The Courier-Journal, September 17, 1882
CALDWELL COUNTY.
CROCKETT JENKINS HANGED, AND WOMEN ARRESTED FOR CONSPIRING THE MURDER.
[Princeton Banner.]
On Saturday morning last, on the roadside, near Smith's school-house, not far from "The Hall," in the northern part of Caldwell, Crockett Jenkins, one of the Campbell-Sullivan gang of outlaws and thieves, was found hanging by the neck, dead and stiff. He was found by Tom Smith and children about 9 o'clock A. M. as they were going to cut some corn. The news soon spread, and a number of the neighboring people soon gathered together, cut down the body and buried it in the cemetery at Shady Grove.
Crockett Jenkins was a man of middle age, has been married and has two children. His wife died many years ago. He has been known for some years as a rather worthless character and a sort of vagabond. He has been running with the Campbells and Sullivans for years, and it is believed by many that he has been associated with them in their thieving and outlawry. It is known that he and the Sullivans had a row one day last week, when he severely beat one of the Sullivan women, and it is believed also that they, fearing that Jenkins would "squeal" on them, save his own liberty by turning State's evidence, and send them to the penitentiary, have made way with him by hanging him. If so, they thought that his known connection with the thieving gang would induce the public to saddle the hanging on the "Regulators." The last seen of him alive was on Wednesday or Thursday by Mr. Urey Traylor. He was then going in the direction of Sullivan's. Some of the Sullivan women say that he had been there and had a fracas with them, when he knocked down, beat and bruised Jane Sullivan. So strong was the suspicion that the Sullivan women were engaged in the hanging that they were arrested Sunday and brought to town--Jane, Mary, and Nannie Sullivan. Tom Sullivan and Buck Campbell, we hear, would have been arrested also as participants in the hanging, could they have been found.
The Sullivan women were arraigned before Esquires Mayes and Scott on Tuesday evening. On motion of the County Attorney Marble the warrant was amended so as to charge a conspiracy between the defendants to murder Jenkins, etc., and the case was continued until to-day.
Source: Newspapers.com. The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. September 17, 1882. Page 11.
