The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-06-24
The MurdererS' Cave.
A BLOOD CURDLING REVELATION
FROM SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.

For not many years back Williamson
county, Illinois, has teen the scene of
many deeds of outrage, violence and
murder, many Of them bloody, and
nearly all of them dark and mysterious.
Men have been waylaid and murdered
on the public highways; they have
been cruelty assassinated in their own
yards and Oh their own thresholds
they have been dragged from their
beds at night, hung upon trees and
their lifeless and CHASTITY forms left
suspended in the air, to startle the
traveller and drive terror and appre-
heus0n to the hearts of their friends
aud neighbors. In nearly every case
the perpetrators have managed to con-
ceal themselves from the knowledge of
the public; surrounded by vail of
mystery which neither the officers of
the law nor the just revenge of the sur
viving friends Of the murdered victims
have been able to penetrate, they have
managed to elude justice and escape
altogether the penalty their crimes SO
richly deserve.
The Farmers Advocate, published
in Marion, Williamson county, con-
tains communication which throws
an air of wild romance around the des
peradoes, who have so long been the
terror of Williamson comfy. The cor
respondent of the Advocate tells sto-
ry, the substance of which is as follows:
Not long since a party of hunters
were .out at night. In their rambles
they met another party, who, they
were Mortified to see, were carrying a
dead man. The hunters, who had es-
capped the observations of the others,
concealed themselves until the party
with the dead man had passed on,
when they followed, keeping at a safe
distance behind for perhaps q mile,
when the Whole party, dead man and
all, suddenly disappeared. The pur-
sne1s searched but could find no trace
nor. sign of the party. The next day
the hunters returned to the search,
and were rewarded by discovering q
cave in a small cliff of rocks over
hanging a small stream of water. The
explorers procured lights and a reen-
fOrcement of three or four other resi-
dents of the vicinity, and returned to
the cave. Just before they reached it
two men were observed running away
from it in haste. Two of the party en-
tered the cave and found themselves
in a Large room, carpeted and fur
nished and showing evident signs of
recent occupation. The sides Of the
room showed openings which they felt
assured led to other rooms. The pos
sibiiity that they might be occupied
made the searchers feel uncomfortable,
aud they quickly vacated the place.
The party concluded they had come
upon the rendezvous of band of des
peradoes, and on their way home stop
ped at the house Of an old farmer and
told their story. The farmer became
excited--left the room, and soon re-
turned with four men, masked and
armed, who made the party Of explo-
rers kneel aud take solemn oatl, new
er to reveal what they had that day
discovered. The writer of the commu-
nication says the families Of the men
who made the discovery are leaving
the country others are preparing
to follow, and that great excitement
exists on the borders Of Jackson and
Williamson counties in the vicinity Of
the cave.