New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-22
THE ROBBERS OF THE 2
BANDITS WHO WERE THE TERROR or
JERSEY IN OLD TINES
HUNTED IN THE swAMPs AND FORESTS nv :
VETERANS OF THE REvoLUrroy-rHrr.
HIDING PLACES.

HIDING PLACES.
Lakewood. n. j., Nov. 11.-There was fin. -
the lower half OF New jersey excepting h,o,. a
| OF land along the Delaware and the sal, ~s
around the Iagoons and rivers Of the coast was ,.s,'
| grown over with the pines. The trees were r...T
| commonly known rs the "stunted, variety r,,s,s
masses OF briars and thorn1 spread themselves b0...
IuckIeberries grew In the open places and crnph.,
| tIrIyed IN the swamps. The whole made a wat -
full of secret places for bears and deer and ,,,ss
cartridges and quail knew not the sight Of men MA
| guns.
! Even at the present day there are untold Az. .
uineland in South Jersey, untitled and f0sak,n y.
house nor hut breaks the nonotony Of The level s,,1
mains with their heavy burden Of the bIckly r,o,
pines In summer there is scarce breath Of Al, =,
stir the boughs OF the and the soil underu.,
seems to turn red with heat In winter the balny a,
IL rs warm and alth-laden as the air Of Florida
| In old Revolutionary days this forest harhorss
fine lot Of villains and cutthroats. Good men ara
true were away fighting King Georges redcosts AZ
robbers could find many defencecss homes and m,,v
weak and helpless persons up0n the HIGHWAYS "A
all the desperate scouDdres repaired 10 the pines n,v
10 emerge again 10 plumber, burn and murder. NJ
wthstanding the assertion that the world is advaods,
and all things improving, yet IL Is safe TO say tas
no community now produce 50 fair crop a
villains as In the Old days did the Jersey pine lars
modern murderer confronted with pine rss,,
would have TO blush with shame and feel his on,
inslgnfcnnce. The higkwayman OF the old Enrs.,
stage-roads man Who dotted his hat and Dr..
sentcd a pistol: he wished Good day. and rIsx
pockets. over the smooth barrel Of his presented
weapon he smiled courteously. He all robber bus
one-half gentleman. He rode booded horses and v>
fire clothes; he preferred the rich and arrogant !.
victims rather than the poor and needy. He eoax
look calmly down The barrel OF pistol aimed at N,
head; he could ride his spirited horse out Of window
or through door to escape his purSuers. The histJ
Of his life brsled with accounts Of daring deeds M
mayhap some chvarous acts. They called hin 4
knight OF the road"
But he who lurked in the Jersey pines could hr.
no such title. His plan was to beat ard rob, or rA
and then beat As chronicle Of the times san
Sew persons who fell into their hands escaped VII
out having their brains knocked outs The cou,u
drained Of its strong men was in a constant stak a
terror. The farmers carried their guns with then "a
the fields and to church. as did the Puritans. Aa
the bold robbers laughed at attempts at captzr
They turned up suddenly at unexpected points with
craftiness worthy of q band Of Apache Indians Some
of them chose their names with a genius shown By
Dickens when he christened Bill Sykes. Pagan AID
Fenton were two Of the foremost; De Bow ano;ho
and West was lesser light. These men were The
lenders. They got the biggest share Of booty for ey
planned all the expeditions. They the blarker
scoundrels for the greatest thief in the pack always
leads the hounds In assault upon the baekdoor Of
butchers shop.
Fenton was at one time n respectable and hah
working blacksmith I'm the town OF Freehold Hov
ever he one day stole some clothes from tailor The
tailor demonstrated, saying that il Fent0n did na
return the property lie and his friends would huat
him diwn and shoot him. FentOn was won over BY
this argument and returned the goods. lie accom-
panied them by this note: Il have returned yoar rass
In short time, am coming TO burn your barns and
houses, and roast you all like pack OF Kittens Hs
punctuated this note, however, by strings of brilliant
and sOulthrilllng curses before each He then
departed for the pines. lie was a gigantic man. with
powerful brown arms. broad and hairy chest and
huge head set upon the neck OF bullock. lie Won
following of lesser rascas and then at mooness mid.
night the band led by their commander. mercess to
men, brutal to women ed forth to destroy and rob.
They led the life OF South Sea pirates In the ques
woods of NewJersey glare upon the sky at nigh,
and the cry went mp "Fenon is coming! Fenton Il
comng!' The body OF man found in the road at sun.
rise mutated and torn, and men said: "Fenton Las
been herc!"
young man going to mill day when hs
overtaken by Fenton and a companion. who roboed
him. While they were engaged in administering hs
usual beating, the young man perceived good chaccs
to run and he did so. lie escaped to the camp %
Lees Legion Upon hearing his story. the command.
ing officer sent him with sergeant and two prvaies
in pursuit of Fenton. They proceeded in wagon the
sergeant, disguised as countiyman, sitting on the
front seat with the young man. while the two pvates
lay Oh the bottom Of the wagon. their guns In their
hands and covered with straw
Upon passing q little tavern deep 10 The pines,
Fenton came OFT with pistol in his hand and CON.
mahded them 10 stop. They did 50. Fenton then
wished the young man to explain why he had the
audacty 10 appear after his recent beating. Tbs
young fellow replied naively that he had brandy
E..tl %lafr &t.o A,rfth
foot rested upon the hub of the wheel, ea
gagged in drinking OF its contents, when Of
TIE soldiers arose and shot him. FentOn fell upon
the steps of that groggery in which he had spent
much Of his Sustained wealth. his brains spatered
over the wagon of his slayers, and the brandy fVu
the broken jug formed pools with his blood upon tho
ground.
AS the depredations by the robbers went on and
the outrages committed by them became more bold,
the state Government became thoroughly aroused, and
large rewards Offered for their capture dead %
alive. The militia turned out If for war Men
hunted through tho pines in large parties as If stalking
game. AS fast as lie robbers were come up via
had been Their lives West, however, was taken
alive, although badly wounded by a load fron
shotgun. lie was taken 10 the Freehold Court HOUSE.
where his arm being horribly manged, was ampulslea'
lie ESCAPED t. the pines and became en- more Sar asS s
without pity for the young and strong, or old ana
inirnl. lie used the mutlated stump OF his sln "
support inc barei OF ms gun ana I Ioon ns
finally surrounded by large and wei irns'
party. lie refused TO surrender ana was shot !"
death. -,
The robber-hunt was so well organized that tx
minor Villains retreated t. the innermost depths u
the pines, where they dug caves In the SAND tanhs'
They covered the entrances with brush that seseI
ing party could almost step upon the mouth ana W
not notice them. They had secret paths through us
swamps which were impossible. to follow except BY one
who knew them we'll. But people were bound % nave
revenge for the many enOrmiies committed; they WY
bound 10 Stay the owners OF those bloody hands Wb'a
had reached out from the gloom Of the pines. VIE
torch knife In their fingers. The sturdy soas
hearted soldiers of the Revolution the war BENG owe.
began to return to their homes aud they missed I
quaintance friend relative from the tavern p,na
or at the homo ireside. one by one. the robOes
were caught and shot Pagan was the last OF ans
notoriety who was killed. lie was slain BY ps,iI
CT militia under Major Benjamin Dennis. Iey Is. .h.
his body I'm the woods some hunters found II Ia nv
woods and buried t.. But when IL became known "
the people, they assembled. dug 10 up and wiSPp~i
the bloody corpse in a cloth, they fastened II IN s.os
nhnin, and snsnanded "a hv Tie neck 10 a chcsOm