It is seldom that we can get hold of a local item of any kind, so quiet and orderly are the citizens of good old Hardeman county, but for once the “ice has been broken” and we have a story to relate. Sometime ago, Mr. William BOWLING Jr., who resided in the southern part of the county, had 1,500 dollars in gold stolen from him. It appears that the money was kept in an outhouse in which was stored away a large quantity of cottonseed. The door to this house was kept securely locked and the keys were kept in what was supposed to be a safe place. It was the usual custom of the old gentleman to occasionally look after his hidden treasure. When suddenly the gold disappeared and no traces of the thief could be found until one day this week. A negro man who was engaged as a laborer on the premises of Mr. BOWLING exhibited more of the precious metal than is usual for freedmen to carry about their persons. He was arrested, closely questioned, and not only implicated himself, but also a negro woman whom he had recently married. She too was arrested and on last Tuesday the two were brought to town; not before they had made a complete confession as to their guilt. About 1,100 dollars of the money was recovered. The other portion of the amount stolen had been spent in various ways, not forgetting to lay in a good supply of clothing, useless notions, etc. The guilty parties are in safe quarters and no doubt will be sent on a pleasure trip to the stone edifice at Nashville.
The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.), 13 Oct. 1866, Page 3. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
