Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-31

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10 the vicinity Of Raleigh have suffered
repeated dspredations at the hands Of q
gang Of horse-thieves, supposed 10 be
thoroughly organised and operating un-
der recognized leaders. Such has been
the daring and persistence, In fact,
with which the sooundrels have piled
their nefarious avocation, that Il
has been almost Impossible for
planters and others to keep sufficient
stock to work their grounds. This state
Of affairs has been patiently borne until
iorbearance has ceased 10 be virtue,
and Il 10 not q matter Of surprise that
finally those who have suffered most have
taken the matter into their own hands.
On Wednesday evening last, two noto-
rious horse thieves, J. Whitfield and G.
+. Bender by name, were arrested on the
highway in possession Of stock stolen
the night before from planters ID the
neighborhood. On being apprehended,
they were promptly taken to Raleigh and
arraigned before Esquire Stewart Of
that place. The evidence Of their
guilt was conclusive. They were,
therefore, bound over in the sum Of two
thousand dollars each. to answer at the
next term Of the Criminal Court, and in
default Of bail, were sent to this city for
commitment to the county Jail.
Constable Day, assisted by three
guards, was assigned the duty Of con-
ducting them hither, and the party,
mounted in farmers wagon, set out
from Raleigh about five o'clock last eve-
ming. Having proceeded some six or
seven miles along the road, and while
in the midst Of dense woods,
greatly to the surprise Of the Constable
and guards, and to the greater conster-
nation Of the prisoners, the wagon
was suddenly surrounded by q squad
of forty masked horsemen, and q
halt peremptorily ordered. The team
attached to the wagon was refined
10, and before the astonished guards
had time to ask an explanation, the APP
parent leader of the mysterious caval-
cade, approaching with pistol cooked
and in hand, demanded surrender of
Whitfield and Bender. 0utnumbered as
they we're, by len to one, and wisely
deeming resistance as unavailing, the
constable formally turned over his pris.
oners, who were at once seized,
mounted on two of the horses of the
mysterious squad, apparently brought
along for the purpose. This done, the
cavalcade, with the thieves in charge,
disappeared like specters in the woods,
with an admonition to the guards
not to pursue if they valued their
lives. All this did not consume
over ten minutes; and, thus relieved Of
their charge, the party left in the wagon
made their. way into town, where
this morning they communicated the
facts as above narrated to Sheriff
Curry. The rescue took placs near Par
son Motifs plantation, and the mysterious
transaction becoming known in the
neighborhood, search was in
stituted for the bodies of the
thieves, which resulted about
ten o'clock this morning 10 discovering
them dangling from the limb of a tree,
near Me Connell's mill, with life extinct.
When found they were cold and rigid,
and gave every evidence Of having been
dead for ten or twelve hours. Whitfield
was about twenty-one, and Bender about
twenty.three years of age. They were
both well known to be engaged in stock
thieving, and have for months been the
terror Of the county.