Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-27

party intended to use the head in getting
the large rewards which had been offered
by both the Governors of Kentucky and
Tennessee, as Mr.. Ruby told me; but the
heat of summer rendered its preservation /
A tall young tree, growing /
by the side of the Gail, or road, was selected
and trimmed of its lateral branches to its
TOP, and then made sharp. On this point
the head was fastened. The skull and jaw
bone remained there many years after all
else had been decomposed and mingled with /
the dust. The place where this tree grew
Is in Webster county, and is known upon |
the map of Kentucky as " Harp's Head" to |
this day.
Mr.. Ruby informed me that Moses Stig-
ais character was very bad; and that he
was afterward killed for aiding Joshua |
Fleehart in running off with Miss Maddox. !
Peak Fletcher and brother of the young |
woman followed the runaways and overlook |
them in the now State of Illinois. They |
were found at night in a cabin, which was
cautiously and silently approached by the
pursuers; and at given signal, Maddox
and Fletcher fired upon Fleehart and Stig-
all through the chinks, and killed them
both. Miss Maddox was sitting at the time
his neck.
Thus the narrative, made by Mr.. Ruby,
is ended. But deem it proper not to close
this communication before giving some adj
ditional facts which l learned from
the late Maj. VIM. Stewart, of Lo-
gan county, who was one of the
most extraordinary men | ever knew
MAJOR STEWARDS NARRATIVE.
Al, Of mil
Maj Stewart told me that in the years 1874
he was doing business for 10. Ballenger,
in Stanford, XIV. when / was boy
often heard this man spoken OF and called
Dera 10. Ballenger.) In one of these years
Ballenger raised a party, captured the
Harps, and committed them TO jail in Stan
ford for the murder of Landlord, in the
wilderness between the Grab Orchard and
Cumberland Gap. The Harps were after
ward removed to the jail in Danyille Tor
safer keeping. They broke jail at Danyille
and got off with their wives and children,
and located them a few miles from the
present site Of the city of Henderson. After
that they left the country and were gone
until the summer of 1893, when they re-
turned.
Major Stewart confirmed the statement
already made as to the murder of the youth,
TIabue, and Mr.. DoOley. He told me they
also murdered man named Stump, on Big
Barren river, below Bowling Green. Major
Stewart informed me that he was Sheriff
of the county of Logan in 1913, and That
after the Big Harp was killed and the Little
Harp had fed from the State, their wives
and children were brought TO Russellville,
where the women were tried as accomplices
! of their husbands and acquitted.
Stigall and party of his associates in
! tended to murder the women after their ac-
| quittai, and sought opportunities to do 1t.
! This evil design was detected and its accom-
plishment prevented by the wise con-
! duct of Judge Or1nsby and Sheriff Stewart.
! The Judge, seeing the danger that the wo-
men would be murdered by mob, ordered
Stewart, the Sheriff, to put them in Jail, as
though it would never do to turn such cha
racters loose upon society; but secretly told
Stewart he would intrust the safety OF the
women to him, and he might remove them
after night to any place of safety. Accord
". Mai. Stewart told me, he put them il
Jail; but fearing they might not even be safe
there. as soon as he could do it whatsoever
ed. after dark, he removed them from thu
iail and hid them in a sink.
The next night he removed them about
five miles from Russellyille to cave, wher
be kept them hid and supplied with foo'
until Stigall and his party had left, and the,
could safely make their escape. Major ;
told me that Stigall and his party remaine'
i'm Logan county some days after the tria
of the women, hunting for them in ever
direction. Major S. said each of the thre
women had a child; that Big Harps tw
wives were coarse women, but tina
Little Harp's wife was beautitu
Young woman, and had been we
! raised. He also told me that the wife o
. Little Harp, after he was hung in Missi'
! sippi. had married highly respectful
( man, and raised by him large family {
= children, all of whom were much esteeme
2 for their honesty, sobriety, and industry.
2 asked the Major to tell me the name OF Il
| man she thus married. He said he cou
not be induced to diyulge it, because a sill
+ world might take occasion to reflect upc
her children in consequence of her come
: ton with Harp. l approved and asked 1
c more for the name.
n Major s. said the women seemed TO
e grateful to him for the manner in which
= provided for them, and they related to hi
: with apparent candOr the history Of the
: lives andS their connection with HarI
d Among other things he said they told hi
t thai their husbands had once been put
! iail at Knoxville, Tennessee on suspicion
S their being guilty of crime, when they we
II innocent; and when they got out they q
:. clared war against all mankind, and dett
II mined to murder and rob until they we
, killed. They likewise told Major 5. ii
r they might have escaped after the murd
d and robbery at Stigall's but for the dete
T tion at the branch where Smith was sh'
IS The Big Harp, expecting to be pursue
3, proposed that the three children should
=" killed, so that they might flee without Ii
1t incumbrance. His two wives and
st brother consented after some discussiC
l. But the wife of Little Harp, shortly ali
p the proposition was made, and before a
Is determination or conclusion had been arriv
d, at. took her child and went off withit to
E. branch, where she had seen a p
Id iecting. shelving rock. Reaching
ne spot. she placed her child under
u rock and laid down at its outer side, a
determined to remain in that situation a
nd there to die with her child. She foresaw Il
r the resolate will of Big Harp would
OF duce his wives and his brother to agree
Ot the sacrifice of the children. Her husba
p- followed her to the branch to let her KIN
lis that they had concluded to put the childl
Id to death. Just as soon as he saw his W
lp- in the position described, he saw Smi
Oh the horse hunter. approaching, He inn
let diately left his wife and child, and MOI
ur toward Smith. In very short time
i'm met Smith, and sounded the shrill viii
Up ON his "chdrger" which was the well
~ derstood signal of impending danger.
'er BIG Harp, almost in moment afterwa
ter made his appearance at the branch, mou
Ter ed on Loves mare, when tile firing &C
of menced Smith was shot down and
Harps fled. The Big Harp did not go
id, rectly to the camp, but circled around
all fearing that the enemies might alre
5ht have taken it.
Ter These sudden and unexpected eve
ed saved the lives of the children, by allow
ct no time for their execution. Little Ha
ION wife and child hastily returned to the ca
or when the firing took place little dista
he below the shelving rssk, and were m
me prisoners, with the wives and children
II. the Big Harp.
zen | have now written what was comm
the Gated to me as coming directly from
,od witnesses and paIticipatOrs in the tran
full tions related. This account differs in Ill
Of respects from that published in Col
Inc History, under the head of Hopkins con