The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-05-29
Murderers Cave.

Southern Illinois IS entitled to a gem
uine sensation, and we are indebted TO
the Chicago Times for the recital of the
same:
For not many years back Williamson
county, Illinois, has been the scene of
many deeds of outrage, violence and
murder, many Of them bloody, and near
ly all Of them dark and mysterious. Men
have been way laid and murdered on the
public highways; they have been cruel
ly assassinated IL their own yards and
on their own thresholds they have been
dragged from their beds at night, hung
upon trees and their lifeless and ghastlY
forms left suspended in the air, to startle
the traveller and drive terror and ap-
prehension TO the hearts of their friends
and neighbors. a nearly every case
the perpetrators have managed to con
ceal themselves from the know ledge Of
the public; surrounded by a vail oil nys-
terry which neither the officers Of the
law nor the just revenge Of the surviving
friends Of the murdered victims have
been able to penetrate, they have mans
aged to elu Re justice and escape alto
gether the penalty their crimes so richly
deserved
The Farmers Advocate, published in
Marion, Williamson county, contains 4
communication which throws an air Of
wild romance around the desperadOes,
who have so long been the terror Of
Williamson county. The correspondent
of the Advocate tells a story, the sub
stance Of which Ia as follows:
Not long since a party Of hunters
were out at night. Ia their rambles they
met another party, who, they were hOr~
| riied to see, were carrying dead man.
| The hunters, who had escaped the 0b>
seryatiOn Of the others, concealed them
/ selves until the party with the dead
man had passed on, when they followed,
keeping at a safe distance behind for
/ perhaps a mile, when the whole party,
/ dead man and all, suddenly disappeared
/ The pursuers searched but could find
no trace nor sign of the party The
next day the hunters returned to the
/ search, and were rewarded by discover
ing a cave, the opening Of which, large
enough to admit the body Of man, APP
I peared in a cliff Of rocks oVerhanging q
small stream Of water. The explorers
/ procured lights and a reinforcement Of
three or four ether residents of the vi
ciniVY, and returned to the cave. Just
/ obserred running away from it in haste
/ Two Of the party entered the cave and
/ found themselves in large room, car,
pcted and furnished, and sho wing evil
dent signs Of recent occupation. The
! sides Of the room showed openings which
they felt assured led to other rooms The
! possibility that they might be occupied
made the searchers feel uncomfortable,
and they quickly vacated the place.
/ The party concluded they had come
upon the rendezvous OF band Of des-
peradoes, and on their way home stopped
at the house of an old farmer and told
their story. The farmer became ex-
cited-left the room, and soon returned
with four men, masked and armed, who
made the party Of explorers knecl and
take q solemn cath never TO reveal what
they had that day discovered The
writer Of the communication says the
families of the men who made the dis
covery are leaving the country-thai
others arc preparing to follow, aud that