Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-28
THE LAWLESs LOWREYs.
Exploits Of the Most Extraordinary
Gang Of Outlaws Known to Crime.
Robson County, North Carolina, In
;iFH 4 Anarchy. Fbegf 8.

I ;lri Anarchy. Hbagf 81
Campaign Of State and National
Troops Against the Lowreys-Tts Ut
ter FaiIure-The Troops Withdrawn
Z The Gang Propose .sTreaty of
: Peace''-DescriptiOn OF the Outlaws.
Z From the New York Herald.
RALEIGH, N. C., Oct. f13, I8Il.-The
vigorous measures which were instituted
nearly three months since on the part of
the State and national government against
Henry Berry Lowery, the notorious outlaw,
and his lawless gang, in Robson county,
have just been brought to a most inglorious
and unsuccessful close. airfs ~ trrT
The readers of the Herald are already
familiar with the history of these despera-
does, who have so long outraged the laws of
the State, and upon each of whose heads
a price had been set by The State govern
ment. They were outlawed BY Gov.
Holden and large rewards offered both
by the State and county for their
arrest, but even this did not deter them
from committing the most daring, bloody and
l g. ~ lNHUMANi DEEDS - .F..
on record For a period of over eight
years, commencing in 1868, the Lowreys
and their associates, the Oxendines and
others, who are mixture of Indian, negro
and Caucasian, held high carnival of
crime in Robson and the adjacent coun-
ties. They became terror to all law-abid-
ing and peaceful citizens, and every effort
to capture them proved unsuccessful. In
the Utmost recesses of an almost impenetra-
bic swamp their headquarters are estab-
lished, and from this they emerge only
when their necessities require, or when they
desired to wreak vengence on some person
or persons who had made themselves
prominent in endeayoring to effect their
capture. The catalogue of the murders
and assassinations they committed is a
most startling and fearful exhibit. Since
the close of the war they have murdered
some twenty-five citizens in their houses
and on the highway, and
ALL IN COLD BLOOD,
except recently, when two citizens were
killed belonging to a party organized to
capture them. Lowrey and his gang am
pushed the party, and volley killed two,
wounded several and put the remainder to
flight. Such expeditions against them in
their swamp-bound quarters have been
numerous, and have invariably resulted in
similar disastrous escapades. When their
supply Of provisions required replenishing
Lowery and his gang, armed to the teeth,
made a raid on some country store or farm
house, Quilted it, and retired back to the
swamp triumphant. On these occasions, if
resistance was offered they bound the own
ers of the property they were takingto trees
or fences and cut off their ears, and if they
were too unruly shot them down on the
spot. Added to these heinous crimes was
that of rape, which during the past five
years has frequently been committed by
this lawless and desperate gang. In short,
y THEY DEFIED ALL AUTHORITY,
despised the efforts of the local officials to
effect their arrest, and inspired such ter
ror among the citizens that few would be
foOlhardy enough to attempt to make one Of
party to capture them, and they roamed
the country living monuments of a feeble
and miserably conducted government, and
menace to all peaceabS disposed citizens.
If a better evidence of the utter contempt
in which they held the local authorities
were wanting than the following it is hard
10 say how it would be found One of the
gang, for whom a reward of 800 had been
offered, one day presented himself to a citi-
zen, and stipulated that the latter might ar
rest him and lodge him in the county Jail at
Lumberton on condition that he would
share the reward equally with him in two
weeks from the date of arrest. The citizen
agreed, and the outlaw was delivered to the
Sheriff, who had him
MANACLED AND sHACKLED
in the most thorough and approved manner
and then chained to the floor. In addition
to these precautions, bolts, bars and the
most pOnderous sort Of locks were placed
la ss,Ftl i'm i.l,
the outlaw was secured, but also upon the
outer doors of the Jail, so that there was no
possibility of escape. He remained quietly
incarcerated until the expiration of the
stipulated two weeks, and few days after;
bat the share Of the reward 5000 not be-
ing forthcoming, lie disappeared one bright
moonlight night. Into the very midst Of
the town of Lum5erton the gang came from
the swamp, broke open blacksmith's shop,
and after supplying themselves with tools,
went to the jail, made short work of the
locks and bars and bolts, and liberated their
fellow-outlaw. Soon afterwards the citizen
who made the arrest left the county.
Every one of the numerous expeditions
by the citizens against the Lowreys, usually
gotten up during the excitement attendant
upon one of their murders or outrages,
ei-SildilN lollCN. anu SCAlCisAAl ANoNAASN
" to some. and always unsuccessfully to the
would-be captors. At length the county
was becoming depOpulated, owing to the
fear and insecurity which the citizens felt,
and at the same time the LOwreys were be-
coming more daring, and, if possible,
MORE ATRoCIOUs AND OPEN
in tine commission of their Outrages. Under
these circumstances United States troops
were sent to Robson to afford that protec-
ton to life and property which the State
authorities had failed in doing. The troops
remained there nearly the entire year Of
1870, during which time the LOwreys were
as active as ever, and, to show how little
! they cared for troops, they shot and killed
in broad daylight man within 200 yards of
the soldiers camp. Soon after these troops
were withdrawn the community were again
startled by the announcement of another
horrible murder by the LOwreys, and again
an expedition, for the twentieth time, was
started against the outlaws. II was on this
occasion that the two citizens referred to
above were killed by the Lowreys in am
bush. In face of such open defiance of the
county authorities and such wholesale sac
rifice of life and property by the outlaws,
Gov. Caldwell ordered out the militia Of
the county, supplied them with arms and
ammunition, and placed them
ON A WAR FOOTING,
under the command of Adjutant General
| German, of the State forces. Large num-
! berS of United States troops being then in
! the State for the arrest and suppression of
the Ku-Klux Klan, the Governor applied for
| two comarpies to assist in capturing Low
rey and his gang. These were furnished,
ordered to Robson, and, with the militia,
were placed in the field some three months
ago, with the full determination of either
| capturing or annihilating the outlaws.
Since then the exploits of the Lowreys have
| been characterized by greater
| NOVELTY, IF NOT DARING,
! than ever No murders have been heard
! Of, but the outlaws have repeatedly shown
themselves in the most public places, and
once they fired upon a train on the Will
/ mingtOn, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad.
! Again. LOwrey himself invaded the militia
camp in the night time, cut his name on the
stock of a musket, and left complimenta-
~ note for Gen. German, stating that
his inspection Of the camp was most
satisfactory, and the discipline excellent.
At another time he was met by
squad Of United States soldiers on
| a road. They were unamed, but Lowrey,