The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-24
THE SWAMP ANGELS.
The Murder Of Colonel Wishart by
"SteVe" Lowery.
The Promise 70 meet taS Kufians- Lowery's
Summons and the Meeting place-Ths
reachercds Assassins Shoot Him Down
While Awaiting the Expected
Conference.-The Murderer
Boasts Of the Deed.
WILMINGTON, N. c., May %, 1872.


BY this evenings mail am in receipt OF the
main particulars OF the interview between the
'swamp angelsu and Colonel Frank Wishart few
DAYS previous to the assassination OF the latter.
This took place at Moss Neck. On Friday, before
his DEATH Colonel Wishart was aboard the regular
through freight train which arrived at Moss Neck
at three O'Clock T. NJ, and was at rat
plying seat in the conductors car, Ill the rear Of
the train. Soon after the train halted the two
outlaws, Andrew Strong and Stephen Lowery, ap-
preached the car, and recognizing Colonel Wshart,
they accosed him In civil and friendly way.
Stephen Lowery inquired whether he had any arms
and went aboard the Car to satisfy himself on that
point, Andrew Strong remaining on the piazza Of
the store within few feet of the train. Andrew
was In his shirt sleeves and wore only one pistol
IN his belt, but Stephen carried in his hand o
Spencer rifle, and in his belt five elegant pistols
two Derringers, one Smith Wesson and two
Colts.
THE OUTLAWS 1NsoLENCE.
Entering the car Stephen demanded to sec hts
arms, when Colonel Wshart drew aside the skirt Of
his coat and displayed the handle of repeater
which he assured the outlaw was the only weapon
he carried Stephen at once made q grab at the
pistol as If to snatch 1t from its place, but Colonel
Wishart foiled this attempt by deXterously leapng
from the car to the piazza of the store where the
other outlaw was standing, and confronting
Stephen, who was standing in the doorway of the
car from which he had just escaped ana stood with
his hand upon his pistol. stephen and Andrew both
now assured him that they meant him no harm and
only wished friendly conference, and at Andrews
request he walked with him behind the store where
they remained for some time In conversation,
while stephen remained on board the car and
seemed to take no interest In what was pass
ing between his comrade and Colonel Wishart.
THE CoLONEL'S RASH PROMISE
AS the train about to move Off Colonel
Wshart returned to the car, and. meeting Stephen
On the pl atform the latter was heard to say,
'When send for you again, you come; I'll send a
friend for you in few days, and you come and
meet u.s." and Colonel Wishart promised to do so.
The rest of this strange, sad story, with its melan
Choly, tragic end, Is but too well known. On
Thursday morning next, after this interview, a mes
senger (who it was nobody knows or, perhaps
never viii know bore to Colonel Wishart, at Shoe
Heel, the summons which was to lead him away to
death. True to his word he prepared to obey, and
saddling his mule, he rode directly, unarmed and
alone, to the spot named by the messenger.
DISCOVERY OF HIS MANGLED CORPSE.
What occurred there was witnessed by no human
eye besides those of the actors in The fearful
ira gedy; but in the afternoon Of the same day
citizen OF the neighborhood was Mortified
by the discovery Of the body Of the gal
liant Wishart all stark and stiff and COW
: cred with gore lying by the roadside. Two hid
eous. gasnn wounds-one through the body, the
other thro ugh the head-showed how fouly he had
been murdered. The mule on which he rode stood
taste med to a limb near by, and appearances
showed that when shot he was reclining on the
earth, whiting the end of small stick and unsus-
pecting of danger 1t is probable that these treac-
ercus and cowardy fends had concealed them.
selves In ambush near the spot, and that the first
Ia timaton he had Of their presence were the two
shots that hurled his brave, unsuspectng soul into
etc rnity. more cowardly, brutal and cod-bloOded
murder does not stain the annals OF crime among
the most barbarous people that mhabit the EARTH
and yet the men go unpublished for their score
Of MURDERS of which this is the latest, and In many
respects the most startling, 60 unavenged
THE MURDERERs BOAST. ~-.-t
stephen 10 very proudly boasts that he committed
the murder; that it was he who killed Colonel
Wishart. He does this publicly and in the presence
of tn friends of the murdered man, and yet no one
raises hand against him or attempts to avenge
the death of one who sacrificed his life for the
safety of the community 1t is notorious that since
the foul assassination Of Colonel Wishart both An
drew Strong and Stephen Lowery have been fire.
uuently so drunk at Moss Neck and Shoe Heel
depots that some of their Scufietown friends had
: TO carry them home.
This overbcaring demeanor Of the outlaws is at
tributed in this section Of the country to the fact
that they are of mixed negro blood, and hence
under the special protection of the radical State
government. Why cannot General Grant proclaim
martial law In Robson county and eXterminate
these notorious outlawsY