Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-07-30


- .aose Of selling them for ms own pro"t'--.'ni
'@. ,,cod 10 ten years imprisonment in the pcni-
Of Tennessee, where he is at thi, time.
a.. have now before us pamphlet containing a
III account of the arrest OF tins daring free
II, N;rs;l A. Stewart, carly in the year
"a IN the ruth of which, however, 50 startling
;,s character, we placed bu, little confidence
.,,,antc narrative had be npartially con-
J.. recent events. We did not believe that
''''~ :, ;ncarnate liend lived on the face of the
p,t ve can no longer doubt its truth, or
a ..,,ol1 from Mr. Stewart, his captor, the credit
.lile 10 his ingenuity and intrepidity.
. ~. Stewart. in order TO ascertain whether Muir
! h,1 stolen the negroes of a friend of his,
1p,r.,n John fleming, Of Madison county, Ten
" determined to pursue him to point where
: va, supposed that he had concealed them. fal-
=. IN with Murrcl, ON the very day that he start
! ! n nr,uit, Stewart icigned entire ignorance OF
l., oame and character of his companion, and, by
.,,o most ingenious sratagcmS, wormcd himself so
.,.,lete,y into the confidence Of the villain, that
l.. ohta;ned from him succinct history OF the eN-
no;,s of his past life, which had been one contin-
,,d series robbery and murder, perpctrated under
in, circumstances, and concealed by the most
,rtfl m,nquvres. While, however, Anrrel was
,.iy loading his soul with crimes OF this character,
l.. ..,s meditating a scheme Of vainy, on the
-, extensive scale, and which, had il been only
n,rtally successful, must have resulted in the most
,o,a1;nu consequences. This diabolical scheme
vas nothing less than a Sorh hSWTcCHon, to be
,o,sumna,ed on the 25th Of December, 1888, in
al the saycholding States and Territories, from
MARYLAND to Louisiana. For the purpose of pre-
narino for this great stroke, he had travelled fs
IN New Orleans; thence, ria Cincinnati, to Lex
nqon (ky.) thence to Richmond, Va; thence
IN Charleston, Millcdgcvillc, Savannah and Au-
austa from which place he returned to " illam-
son county, Tennessee, his native place, or, hc
calls il, his ''old stamping ground. He says
" In all the route | only robbed eleven men but
preached some fne sermons, and scattered some
counterfeit United States paper among my broth
rem" The lend Covered with crime, and vet
I daring to ascend the pulpit, as the messenger of
the Most HIGH Did he not fear that he might
be blasted by the lghtnnes If Heaven? He goes
on to say that he regarded thi, plan "as the sure
road to an ncxhaustible fortune to all who would
engage in the expedition; - and he adds: MY
heart began to beat high with the hope of being
able, one day, TO visit the pomp of the southern X
western people in my vengeance. Il of seeing their
cities and towns common scene of devastation,
smoked walls and fragments" Fortunately, how
ever, his career of inquity was about to be termna
ted at least for season. Mr.. Stewart after obtain
ing from him Il full confession of the villancs
which had signaized his career, and develop
uent of his future plans, succeeded in bringing him
notto full Justice, at least to temporary punishment.
And ii is to be hoped, should he survive his present
confinement, & be permitted again to go abroad in
the world, that his footsteps will be logged and his
manuuyres yigiantly watched by every community
which may be cursed with his presence
Mr. Stewart also succeeded in obtaining from
Murrel partial list of his contodcratc> in the diff
ferent slayehodinq States Murrell rcmarking, on
handing ii to him, that there is not paper enough
to make proper list but when you come up to
my house, we will have time to make complete
one, and this will do until then, as YOU will not
travel any, until you 90 with me a few trips and
learn the routes; and there is not near all the
names ON this list, but there is no more paper to
write on | want YOU to be with me at New Or
leans, on the night that the negroes commence
their rayagcs | intend to head the company that
attacks that city myself. feel an ambition to
demosh the city which was defended from the ra-
wages of the British army, by the great Gen. Jack
SON. When we first read the pamphlet giving
the detail of Murrel's infamous career, We were
disposed to look upon it VIC do the biographies
OF villains generally, with many grains Of allow
cnce'-and as to his list of confcdcratcs, we had
. no doubt that 1t as vastly exaggerated in NUMBER
y sindeed that many of the names upon it had
! NJ living representatives. But, on examining it.
we find that hco of the Mississippi ncondiarics,
E Cotton and lluner) are upon it, aud have
therefore less reason to doubt the accuracy of the
remainder The number of these contcdcrateS a.
mounted in Tennessee, to 81 Z; Mississippi, II ;
Arkansas %; Kentucky, 25 Missouri, p Ia
mong the number in Missouri is the celebrated
stephen W. Foreman, who was some months AGO
apprehended as the head of an extensive gang of
counterieers y Alabama, % Georgia, 81; South
Carolina So; North Carolina, 81 Virginia, u :;
Maryland, II; Florida, 10; Louisiana. - ;
. Transformers, who travel from place to place"
al, 4