The Outlaws of Cave-in-Rock Historical Accounts of the Famous Highwaymen and River Pirates

"The Outlaws of Cave-in-Rock" by Otto A. Rothert is a nonfiction book about the dangerous criminals who lived around the Ohio and Mississippi rivers during America's early expansion. It examines Cave-in-Rock, a place the outlaws used as a hideout, and tells the terrifying stories of people like the Harpes and Samuel Mason. The book starts by explaining why Cave-in-Rock was important and how it changed from a natural landmark into a criminal refuge during a time when there weren't many laws. The early parts of the book explain that it will look at old records and stories to tell about the crimes that scared people at the time. It shows how violent the outlaws were, using court documents and news reports to describe their actions, and makes the cave a symbol of lawlessness and the hard life of people living on the frontier.