Chapter X.
Page 78-79
Judge Wesley Sloan tells us in his reminiscences of Pope county, that about 1797 Cave-in-Rock was the rendezvous of the Mason band of outlaws, who plundered flatboats and murdered their crews. In 1831 the Sturdevant gang of horse thieves, burglars, robbers and counterfeiters, who had built a fort in the upper end of the county, were attacked by the Regulators armed with small arms and one cannon. One Regulator and three outlaws were killed there. Most of the outlaws were captured, but never punished. In 1843, Henry Sides, who was appointed administrator of the estate of a Mr. Dabbs, was killed by the "Hite Green" gang and robbed of $2,500 in silver. Money held in trust for free negroes, to who Dabbs had not only given their freedom, but his property also. They served eight years in the penitentiary for this crime.
When Massac county was organized in 1843, lawlessness existed more or less and even to a great degree handicapped the courts. Every newcomer was quietly informed to keep "hands off." Of the thirty-two cases on the first criminal docket most of them are indictments for counterfeiting in one way or another, and one conviction only was made.
Irrespective of political affiliation the people divided into what were known as the Flatheads and Regulators, whose enmity grew more and more bitter until in 1844 or 1845, a battle was fought on what was known as Cheatem Lynn's farm, resulting in the death of three men, Messrs. Davisson, Kennedy and Taylor. In 1846 another fight occurred, at the old brick hotel in Metropolis, Ill., which had been built by Wilcox and one man was wounded.
Excitement ran high and 200 militia were sent. The legislature created a special court to convene at Benton, with jurisdiction over the cases arising out of the trouble, which was finally brought to a close.
This is the saddest page of Massac county history and because of its intricate social bearing upon our county's otherwise "good name" we hope to pardoned for these general statements in which we do not seek to revive an almost forgotten event, that is better to cover with the cloak of charity and consign to oblivion's tomb.
Two desperate characters named Bell and Purdy, stole some horses in Kentucky, killed a man and were forced across the Ohio river at Metropolis, swimming the stream on horseback. When in Metropolis they immediately set about painting the town "red," as they claimed, fired promiscuously, drove the citizens off the streets, and fired through the window of Mr. Davis, the city marshal. Being informed of preparations to arrest them they fled into the country. About seven miles out they were caught and hanged to a post oak tree standing a few years ago on the Gowan farm.
Return to History of Massac County by O.J. Page
Back to History of Massac County Homepage
Return to Massac County Homepage
Copyright includes all contents of this site and does not extend to any other entity. It may not be quoted or retransmitted without a full citation to the author, and may not be put into print--in whole or part--without the individual author's express permission. Submitters retain all copyright, along with the hosts.