Most all that have visited my web site know I have a section where I list people who may not have been such bad people but who somehow or another committed acts that were considered infamous among those of the small community of Tazewell and New Tazewell. I have been gathering most all the information available in the local newspapers that dealt with Clarence "Pee Jem" Bunch in August of 1934. His hideout was in Claiborne County, the Caney Valley section known as Bunchtown and during that time the area was impenetrable by law enforcement from anywhere in East Tennessee. I have scanned some articles about "Pee Jem" and his moll Nellie Payne - no relation. The first of the scanned articles-

  • Elusive Bunch Gang Escapes from Cordon
  • Bunch's Moll Bound to Court With Bond $2000
  • Moll Tells Life Story - Nelle Payne says Nothing Incriminating to Self or "Sweetheart"
  • (Link no longer working) Chip Brown, Union County Historical Society tells of the death of one of Claiborne County's most notorious gangsters Clarence (Pee Jem) Bunch and of the Gus McCoig Gang. Also the killing of Union County Sheriff L.B. Hutcheson in a desperate Bank Robbery of Citizens Bank in 1935. Two Claiborne men mentioned only by last name are Jack Richardson and Mark Lewis. Leander D. Stone is also among those to testify at trial.
  • The day Clarence Bunch pondered the old graveyard/penitentiary dilemma
  • Sheriff Hutcheson gunned down on Hwy 33 Bridge
  • The graveyard or the penitentiary: Bullets ended Clarence Bunch's short-lived crime spree

    • If you have any first hand stories you would like to add please email them to me at Joe Payne.

    First hand story 1 - During the robbery of Citizens Bank in New Tazewell Pee Jem saw Monroe Poore at the window with a hand full of cash. Monroe told Pee Jem that he was there to pay off his farm loan and that if he stole his money he surely would loose his farm. Pee Jem told Monroe to go ahead and pay the loan and get a receipt, which he did. Pee Jem then proceeded to take the money from the bank employee. Ture story? You tell me.