Year: 1867

been for the last twenty years virtually III tne
mower of an organized band of thieves, who
throye grew rich, sent their children to ex-
pensive Semnaries, dressed like gentlemen-we
had almost said became respectable members
of society-0n the fruits of their depredatlons
The leaders of the gang are family living
near the border, between Oneida and
Madison Counties, and their propensities
have descended to them from the last genera
ton. The father and uncle of the four or five
brothers who are now at the head OF the con-
spracy were arrested with three other men on
q charge of passing counterfeit money, about
fifty years ago. They never were indicted, Sc
curing their immunity, it was generally under
stood at the time, by the purchase OF grand
iuryman; but their companions went to state
Prison. The present generation keep out OF


ai partly by the same tactics, and partly by
the most daring intimidation and persecution
of witnesses. They have been indicted
time and again they are once III whle
arrested; but substantial farmers are always
ready to bail them out, and it is believed that
there are many reputable people who secretly
share in their profits. Anybody who is partle-
ularly active i'm bringing them to justice Is
pretty certain to have his house or his barn
burned. or his cattle stolen; if he is trader,
his custom falls off; if he is candidate for
office, his constituents desert him; if he is
a physician. scandalous stories or charges
of malpractice are circulated about him,
and he has no choice but to leave
the country. Worse still, the thieves
find means to use the law itself for the oppres-
sion of their victims. Popular rmor points to
justices in league with them Sometimes the
obnoxious person is thrown into Jail on false
charges, and kept there under one pretense or
another until il suits the purposes of the gang
to let him 20. Common fame has long pub
lished of these criminals, said n distinguished
lawyer the other day in court, that they mot
"only protect their confedentes not only bring
"to punishment their betraycrs, not only wreck
"barbarous vengeance upon those who dare to
pursue them, or even to testify against them,
mot only break through all the mcshes of the
"law but that bail and bail-bonds, bench
warrants and search warrants, indictments
land the civil process of the court do their
"oilice or stand still at the beck and nod not
q" of innocence, but of guilt" Laying crimes
M the doors of the innocent, manufacturing
and destroying evidence, instituting false prose
cntons, sitting and evading investigation, and
corrupting the officers of the law, are some of
the means by which they have secured the
terrible power they now WELD. In one case
public building containing indictments against
them was burned TO the ground. In another
the Office of the District-Attorney was broken
open, and the indictments carried OFT. In
third the iIict-Attomey was waylaid in the
street at night and some counterfeit bills, which





were taken from his person. The opera
tons of the gang reach all through the
counties of Oneida, 0sweSo, Otsego, Madison,
Chcnango, Schoharie, Delaware, and Sullivan.
In nearly every part of these counties they
have trained confedeates, ready at moments
warning to ride off in any direction upon
predatory excursion, OF to shield their friends
or punish their enemies. There is no lack of
evidence as to their guilt. Their crimes are
notorious the only difficulty is that witnesses
dare not testify; so the laws are practically
laughed at.


On the night of the S0th of October, 1866, a
party of men, iritated by some recent outrages
of peculiarly atrocious character, went TO the
house Of the leaders of this gang, near the vii
lage of Watcrville, killed one of the thieves,
and nearly killed another and burned the barn.
A coroner's jury brought in q verdict against
one James l.. Filkins, a constable or deputy
sheriff, and he was bound over in heavy bail to
answer to the charge of murder. Twenty names
were affixed to the bail-bond, because it was
felt to be unsafe for n small number of persons
TO incur the enmity of the confederates. The
accused demanded an examination before a
magistrate, but by various devices he was de
pilved of this right, and on the 18th of NOvem
Der the case went before the Grand Jury.
Here the well known tactics of the gang were
put in operation Although there were fifteen
persons in the house on the night of the murder,
only one could be found to testify. Although
the deed had been committed by large party
in fact u mOb-Filkins between whom and
the family of the dead man there was long
standing enmity, was the only one upon whom
the testimony was made TO bear. The proceed
ings of grand juries are supposed TO be secret,
but It was soon known that they had Judged
the evidence insufficient, and would throw out
the BILL Two of the missing witnesses (who
had been in town all the while) were then dis
covered; but, instead of appearing before the
Jury, they put in afidayits. On this I'M in,llct-
ment was found, and Filkins was held for trial


In June, 1865, Filkins being still ON bail,
went to the house of the despeladocs with
for the arrest of certain persons whom
he supposed to be concealed there. He was
fired upon from window, and severely |
wounded. A day or two afterward, a crowd |