The Republican journal., 1871-11-09
The Lawless LoWreys.
Correspondence of the New York Herald.

Correspondence of the New York Herald.
RALEIGH. n G., Oct. -, 1871.
The vigorous measures which were in
sttuted nearly three months since on the
part of both the State and National Gov
ernments against Henry Berry Lowrey,
the notorious outlaw, and his laWless
gang, in Robson county, have Just been
brought to most inglorious and unsuc-
cesstul close
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
Government. They We're outlawed by
Governor Holden, and large rewards of
tered both by the State and County for
their arrest, but even this did not deter
them from committing the most daring,
bloody and inhuman deeds on record
For period Of over eight years, COM
mencing in 1868, the Lowreys and their
associates, the Oxendines and others, who
are q mixture Of Indian, negro and eau
casian, held a high carnival of crime in
Robeson and adjacent counties. They
became a terror to all law-abiding and
peaceful citizens, and every effort to cap
ture them proved unsuccessful. In the
utmost recesses Of an almost impenetrable
swami their headquarters are established,
and from this they emerged only when
their necessities required, or when they
desired to wreak vengeance on some per-
son OF persons who had made themselves
prominent in endeavoring to effect their
capture. The catalogue of murders and
assassinations they committed is most
startling and fearful exhibit. Since the
close Of the war they have murdered
some twenty-five citizens in their houses
or on the highway, and all in cold blood,
except recently, when two citizens were
killed belonging to party organized to
capture them. Lowrey and his gang
ambushed the party, and volley killed
two, wounded several and put the re-
mainder to fight. Such expeditions
against them in their swamp-bound quar-
tiers have been numerous, and have inva-
riably resulted in similar disastrous es-
capades. When their supplies of provis-
ions required replenishing Lowrey 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 resist
ance was offered they bound the owners
of the property to 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 fire.
quently been committed by this lawless
and desperate gang. In short, they de-
fed all authority, despised the efforts of
the local officials to effect their arrests,
and inspired such terror among the citi-
zens that few would be foolhardy enough
to attempt to ma Ike one of party to cap
ture them, and they roamed the country
living monuments of a feeble and misera-
bly, conducted government, and menace
to all peaceably 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 to
say how it would be found. One of the
gang, for whom a reward of $500 had
been offered, one day presented himself