Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-03-30
For the Herald and Tribune.
East Tennessee's Old Time Lynch Law.
BY N. A. PATTERSON.

1t is scarcely possible to imagine
case of crime committed in our Stat
now under our organized methods O
conviction and punishment, that au
thorizes summary punishment by mol
violence
Itwas not so, however, in the earl,
history of our State. Then, although
courts had been organized, yet but few
secure prisons had been constructed
and the sparse settlement of the coun
try made it more difficult for officer
to apprehend offenders. Another con
dition was that the new frontier coun
try, as is always the case, was the
place of refuge from the older States
and settlements CT criminal offenders
When l can first remember passing
events, back in the early thirties, there
were in lower East Tennessee land,
suppose, in the middle and upper areas
also an organization called the Regu.
lators. Thomas Prigmore was the cap.
tain and Abijah Boggess and Elisha
Sharp his lieutenants.
AS now recollect the reported &C.
tion of the organization, its object ap.
peared to be to punish transient offend
ers. And of that class horse thieves
greatly predominated. 1t was about
the time of the exploits of John A.
Murrell, the great Western land pirate.
In point of fact, it was to break up and
drive from the country organized
bands of horse thieves that caused the
organization referred to.
The three officers of the Regulators
stated were then the most prominent
citizens of the county. They were
brave and fearless. So also were the
men whom they called to their aid in
cases of emergency.
The mode of punishment consisted
of lashes well laid on, and notice to
leave the county and not return.
If the offense was below the grade of
horse stealing, the offender after being
punished was allowed TO remain, but
warned not to repeat the offense.
| remember to have heard of one or
two cases of where men had whipped
their wives which were taken cogni-
zance of by the Regulators, and pun
ishment of the same kind, but of a Sc
verer grade, meted out.
No instance of capital punishment
was ever charged against the Regula-
tors but their corporeal stripes certainly
had good effect at that early day.
Their administration was more greatly
feared than is now the executed judg-
ments of our criminal courts, for two
reasons: 1. The punishment was very
severe, and 2. 1t was very difficult for
the offenders to escape. Often horse
thief would be followed and captured
fifty or hundred miles away.
After courts were sufficiently organ.
lied, with safe prisons to secure the
malefactors, the Regulators became
the strongest advocates and aids in the
of the law.
In this connection | recall one in
stance which we'll illustrates the real
motives of these old time Regulators:
Some thirty years later an infuriated
mob of younger men were about to
execute a prisoner, when
one of the old Regulator officers-Abi-
lah Boggess-came up and in COM
Inanding tones ordered them to stop,
and taking charge of the prisoner him
self conveyed him safely to prison.
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