NEWS: Calvin & Henry Bivens, caught on Top of Knob, 1941, Bullitt Co., KY ***************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. Commercial entities must ask for and receive permission from submitter before downloading. Contributed by Sam Brooks Date: 14 July 2002 ***************************************************************************** PIONEER NEWS Friday, November 21, 1941 "Bivens Brothers caught On Top Of Knob" Living In Tent, Having Rock Stove and Table Calvin and Henry Bivens, brothers, who broke out of jail a short time ago, was caught by men that were suppose to be night hunting, about midnight Friday. The Bivens brothers were delivered to jailor Jones at one o'clock Saturday morning. According to the hunters, one was asleep, the other awake. Saturday morning the Bivens brothers admitted to the wave of break-ins that have been occurring to the many camps and homes, stretching from Salt River across the Cedar Grove neighborhood to Clermont. Coroner Morrison and Deputy Sheriff Smith ask Henry Bivens to take them to the place they were hiding out, Henry replied he would take them. Morrison and Smith hit the trail led by Henry Bivens, they drove to Cedar Grove Church, turned right at the point and traveled a short distance and then turned off on a private road, which ran back about a mile to the old Port Thompson place, where the road ended; the officers led by Henry then set out by foot. Soon the trio began to climb a hill, which accorded to the officers, meant from one and one-half miles to climbed. After the long climb; Henry took the officers to the tarpaulin, that the brothers had made into a tent, inside the tent was countless articles that Henry confessed stealing, arranging from electric razors to radios and auto batteries. Henry told the officers where each article was stolen from. In addition to the piles of stolen goods in the tent, very crude furniture was used,(which might have been styled during the stone age), the tent was about eight feet long, five feet wide at the ground, with a stone table fixed in the rear of the tent. The table top was a piece of flat stone measuring about eighteen inches wide and two feet long, the top was on top of some long rock for table legs about twelve inches of the ground. Upon arrival of the officers they found a plate of flat slick biscuits (perhaps Stone age style also) and a coffee pot with some coffee, some soap and sugar; a pan and skillet was about all of kitchen utensils, a bucket and perhaps a stone served as chairs, their bed was mother earth. When entering this home in the raw the lads had a rock furnace, large enough to have small fire only, no dobbing in the rough rocks, from the furnace a long stove pipe led thought the door opening to the outside. A wash bench completed their furniture. Within four feet outside of the tent opening, was found two ham hocks stripped of the meat, also strewn around outside was rabbit fur. Water needed for washing and cooking had to be carried from a little winding brook at the bottom of the long steep hill. The Bivens brothers had planned to raise their standard of living. At the time the lads were apprehended, they had begun to erect a ten by ten foot cabin. Near the tent was found the foundation of the cabin, which had been built about four logs high. The logs measured about six inches in diameter. The sapling cabin would perhaps been completed in three or four more days. The home of these lads were actually what the city youth dreams about. They were alone on top of one the highest and prettiest knobs in old Bullitt County. The knob was glowing with those beautiful autumn leaves producing almost every color under the sun. Not a murmur to be heard, except the howl through the tree tops of the wind. Perhaps the barking of a fox and occasionally the hoot of an owl. Their closest neighbor was at least one and one-half miles away.