990 MOTS AND MURDERS IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. 1846.

piece of artillery. It was taken by storm, with tbe loss of one of tbe regulators, and three of tbe rogues, killed in the assault. The residue of the latter were taken prisoners, tried for their crimes, but probably never convicted."*

Nor does it appear that they left tbe country, for some years later they were still committing their depredations in the same neighborhood.   The writer above quoted says, that

" In the summer of 1846, a number of these desperadoes attacked the house of an aged citizen of Pope county, and robbed him of a large amount of money in gold. In the act of committing the robbery, one of them left behind a knife, made by a blacksmith in the neighborhood, by means of which he was identified. This one being arrested and subjected to torture by the neighboring people, confessed his crime, and gave the names of his associates. These again being arrested, to the number of a dozen, and some of them being tortured, disclosed tbe names of a long list of confederates in crime, scattered through Beveral counties. The better portion of the people, as in times past, now associated themselves into a band of regulators, and proceeded to order all suspected persons to leave the country."

But however honest and worthy might have been the intention of those who first formed this body of " Begulators," their proceedings, as is the case with all anarchical confederations, soon became lawless, cruel, and defiant of all government. The system of torture carried on by them, and inflicted on all suspected persons, had the effect of causing the list of persons accused to become greater every day. The modes of torture used were various. Some of the victims were dipped into the Ohio river, and held under water until they divulged the names of their supposed accomplices. Others had their thumbs pinched with bullet moulds. " Others had ropes tied around their bodies, over their arms, and a stick twisted into the ropes until their ribs and sides were crushed in by force of the pressure."

Some persons having entered complaints against some of the regulators for these acts of violence, warrants of arrest were issued, and some of the offenders arrested by the sheriff. They were, however, soon after rescued by their friends, and the sheriff, the county clerk, and the magistrate who had issued the warrants, ordered to leave the country under penalty of severe corporeal

* Ford's Illinois.