As many readers of the Democrat are interested in the late affair of the whipping at Hilton of one Henry C. Johnson., by alleged members of the Pike County Vigilance Committee, and will undoubtedly look to further statements of the occurrence, I will endeavor to give the facts which I have gathered by conversation with both interested and disinterested persons. The said Vigilance Committee is composed principally of farmers and men of property, organized for the purpose of protecting themselves against thieves and scoundrels generally. Committees were formed at Barry, Washington, Hartford, Time, and Milton, and number several hundred persons. They have succeeded by hanging, shooting and lynching, during the last few months, in driving out-of the country nearly all of the horse thieves, counterfeiters and rogues, with which the county was infested; at least so it was claimed today, and offered as a justification for the whipping of Johnson, at a trial held in this place before Justice Jas. Ward, of thirty-five alleged members of the Vigilance Committee, on a charge of riot at Hilton, on the 28th ult.

It appears that the Vigilance Committee have looked upon Johnson as a hard character, and the leader of another committee called the Red Ribbon Committee, formed, the Vigilance Committee allege, to operate against their efforts, and to protect men whom the Vigilance Committee were endeavoring to punish. They also accused Johnson of being a criminal witness in the case of the People versus Dickson for assault with intent to kill one Adney. The Committee wished to deal with Johnson about the matter according to their rules. He was arrested and tried by the Committee, and let go.

Johnson prosecuted them, or several of them, three times, but claiming he could not have justice done them, entered each time a nol. pros, and stopped proceedings, whereupon, (and I have it from one of the committee,)they became so exasperated they punished him.

For the offence, as I have stated, thirty-five persons were arrested, and tried at Griggsville. The trial passed off with commendable order, though attended by a large number of excited people. It was reported that many were armed, and that there were 200 guns within a few minutes reach, yet no resistance to the proceedings or disturbance was made. The Vigilance Committee claim to be law-abiding and respectable citizens, and as much they showed themselves to-day. But it was proved by many witnesses that Johnson and two others were forcibly taken to a piece of woods on the 20th ult. by a crowd of persons, of which twenty-four of these on trial to-day were the principle actors. It was fully proved that they allowed none to go to the woods but their own company, preventing others by warning them it would be dangerous to attempt to rescue Johnson or to go with them. The persons who took Johnson were armed with guns, pistols und clubs, so stated by the witnesses and not denied by the defendants. The examination ended by twenty-four of the accused being bound over to take their final trial at Court.