Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-11-11
p
FAIRLY WESrEEN BANDITS.
M ssOM nMl the IIarps, and their Del,
~ the Cevc-ip.t he Rocks on the

EARLY WESTERN BANDITS.
\, nson ana the ll.rrs, and their pc"
~ the Cevc-'p-ihs Rocks on the
!. Aswriter,who lscontributiug n.series of
Interesting sketches of enrly scenes in the
Southwest in tho Natchcz Courier, thus
tells something about some famous robbers
who were tho terror Of the country about
sixty Years ago:
III those .Nrly limos tho WcEtcrnmen
brought their produce down the river in
hathoAts, and when they sold out their
cnrEurs thoy would return III larG" ccnli-
MES together 10y land. once noticed that
three men madrtheir appearances l,e' lone
OF whom was remarkable for his very
ferorinns n p van.uoe. lie bad y scar OF a
deep S.,lnr- cut across his brow. They were
dressed hks b..ckwoo.ls farmers. and min:
glal freely with the hu.tmeh: They chat
tercd' good deal about thrpricc of great
many articles, but nothing seemed to Salts
+ fl them. Having made uitnsselvtt' ac-
q,aintrd With all the lnntmenantl caronse,l
with them q good deal, they al last .disup
prnrrI. AS they We're walking up the hill
/ heard something, like the following CON
vcrsatlon, Though il was in u Suppressed
whisp,rsS a >&hW Captain" said thr small
est Of the three. ''therc's geese worth pick
ing down there" <""Hold yonr jaw. Littl,
Harp" replied the Others yen n,c ever.
lastingly bIal,bing:. INhaye tpfmlsh you,
mouth for you yet. Before l'get You broken
in, Won INTERNAL villain, you s. j..
About two pipnths ;after these ,rutlians
hat Disappeared, the whole country was
startled by the ue&s thatA large company
Of Kcntuckians and 'been robbed 10y Il I'an,
| OF robbers upon the Nashville trace,
Shortly after, three gcntl.m'n, a Ethel
and his two sons, started to kentucky and
when they had got pretty we'll into the
wilderness they too, were met and robbed
of everything they had. This excite d iii.
community TO the highest pitch Of imliss;-
milton. They brsought Gov. Claibourne
to bring the, power OF the government t,
bear and arrest the 'rolb,rs. He accord
ingly offered . large reward for them dead
or alive.
Great was tho mcrrimcnt made by Ma
son = that was the bandits nnn,e-- and lis
men when they reIl the Governors procla
nation. They lnnGhed Mt and ridicnled it.
How long he could have lc,e.i The nlthor.
tiles no one knows, ii there had not Lee,
treachery III the band. The old ,ll;.ge ttu,i
there is honor among thieves did not hold
good in this case. One night they Were
sitting around their blazing camp fires
They had just made - successful raid upon
the settlements, ana Mason was distribute
|, ing the booty. Little Harp crrpt mp be
hind him aud buried y ton,ahawk in Iii:
head. NIayo fell dead, and his ,nilty sS,l
| was nshered into the presence OF his Mi
ker.
The CONSERVATIVES then ch,n,c1 off hi,
b.oI on.1sh,n,ohts;e - w.sh,not,n A.,
Ss"t of cnc.r,,nsa.,t...,a1 c1a;n,a,1 H., ~,
wor1 eWk S3 5fssSSss;; sss.I,o,,t that III,
"raat ro,,tsrs.S f 80 IE ffi;sn and ,%a
Els head Sssins Wssl etoa IA identified.
ton, all the, 1Soplpin the settlement Il.
mud near ff1cF16fG fsddff Many who ha.
been yictinG.. = i,ehizsd. ii, IL once ant
swore to it;;ssJoelk WAS no mist6king thos,
CHASTITY mia features. ithatlc terrible
scar Tli6 ,mea who. iaf dom the dee.
were Lail6 ot;firsts Is pub]icasb enetuctors
for thcy hAx3rfl tho world of 4 nlonster.
Now. although tho GovernorS had prom
ised a iareS reward ,sy1s unfortunately whe,
he called for fho:yn onSS was found tina
the treasury. was, emf "a this seems to b.
a chronic tSKl,laint VIII nv dear old state
| or conrs6Iltoa ntudaaa;ss II MASON w,r, IL,
lnyed in aettino fheif nav. This lei to In
| drtectio,snf the consnitsfora:. Tor # 40 han
nennd that TIA ar pent lsninns md his tw,
sons WIZ, had h.an rohhal wnr. ,mon,
4h,. number who came to look Mt tho, ,nL
Ecr'I NAL trrHa ,no,he,t tI,,.vS III tlM;
evas IN lille Harm thpvevc,,,no.I ,l,ncss
TLe father sl;nned ont and in y l;tfio Will
onneurel Will, m officer Rois;n,, his vote,
anil nointinc his FINGER Mt fittle Harm n
snid. II charge Won, sir. rs bcinc one q
Muson's band: of robbers:" Little Har,
was seized. and his accomplicc also. Tbi
was almost ns startling to the crowd No WI
the sight Of Nason's head.
| A. t,,ot s3f,so t.,,srii s,sEa :rt,,o tour, !,
1.n:rrn'' oo;,,,i; IN ~ Tt'oiT',, to,,- -
CnI.'s orasp "omoI Groon",,I'' IN nnno
~ Gana,ol Natha,,;., Groonn vlo nr;,,;
u.,,~> Ct. r,s. hn.nl,t from Aha n,,.ta =
ac nexSvlrd odl.d * f.o%' IN,
scfSfss az a1';;.t xnnt Snd 1,er,,+,,o,'d a.;
,,"r,. oni th" foliow;nn nanod '"a" WA, vvn,'
it,. trnston.. n W Tra2ooio It na,r,,a
4 Eii;s r. McHav and Roim,t r,nx NV" 80
sNa iittIa loyin SyhfI a,os s;nan nXsco,
tx n.3So s.th;%r h"t 80 ,s.as,,,ar ~,
county sent: t6;ther Little Harm was com
,,o,,.'I 49, ,.,... ,ae,,,i""1. .;t W." o.'
veye% ''n ia WIS ft n' sn1 1''ta ana con
M,eo, hs;no Ianr;vod e. ;tr ,oo1or ",',1 -
MOST skilItnI licntenant a;snersc1 , nd, wa ~
nnvar ottarword haarI Of "''
An Of vom have M donht heard of nob;,
Hood Of Sherwood Newest. Int 7 Ionh
wht thcr many Of Won ayfr heard hofore q
this KNIGHT of tina "Gavo in the Hocl-
This bold, bad man had once held hio]
carnival in hollow cave that lies in IT,
bank Of the Ohio river.
The;soniv approach to it was by boats
l
then sparsely-settled region. couli hold y
sent AGAINST them IA nomination: incraa,
ed around him, his situation bocamcsmor
nrecarionY and he f.l Will h;s honI +
the Sontl, IIe,c ba hovore3 an tho ho,1
arg Of thn Indian Nation and uanlI ,ttae
,,,'oravar Lootv ,vas to no r',"1 p o''s".
ri IN frana oiu"ws ~, ~ oiort !, . ""u,
49,; ~ IA or -. ,Ha..;to,, 4I.,' ~
,,;th a;,o.;,;s, ,a;,;;1;t,. 1f ~, '" o ~.
haJ nnt rreva'3 troo.,,o mo H. III ''na3a
h;litv no cnnlI nova III - l,",,,,l,t,r r
~ ny. Go~nrnun,,t eor . ,a,'". "1 1'''. u,
. law OF t =. 3o tne wicked are Otter
,.nr;.,, W "''''"'''on ny Tue ''lefS 'ne
The story of ..T ittlo Harm" boe o,rooa
been written in n little book called '.IIall
| AeBeuus VI Tue west. IL seems tina
thefe were two brothers of that name, VIII,
thl most dlrin9 robbers that ever infestc,
Kentucky. They were called bv wav of dis
tinctiou, BIC Harp and Little Harm. on ar
count Of tho difference in their size. Nh,
people of Kentucky had become OK
! aspeyate(l at their ontrnnes. and determin
| ed to HINT them tn The death The mr.
snit was carried m v;tL the ,ut;enco of III,
sleuth hound. until ut last ih.v were, over
taken. Ri, Harn wls nnrsned Inv o;c,r
-, .5,T. ' ..,