Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-08-13

Ths allowing account of notorious individual.
l,ov IN tho Tennessee State prison. & who'll APP
pears was, through bis accomplish. concerned in
.the contemplated insurrecsion n Mississippi. is
from the correspondence u the Lynchburg vir-
ginian.
This Murrel was tried in jackson. Ma
Olson county, Tennessee, in june 1854,
was found guilty OF negro steaisog--or,
more properly speaking. decoy,ng negroes
from their masters, for the purpose o. sell
ling them for bis own PROFIT, -ano sen
fenced 10 ten years imprisonment IN tne ,
the peuiten.iary Of Tennessee, where he IS
At this time. We have now before Us
pampblet containing detailed account OF
lie arrest Of this daring freebooter, by V.
A. Stewart. early IN the year 1884, in the
truth Of which, however, SO startling was
IFS character, we placed but little conf
dence until that romantic narrative had
l,een partially confirmed by recent events.
We did not believe that such an ncarnate
fiend lived on the face OF the earth. But
we can no longer doubt its truth or with
hold from Mr.. Stewart, his captor, the
credit due alike TO his ingenuity and intre-
pidity.
Mr.. Stewart, in order TO ascertain whe-
Their Marrell had stolen the negroes of a
friend Of bis, (Parson John Henning, Of
Madison county, Tennessee,) determined
to pursue him TO point v here il was sup
posed that he had concealed them. Fal-
ling in with MurreIl, on the very day that
he started in pursuit, Stewart fcigncd en-
tire ignorance Of the name and character
Of bis companion. and by the most ingeni.
Gus stratagcms, wormed himself 50 COM
aplctely into the confidence Of the villain,
that he obtained from him succient his
tory OF the exploits of his past life, which
had been one continued series Of robbery
and murder, perpctrated under various
circumstances, and concealed by the most
aftful manGuvres While. however, Muir
fell. was daily loading bis soul with crimes
Of this character, he was rneditating a
scheme OF viliainy, on the most extensive
scale. and which, had il been partially sue
'cessful, must have resulted in the most APP
palling consequences. This diabolIcal
sehomc was nothing less than a Servile in
surrection, to be consumatcd on tho 25th
December, 1885, in all the slsveholding
States and Territories. from Maryland TO
1ouisiana. For the purpose Of preparing
for this great stroke, he had travelled first
to Now Orleans, thence, via Cincinnati. 10
Lexington, KY; thence TO Richmond, Va.
thence TO Charleston, Milledgevile, Sa-
vannah, and Augusta; from which place
he returnsdto Williamson county, Ten.
ncssec. bis native place, or, az he calls il,
his cold stamping ground" He says, ain
all the route only robbed eleven men
but preached some fine sermons. and scat.
tered some counterfeit United States pa
per among my brethren" The 6end!--
Covered with crime, and yet daring to as
ccnd the pulpit, as the messenger Of the
Most High! Did he mol fear that he might
he blasted by the lightnings Of Heaven ?
lie goes on 10 say that he regarded this
plan "as the suro road 10 an inexhausta-
BILE fortune TO oil who would engage in the
expedition !" and no adds: +" MY heart be.
saa to beat high with the hope OF being
able one day, TO visit the pomp of the
southern and western people in my ven
geance, and OF seeing their cities and towns
one common scene Of devastation. smoked
walls and Fragments" Fortunately, how.
ever, his career Of iniquity was about TO
be terminated, at least, for season. Mr.
Stewart, after obtsiniDg from him full
confession Of the villanies which had sig
nalized his career, and Development Of
his future plans, succeeded in bringing him
If not to full justice. at least, to temporary
punishment; and 1t 10 to DO hoped, should
he survive his present confinement, and be
permitted again 10 go abroad in tho world,
that his footsteps will be logged and his
manGuvres vigilantly watched by every
community which may be cursed with bis
presence.
Mr.. Stewart also succeeded in obtaining
from Murrell partial list of HE confcde- |
rates IN the different siaveholding States
hllrrcll remarking, on handing il TO him, |
fhat there IS not paper enough TO make |
a proper list. but when you come to my
house we will have time to make com |
,piete one, and this will do until thea, as
you will not travel any, until you go with |
me few trips and learn the routes and
there 10 not near all the names on this list
but there IS no moro paper TO write on I
want you 10 be with me al New Orleans,
on tho oght that the negroes commence
their ravages intend to head the com
ssany that attacks that city myself feel
an ambition 10 demosh the city which |
was defended from the ravages OF the Bri.
tlsh army, by the great Gen. Jackson -
When we first read the pamphlet giving |
the details Of Murre.l's Infamous career,
we were disposed to look upon it as we do |
the biographies Of villains generally, with
many grains of aIlowance"-an as 10
ms list OF conlederates, we had no doubt
that II was vastly exaggerated 10 number,
and indeed that many Of the names upon
At had no living representatives. But, on
examining it, we fad that two OF the Mis-
sissIppi incendiaries, Cotton and Hunter)
are upon il. and we have, therefore, less
reason TO doubt the accuracy of the re.
mainder.
The number Of these confederates in |
Tennessee amounted fa6I h;s.iss;nn; Al