n 1869, Tazewell County, Illinois, located along the East side of the Illinois River, was on the very edge of the western frontier. Law and order had been established, but the citizens were terrorized by a gang of horse thieves which included four brothers. They committed horse rustlings, burglary, robbery, assaults and even murder until finally it culminated when they ambushed a posse and murdered a deputy sheriff, brother to the local sheriff. Angry citizens mete out their own justice. Lynch Law tells in narative form, an accurate account of the incidents leading up to, during, and after enraged citizens attacked the jail and lynched one of the gang before being stopped by a tough city marshal. A great piece of America's frontier history.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A documentary in great narrative form, this book is a well told and exciting true tale of America's western frontier history that I believe warrants a place in America's written history as much as do the James gang, the Daltons, Billy the Kid or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is a great example of true frontier justice meted out by citizens when they have reached a boiling point with outlaws. Lynch Law takes you back to that time and lets you witness the true story behind the lynching as it unfolds. If you are a lover of the cowboys of our past and true western books, you'll want to grab this book as soon as possible.

FROM THE AUTHOR

Lynch Law is the result of a long and hard research project undertaken by co-author James Brecher and I over a period of two years that led us through many libraries, court houses and homes. We were able to find many court documents and newspaper articles of the time. We also obtained personal records from descendants of the Berrys to help us in the development of an accurate account of the incident.