The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-02-03
HANGED BY THE NECK,
An Illinois Vendetta that has Already Cost
seven Livcs---MurderinR Men mt 40 Much
a Hend.--Scenes Around the scafoId.


% A letter from Marion, IN, to the New
York Sun, says: The Williamson coun-
ty vendetta, whose climax of atrocity
was reached last summer, has been for o
long time the chief horror of the State.
Six families have figured in 1.-THE Hen
dersons, Sisneys, and Russells, on one
side; the Bulliners, Grains, and Hinch-
cliffs, on the other. Thus far six per-
sons have suffered death in the vendetta,
and to-day a seventh went to his long ac-
count at the hands of the sheriff.
1t is said by some that the seduction
of young woman by John Bulliner was
the cause Of the long and bitter feud;
while others assert that it arose from
difficulty between Capt George W. Sis
ney and David Bulliner, Jr., in which
one was wounded with q spade and the
other with q bullet. The Bulliners are
Tennesseeans, and the Hendersons are
Kentuckians. The Bulliners settled in
Williamson county in 1868. They were
enterprising, thrifty, and wealthy, and
engaged largely in raising cotton. At the
close of the war their gin house, very
trouble which has thus far sent seven
men out of the world. They became in
volved in quarrels with the Hendersons,
men Of large stature, brave, aggressive
and desperate. The Grains, also fight
ers, joined the Bulliners, and Sisney
identified himself with the opposition.
The first victim was old George Bulli-
ner, who was ambushed Dec. IL, 1873,
and shot dead, while on his way to Car
bondale. The next was David, son of
old George. He was going home from
church with his brother and Mrs.
Stancil, on Sunday night, March 27,
1874, when the trio were fired upon by
two men behind a fence. David was in
stantly killed and Mrs. Stancil seriously
wounded. Two men, Pleasant and Rus
| sell, were arrested on suspicion of hay
ing committed the murder, but they
were released. A few days after the re-
lease of Pleasant and Russell, that is,
May II, 1874, old james w. Henderson
was shot in the field, and before dying
he declared that John Bulliner, Tom
Bulliuer and Jim Norris were the assns-
sins. Jim Norris was never arrested.
John Bulliner stood trial and was ac-
qui ted.
George W. Sisney was waylaid at day
break about the middle of June, Just
after the acquittal of John Bulliner, but
their caps being damp, the men in am
bush could not discharge their guns,
and he escaped, to be killed q year after,
ward.
The fourth murder was on the fourth
of October, 1874, near Fredonia. DIR.
Vincent Hinchcliff, one of the Bullinel
partisans, was returning from a visit to q
patient. When within two hundred
yards of his house he and his horse
were killed by shots fired from behind 6
fence.
1t was now time for death in the
Henderson faction. Several attempts
were made by the Bulliners to accom-.
plish the taking off of one of their foe
men, but it was not until July %, 1875
that they succeeded. George w. Sisney
was sitting in his parlor at Carbondalt
when shot was fred through the win
dow and he dropped dead.
Three days after Sisney's death, viii
liam Spence, wealthy merchant an(
prominent citizen of Carbondale, was
called down into his store by two men
who pretended they wished to make ,
purchase. While tying his shoes ht
was shot dead. His body was foiinu tnt
next morning by persons on their way
to church, and fifty-seven bucksho
, wounds were found upon it. Two bul
} lets had entered his brain. Four weeks
were allowed to elapse, and at that lat,
hour, B. Frank Low, formerly city mar
|, shall of Marion, began to investigate th,
J crime. On the ninth of September h,
| arrested, at Cairo, one Samuel Musick
! who, on being taken to Marion, gave in
} formation that inculpated John Bulliner
} Grain at Cartersville, Allen Baker at D1
: Quoin, and Marshal Grain, after tedi
: ous chase, at Pocahontas, Ark, all il
the short space of two weeks.
| Musick declared that John Bulline
: had hired Marshal Grain for $160 to xii
Sisney, and that Spence was killed for a
old grudge.
On the fifth of October, 1875, til
3 trial of John Bulliner and Allen Baker
} for being abettors and accessories to th
e killing of Sisney, was begun before tn
circuit court at Murphysboro. In thi
D case Marshal Crane and Sam Musick wer
4 used as States evidence. Bulliner an
: Baker were found guilty and sentence
t to twenty-five years each in State prison
D Sam Grain was examined and discharge
4 Oct. 4; Black Bill aud Jep Grain, hay
4 ing taken change of venue to AlexaI
| der county, are to be tried; Yellow Bi
: Grain was admitted to bail; Sam Music
is still in custody.
t During the trial of Bulliner an,
/ Baker, Marshal Grain made desperat
. attempt to escape, but was caught an
l securely lodged in jail. He was remove
: to Marion in October, and ON the twer
7 tieth of that month was arraigned fo
g the shooting of William Spence. T
3 this charge he pleaded guilty, and o
3 the following day was sentenced to b
t hanged. .r-T
t After his conviction and sentence
. divided his time about equally in tryin
to get his body out of the jail, and t
J prepare his soul for heaven. On th
r twenty eighth of November he was baI
tized by Campbelite minister, and o
a the twenty second of December he GU
3 through the top of his cell and the roc
of the Jail, and was almost at liberty
3 when he was caught and again col
: fined, this time with heavy irons O
7 wrist and ankle, and heavy guard 6
his door. He attempted to kill Sal
! Musick, who occupied cell exactly or
posite. He got Musick to step to hi
3 door, and then tried to explode a cal
fridge which he had enclosed in a I'll
4 cylinder like pistol barrel. Had b
: succeeded i'll exploding the cartridge
4 there would have been more than til
3 usual lack of music in the Marion jai
! How he got the cartridge is one of thos