sunday two
tue gang, named Clifton and Fairbotu, were
shot. These, with Donahue, make tiye mer
who have met the terrible vengeance of NJ
outraged community. While tue whole com
m,lnlty feel themselves relieved Of a yer,
great nuisance, 1t is to be deploret
that I't.o.s such means were used. Il
law. But the fact Is the people lave sntferet
20 much from horse thieves and robbers, ant
the law seems to have been so tardy, and ou
conntry jails have been such uncertain insti