The Archer Gang
And Wolfington-Jackman Cemetery
Wolfington – Jackman Cemetery is most noted because its connection with the Thomas G. Archer gang. The Archer gang made their headquarters in Lost River Township, Martin County, next to the Orange County Line. The gang was made up of family members Thomas Archer, his sons Sam and John, brother Martin, nephew Martin Jr., cousin Sam Marley, nephew Kinder Smith, and in-laws John Lynch and Sam Bunch.
Martin, Marley and Bunch were in charge of stealing timber. The rest of the gang devoted their time to robbing banks, stagecoaches, or whatever could be looted in the mid-west. Cole Younger reported, while serving time in prison, that Tom Archer was with him, Frank and Jesse James in Russelville, Kentucky in 1868 and St. Genevieve, Missouri in 1873 when they robbed banks in those towns.
Strange though it may seem, the Archers had a great respect for religion. Every Sunday they attended church. As it turned out, family differences lead to their downfall. Over the division of loot, Sam Bunch was murdered. Tom, Martin, and John Archer were arrested for the murder, and were confined to the jail in Shoals, Indiana. Vigilantes broke them out of jail and hung them on the courthouse lawn in Shoals. Tom Archer’s last words were, “You are hanging an innocent man”. This turned out to be true. It was learned later that he was not present when Sam Bunch was killed.
Sam Archer, who had gotten away, was apprehended, brought to trial, found guilty, and sentenced to hang. It is believed that he was the last to be executed by hanging in Indiana. Area churches joined together in demanding that Sam Archer not be buried in a local cemetery. He was instead buried in this cemetery with no marker.
Stories of the Archer gang have been told and retold many times over the years, and are still repeated in southern Indiana. For years after the hanging at Shoals, some people who lived near Outlaw Cave swore that they heard the squeak of leather and the jingle of bridles as men on horseback went riding by in the darkness of a cold March night.
Story by Delbert Himsel