The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-12-29
VOL. IX.-NO 60.

human bones answering Tie size If Col. =
Iiabue's son at the time oi his disappear
ance, were found in sink hole near the
place Were he was said to have Teen muir =
drrpd. .,.,..-
The llarpes still shaped their course to-
wards the mouth Of Green river, marking
th,ir path by murders and ROTH, ries Of the
most horrible and brutal character. The
district OF country through which they pass
Cd was at that time very thnly settled, and
from this reason their outragcs wen, nm un.
ished. They seemed inspired with the
deadlest hatred against the whole human
race, and such Was their implcable misan- q
thropy, that they were known 10 kill, whe,e q
there was no temptation 10 rob. One If
their victims was a little girl, found at some
distance from her hoTe, whose tender age
and helplcssness would have been protrc.
ton against any but iDcarnaie iiends. The
last dreadful act Of barbarily, which led To
their punishment and expulsion from tie
country, exceeded in atrocity all the others.
Assuming the guisr of Methodist preach
ers, they obtained lodgings one night at a
solitary house on the road. Mr.. Siagall,
the master Of the house, was absent, but
they found his wife and children, and a
stranger, who like themselves, had stopped
for the night. Here they conversed and
made inquiries about the two noted Harpes,
who were represented as prowling about
the country. When they retired TO rest,
they contrvcd TO secure an axe, which thew
carried with them into their chamber. In
the dead of night, they crept sof,ly down
stairs and assassinated the whole family,
together with the stranger, and then setting
lfe to the mouse. made their escape.
When Stagall returned, he found no fewi
TO welcome him; no home to receive him.
Distracted with grief and rage, he turned
his horses head from the smoulderng ruins,
and repaired TO the house Of Capt. John
Leeper. Leeper was one Of the most pow 3
eriul men Of the day. and fearless power
full. Collecting four or FIVE other MIN, well
armed, they mounted asd started in pursuit
Of vengeance. 1t was agreed that Le6per
should attack "Dig Harpe," leaving ''Lii,le
lIarpe" to be disposed of by StaGall. The
others were to hold themselves in readiness
to assist Leeper and Stagall, as circumstan.
ccs might require.
The party found the women belonging 10
The liarpes attending TO their little camp by
the roadside--,he men having gone aside
into the woods 10 shoot an unfortunate tray-
eller Of the name Of Smith, who had fallen
into their hands, and whom the womcn had
begged might not be despatched before their
eyes. 1t was this halt that enabled their
purSuers to overtake them. The women
Immediately gave the alarm, and the mis-
creants mounting their horses, which were
large, fleet and powerful, fed in separate di-
rections. Lecper singled out Big IIarpe,
and being better mounted than his compan-
ions left them far behind. Little Harpe sue
oecded in escaping from Staea,l, and he, with
the rest Of his companions, TUNED and fol
lowed on the track Of Leeper and Big IIarrP.
After chase Of nine miles, Leepcr came
within gunshOt of the latter and fired The
ball entered his thigh, passed through II and
penetrated his horse. IIarpe's gun escaped
| from his hand and rolled some eight or ten
feet down the bank. Rfloading his rife,
! Lecper ran up TO where the wounded out.
law lay weltering in his blood, and found
him with one thigh broken. and the other
crushed beneath his horse. Leeper rolled
the horse away and set lIarpe in an easier
| position. The robber begged that he might
not be killed. Leeper told him that he had
nothing 10 fear from him, but that Siasall
was coming mp, and could not probably he
restrained. liarpe appeared very much
frightened at hearing this, and imrlored
/ Locpcrto protect .m. In moment, Stag.
, al! appeared. and without u,tering a word,
raised !. : rife and ,hnt lIarpe through the
head. They then severed the head from
the body, and stuck il upon pole here
the road crosses tie ci,tk, from which tie
place was then named and is yet called
"llarpe's Head" Thus persisted one of
the boldeSt and most noted free bco'eis that
has ever appeared in America. Save rour-
age, he was without one redeeming quality,
and his death frcco the country flom ter
ror which had long paralyze its bo!dest
spirits.
The Little IIarre when ncxt leard from,
was on the road which runs from n. Orleans
: through the Choctaw grant TO Tennessee.
) While there he became acquainted with and
joined the band Of outlaws led by the cple-
, brated Mason. Mason mud lIarpe commit
ted many dcprcdaiohs on the abuvc-men-
toned road, and upon the Mississippi river:
; They continued this course of life mnpy
years, and accumulated great wealth. ~
nally Mason and his band became so noto-
: rious and troublesome that the Go, cInor uf
! the Mississippi territory offered q reward &c
r 500 for his head. Ilarpe Immediately de-
) trrmined io secure the reward for himself
, Finding Mason one day in thick cane
: brake, counting his money. he >ho, him. cut
on MS HtaNs anu 'HTIltU II 10 W aSnnCtrN,
, then the capital Of Mississippi. A man who
, had been robbed about year before BY Ma.
sons band recognized Ilarpe. and upon hi,
evidence he was arrested, arraigncd, tried
condemned and executed. Thus persisted
: the "LiItle Harpe," who, lacking the only
, good quality his bro,he" possessed oouisge
: was if anything more brutal and ferccious.
Scientific Prorhey.- About nineteen
years ago Mr.. Hale of Wilton, Conn,
then remarkably good student in his col.
lrsa'e course, was suddenly deprived Of
his reason and memory. In those crcnm.
stances, his father, Rev. Nj. Hale, sent him
r to Hartford; but finding no relief, he sent
him TO DR.. Chaplin, or Cambridge, Mass.
The Doctor said there was no relief for him
at that time, but at the age Of thirty ak or
seven, there would be u change that the
brain was too much expanded for the cram
ium, and there would at that age be q con.