Historical Society dinner to feature a rip-roaring story of a pair of criminals and an unlikely hero

Dr. Randy Mills will give a presentation on the Reeves Gang at the Dubois County Historical Society meeting being held on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 6:30 pm Eastern Time.  

Be prepared to be entertained by a true, rip-roaring story from Dubois County’s past, a yarn that has all the elements of an American Wild West tale. The tale centers on the Reeves outlaw gang, operated by two brothers, John and George Reeves, whose headquarters was in Columbia Township in Dubois County. Their most despicable crime was the brutal murder of two Dubois County deputies in 1886 just east of Jasper, a bloody crime from which they were able to escape the law and flee to Kentucky. Eventually, the two brothers would disappear, hiding in plain sight in a remote region of southern Illinois, where they tried to go straight. They were captured in 1901, sixteen years after the murders, and sent back to Dubois County to stand trial.  

The most remarkable part of their reign of terror, however, was yet to be played out, with a slight built young man from Jasper a little tailor named J. P. Huther, becoming a state and national hero in the process.    

Randy Mills, a former resident of Jasper, has written more than eighty articles for professional journals and nine books on Indiana and Midwest history. He is a Distinguished Professor in the Educational Leadership Program at Oakland City University.    

The meeting will be held at the Dubois County Museum, 2704 N. Newton St., Jasper. A buffet dinner will be served followed by a business meeting, an election of officers and the program. 

The cost of the meal is $15.  Annual dues of $5 are payable.  For reservations call Mary Ann Hayes 812-482-2847, call Tom Fierst 812-630-8882 or email mhayes@duboiscountymuseum.org.  

Reservations are due by March 18. The public is invited to attend.