The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-04-14
John Jennings the Robber Chief.

John Jennings the Robber Chief.
Editors of the Register.
Under the above heading appeared
an Article in the WEEKLY REGISTER o
April 81. The article referred to seems
to be an advertisement OF book from
which it contains some extracts, one o.
which has reference 10 myself; although
my name is not mentioned there car
be no doubt as to who is meant. Frank
and Jack Jennings did find me at home
the 18th OF last May with my wife and
two children tied my hands behind
my back and robbed me of money, q
silver watch and other valuables TO the
amount OF over two hundred dollars;
but they did not outrage my
wife, as stated in the extracts. | am
the only man | ever heard of them ty-
ing; | suppose the only one they ever
had occasion to tie. People had failed
to get any protection for so long that
they had become accustomed to being
robbed and just submitted to anything
required OF them without being tied.
However, l see nothing in the extracts
referred 10 but represents the Jennings
in their true character and without any
exaggeration. l have il from good au-
thority that they did commit such
damuable outrsges in my Immediate
neigh borhood. l have not seen the
book, aud the author may not have
intended what is referred to IS a rep
resentation o. my case, but wheths
ca he did or not, i deem
this explanation necessary from the fact
that no person could fail to see 1t in
that way.
The author of the book proposes TO
vindicate the character OF the people OF
Wetzel county, it may be the peoples
and it NAV be his own pecunlary inter
est that he has in view. The people OF
Wetzel county have resolved to take
care OF themselves, and from five
years residence among them l think
them fully competent Tor the task.
They are giving themselves The protcc-
ton that the law failed TO give them.
l lett Wetzel county because the land
was too steep for grain rals-
ing and | was too poor to
own enough OF it for grazing.
Some think l LETT because | was afraid
Of Jennings, but Jennings left before /
did, while the people and the press
stood by me like brothers. Jennings
often committed their depredations upon
the poorer classes, because they thought
a poor man had no friends, and they
lett him 10 money for backing, but the
people OF Wetzel, not like many others,
value e man for his honesty and integ-
rity, and not for his dimes.
1t is true Cur-nan did call the people
OF Wetzel names in his dirty little
sheet, published at Woodsfeld, Ohio,
but somebody made a fool OF him. or
rather he made fool OF himself He
thought by getting up q dispute with
the Labor T,ndicator, OF New Mar
that be would increase his
list. 1t seems that some
body representing Themselves as the
fist merchants of WelZel county were
making mp clubs Tor his paper, but the
subscription money never came in; the
editor became lauk, like many another.
dog that had been barking up the wrong
tree, and his little dirty sheet not being
self supporting, l believe he finally
starved out and quit.
Justice is laid up in store for oil
trausgressors. Ro5espierre was exc
cuted on the same table on which he
signed the death warrant of his fellow
couutrymen. The same weapons that
John Jennings had used in prosecuting
his fellow-men faced about and dealt
out retributive justice to their owners.
The people OF Wetzel county offer
81 900 reward for Jack and Frank, or
$500 for either, and if caught their fate
may be no better. WEI. Cox.
Nopmdsvills, April l3.