Between Fact and Fiction: A Search for the Jennings Gang of Wetzel County, West Virginia

By David L Neidert

The Jennings Gang of Wetzel County, West Virginia reigned terror in the state's Panhandle from 1869 to 1873. Two stories were written about the gang, its members, and their crimes. One was labeled a history, while the other became categorized as fiction. What, however, is the core narrative if the history used the material tagged as a fictional story for its own content? Between Fact and Fiction investigates both accounts to determine the foundational and true story of the notorious gang. Emerging from newspapers, court documents, and a state's legislative records rises an accurate account of this outlaw band and their heinous crimes. It also chronicles how citizens ultimately dealt with this criminal element: vigilante justice. A band of highwaymen ruled a region for years; that is fact. How two differing accounts told the story is reconciled through this book's investigative search for the certainty of the Jennings Gang. Neidert's research is compelling and convincing for what are the facts of the Jennings' story. He remains driven to find corroborating or contrasting accounts and authorities for reconciling two century old differing narratives. From a review by James Bell, Director of Libraries, Anderson University

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1737300346
• ISBN13: 9781737300342
• Release Date: November 2023
• Publisher: D L Neidert
• Length: 381 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.9" x 6.0"