Riot in Green Co., IL 1829-1830
Recently I was in the Greene County courthouse and was searching the chancery records. I found this interesting information. The case begins Jan 1, 1829, and ends Aug 1831 in Greene Co., IL.
The gist of the trial is that Doctor Thaxton is walking along and sees a steer being penned up by ALEXANDER BANNING and believes it to belong to William Thaxton. ALEXANDER BANNING say it was estray and does not belong to Wm Thaxton. Dr Thaxton makes a legal document that it does belong to William and later there is a continuing case with many documents which bring charges against Doctor Thaxton for perjury. He is arrested and must post bond of two hundred dollars. Then a few months later some of Doctor Thaxton friends, John Bishop, Beal Bishop, William Bishop and George Coonrod, go to the home of ALEXANDER BANNING and beat a man there named Robert Whitaker. Robert brings charges against these men and then he too is arrested for perjury. The friends of Dr Thaxton are all arrested for inciting a riot. Then Robert Whitaker sues ALEXANDER BANNING for slander.
There are many documents of summons and court appearances. Some of the people in these documents are: William Thaxton, Sally Thaxton, Jeremiah Thaxton, Larkin Thaxton, Caty Thaxton, Starling Thaxton, William Grimes, John Painter, Clement Bateman, William Waltrip, Thomas Lee, Marthy Thaxton, Henry Coonrod, Luke Waltrip, James F. Pinkerton, ALEXANDER BANNING, CLARK BANNING, ANN BANNING, John W. Skidmore, John G. Connor MG, Nancy Vaught, Susan Vaught, Alden Rodes, John Drum, John W. Scott, Robert Simmons, David Casbear, James Neal.
Dr Thaxton is found guilty of Perjury, Robert Whitaker is innocent of perjury. Jeremiah, William, and Beal Bishop as well as Geo. Coonrod are found guilty of the Riot and fined fifteen dollars each. In the case of Robert Whitaker Plaintiff vs Alexander Banning Deff. It reads "We of the Jury find that the words spoken were True" Where upon it is considered by the court that the defendant recover of the Plaintiff, his costs in this behalf expenses."
I copied pages of documents regarding this court case. I will be happy to share these documents with you.
As you can see most of these folks are intermarried. It must have been some family feud! Then, they all pack up and most of them are in Williamson and Saline Co., Ill. in the 1840 census.
Contributed 05 Jan 2017 by Marjorie I Nichols
