Pope County CRIME Newspaper Stories
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
June 18 1823 Page 2
From the Illinois Gazette
Bloody Business
Some time since a party of eighteen or twenty set out from Golconda to arrest the Sturdivants, who live about 16 miles above that place, near the Ohio river, and are supposed to carry on the counterfeiting business, being engravers, and having the necessary implements, &c. We have not learnt how the affray commenced, or who fired first, but presume it began on the attempt of the Golconda party to enter the house to make arrest. A Mr. Small, who was at the house of Sturdivant, was shot thro’ the body, and died in a few hours after. He is supposed to have been an agent of the counterfeiters, employed in putting off their paper. Roswell Sturdivant, the principal engraver, was shot through the nape of his neck, and is supposed to be dangerously wounded. Mr. Rondeau, who was of the Golconda party, in endeavoring to prevent disturbance, and to induce the assailed to submit without resistance, was shot through the shoulders – the wound very dangerous. One other was also wounded, but we do not know to which party he belonged. The party finally succeeded in taking them prisoners, and they are not confined in jail, together with such of the assailants as were engaged in the killing and wounding. The sheriff has communicated the facts to the Judge of the Circuit, with a view to the holding a special court for the trail of the prisoners – but none has yet been ordered, and we understand it is a matter of doubt whether the statute gives authority to hold one.
Since the above was in type, we have procured a more correct account. It was a day or two after Small was killed, that the other attack was made. The first party not conceiving themselves strong enough returned to Golconda, and a day or two after about 40 persons assembled, and proceeded up to the neighborhood of the counterfeiters on board the steam boat Cincinnati, surrounded the house, and after a considerable struggle, in which Sturdivant and another of his party, and Mr. Rondeau of the other party, were wounded, as stated above, they succeeded in arresting Roswell Sturdivant and his father, and two others, and conveyed them to jail, who are the only persons confined – our information not being correct, which stated that some of the assailants were also in jail
Submitted by Nancy Piper
PARDONED CRIMINALS
Something Concerning the Exercise of Executive Clemency in Illinois.
A List of Pardons Issued to Prisoners Under Sentence for Manslaughter and Murder.
J.C. McCullock: November 1873; murder; Pope County, Illinois Pardoned Aug. 12, 1875.
In this case there is a perfect avalanche of petitioners. Judge, Jury, county officers, and everyone who had any knowledge of this case, united in urging the pardon, showing that an associate of McCullough, who was sentenced with him, was the guilty party. There are about 700 or 800 petitioners, and their statements are conclusive in showing that McCulloch was in no sense guilty of murder. [Inter-Ocean Springfield, January 17 1876, submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer