Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
December 19, 1864
The Late Robbery at Worthington. - We made mention on Saturday morning, of the robbery by eight guerrillas, of the house of Mr. Alpheus Nay, in Worthington, Marion county, on Tuesday night last. Some five or six of the thieves were well known to Mr. Nay, having formerly resided in Marion county. For the past year and half they have been in the regular rebel army, or acting with guerrilla parties. Anderson, who led the late raid at Shinnston, was one of the party. Resin K. Fowler and one Ribblet, both of whom were at one time in prison here and were released on bail, were members of the gang. After taking Mr. Nay's eleven hundred dollars they went to the house of another citizen, which they surrounded and were about entering, when an alarm was created among them and they fled, firing off their pistols as they ran. They proceeded a short distance into the woods and remained till daylight, carrying things with a high hand.
On Thursday, two days after this occurrence, a company of sixty Union soldiers was sent in pursuit, but nobody expects that the thieves will be overtaken. We see no way of destroying these robbers and cut-throats except by the plan suggested by Gen. Crook, viz: Let the people everywhere form themselves into bands their own protection, and let the thieves when taken be treated as their captors may deem proper. Gen. Crook promises to furnish all the aid in his power for these organizations, and promises to sustain them to the utmost limit of his ability.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: December 1864