The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-04

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scunietown. and he was a remarkable looking
muatto, with yellowsh olive skin, good features.
and handsome. appealing unreliable, uninter-
pretable pair OF black eyes. So good looking
mulatto man, with such a complexion, 1 had not
seen. Like the rest ne had the Tuscarora Indian
blood IN him, with the duplicity OF the mixed races
where the white blood predominates. He was
roned fast to the seat and looked at me with look
nquistlve, pltiul evas,ve and ingenious by turns.
II should describe the man by the words nearest
my IDEA should call him negro Indian gypsy.
The passengers were apprelensive AID inqusi-
tive together wanting to know all about Lowery and
dreading to encounter him. The fullest, and often
very intelligent, explanations were made to me,
and every facility was rendered to assist me to
form accurate conclusions as to the characters in
the pand.
Colonel S. L. Fremont, General superintendent
OF the Rutherford Railway, will permit no passen.
ger carrying arms for the purpose OF shooting
Lowery to ride his trains, he fears that such
permission will endanger the safety or the railway.
L0wery could toss train or almost any day, but he
seems to hold superstitious respect for the United
States mails.
lew months ago q man BY the name OF Marsden
announced that he meant to travel up and down the
road as detective and XIII Lowery on sight. TO
Put him to the test Lowery ana all the band up.
peared with cooked shotguns at Moss Neck station,
and stood at respectable. yet furtive, ''present
arms, while the braggart for such he was, crawled
under the car seat. Lowery offered 500 reward
to anybody who would tell him whether Marden or
Marsden was on the tran as he meant to follow the
fellow up the road, but he would not cross the
platform himself. The conductors and engineers
say that there Is perfect safety ON the trains,
although none know when the outlaw leader may
take offence against the company or its Officers.
LUMBERroN IN COURT WEEK.
The Rutherford Railway traverses the counties OF
the southern tier of North Carolina, passing few
towns OF magnitude, but built generally through
the pitch pine woods, whose white boes stripped
q few feet from the grouud ana notched to provoke
the flow OF the sap and 10 eaten it, resemble the
mterminabe tombstones of woodland burial
ground. Swamps intersect the woods and the
rcsinous-ooKlng waters OF many creeks and canals
alternate with deserted rice fields, the skeletons OF
Old turpentinc distillerles, the stubble OF ragged
cotton plantations some occasional weather black
ened shanes, and now and then q sawmn or q
pile OF newly hcwn timber. Fiat humid, almost
uninhabited, is the travellers first impression Of
the country. But there Is speck OF light and life
at Abboutsve, home OF ex- United States Senator
Abbott who has built up the "Cape Fear Building
Company" 10 supply ready made houses TO the
people OF his adopted State, and whose private resi-
uence, Oh yellOW frame, Is next 10 the large MIL
and branch railway OF the enterprise.
After five hours ride we came to the weather.
blackened, unpainted town of Lumberton. on the
flowing Lumber River, a branch OF the Pedee.
Lumberton is the seat OF Robson county, the
stamping ground OF Lowery's band. With one ex-
ceptlon--and that disputable as the act OF the
band-no murder has been committed by the
Lowerys beyond the lines OF this county. 1t con-
tains, by the census OF 1870, 3,042 men above the
age OF twenty-one. BY the censue OF 1850, the
last preceding census available ut this point OF
view, 1t contained $50 whites unable to read and
had at that time LII free negroes, or moro than
even the pOpulous county IN which Wilmington
stands, ana quntaple the free negro population OF
the adjacent counties. SculierOwn, a few miles
distant from Lumberton was OF the largest free
negro settlements In the United States before the
war against slavery, and 1t was, besldes an almost
immemorial free negro settlement. This being
Court week, the town OF LumDerton was full OF
Scufietowners and .saw ana talked with Sinclair
Lowery and Patrick Lowery, elder brothers OF the
outlaws, aud also with ''DicK' Oxendme, who
married the only sister OF Henry Berry
Lowery, and who keeps a barrOom IN
the Court House village. Besides 1 visited
the scene OF the latest exploits Of the Lowerys,
the capture OF The most valuable sale the town,
as well as the county Official safe which they con
]aIl where Henderson OXendines gallows stood,
and the court room, where noisy crier made proc
lamaton from the opon window, and the garru Gus
Judge Clarke was delivering charge upon the
enormlties OF these bandtti, crying meantime into
mis- pocket handkerchief. Besides, talked with q
great number of the leading citizens, who, to q man,
were Of Scotch descent; and at noon next day, re-
Stunning the train, visited Scufetown and slept
with courteous entertainers at Shoe Heel, in the
heart Of The pine forest.
The incidents OF these excursions Will appear
hereafter Let me now address myself to descrip.
ing the outlaws.
DESCRIPTION OF HENRY BERRY LowERY.
Henry Berry Lowery, the leader OF the most for
mldabe band OF outlaws. considering the small
ness OF It's numbers, that has been known In this
country is of mixed ruscarora, mulatto and white
blood. twentyslx years OF age five feet nine inches
high and weighing about $50 pounds. He has straight
black hair, like an Indian dark goatce, and q
beard graceful In shape, but too thin to look very
black. HIS face slopes from the cheek bones to the
tip OF his goatec so as to give him the southern
American contour OF physognomy; bur 1t Is lighted
with eyes OF different color-eyes of gray sh
hazelat times appearing light blue, with drop Of
brown In them but In agitation dilating darkening,
and, although never quite losing the appearance OF
q smile, yet In action IL Is smile OF devish ma
ture. His forehead is good and his face aud
expression refined remarkably SO. considering his
mixed race, want OF education and long career of
lawlessness. scar Of crescent shape and black
color lies In the skin below his left eye. said to have
been made by an iron pot falling upon him when
child. His voice Is sweet and pleasant, and in his
manner there ID nothing sef-lmportant or swagger.
ing He not laxative, listens quietly and searches
out whoever is speaking to him Ike illiterate
in all books save the TWO great books of nature and
human above ALL The color OF his skin is Of
o wnitish yellow sort, with an admixture of cop
per-such skin as for the nature OF It's compo.
nents is Ia color ndescribape, there being no negro
hood IN 1t except that OF far remote generation of
muauo, and the Indian still apparent. 1t Is
enough TO say OF this skin that 1t seems to suffer
little change by heat cold, exposure or sickness