Wilmington journal., 1872-01-12
Moss NECK DEPOT,


. While Oh a special tour through the
southern portion of the Old North State on
professional business for the Herald
thought a few hours spent heTe-the near
est railroad depot to the headquarters OF
the notorious Lowrey gang Of outlaws
would not be alniSs So, getting off
passenger train, l quietly saIntcred about
until the arrival of Il freight train due here
some three hours later. The country is
extremely poor, the lands swampy, dismal
and malariOus, and the inhabitants are
poor, mostly ignorant and having that ashy
! hue of cOuntenance the effect of chills and
| feverS, besides being somewhat deaf from
! the frequent use of quinine. Not more
! than score Of persons were assembled to
witness the arrival and departure of the
! train-an event of some consequence in this
| lonely and desolate section Of The country,
and as soon as | stepped from the car l be-
came the observed of all observers. My
main Object in stopping here was to acquire
all the information possible regarding the
operations Of the famous outlaw, Henry
| Berry LOwrcy, and his gang, since the dis
| aStTous campaign against them by the State
and federal troops was abandoned last fall.
In this | can scarcely say l was very sue
cessful, for from the moment of my arrival
to that Of my departure the few people at
the depot watched my every movement
WITH EVIDENT SUSPICION,
and were exceedingly guarded i'll their re-
plies when | spoke to any Of them. 1t was
soon apparent that they took me to be a
spy or detective sent here to capture the
LOwreys single handed, and so far from
obtaining information from any of the par
ties present Oh This head, it is certain, be-
yond doubt, that they soon found means
of notifying the notorious outlaw of my
| Iiafo in lao
as well as my suspected designs. After nli-
mcrous fruilless attempts to draw some o.
them into conversation on the subject O.
the Lowruys-all Of them shaking thcil
heads IN a manner that indicated the mos
unmstakable silence--I approached an cl
dcIly, farmer-likc gentleman and observed
, '"rhc neighbOrhood seems Unusually
quiet to be SO near the vicinity infected Ly
the outlaws ,"
+ "Why, yes" he replied ''but if you saw
them here Ike they come some days. wheI
they stop the train. al armed win TIVE
rifles apiece and halo dozen pistols Ill eacl
&C tnelr belts. you wouldn't think it wa
, very quiet"
'Do they often stop the train?"
EENo, not often; b,li they are frequent.
I here when it passes They have stopped
the frei.ht, though, several times 20 sc
some thIsgS they needed"
ca.ive than any Of the others, prOceede
: with my interrogation ,es, the reI4alIacr c
the crowd standing Off at dio,autc kcenl
| watching me but [ soon IOund there Was
limit even to his information.
Il GLOW are The outlaws disposed tOwar
= tnc people living in the county sinCo tn
troops W ere W ItndraWn ?'
n "My fIiend.' s0i the old gentleman
looking at me squareIy, ''if You have CON
q to pump me ,.houC the LOWreys, you haN
n run upon
TIE WRONG MAN,
8 and if you want to operate against thcl
5 you II lave to 90 it on your own hook, Il
10 10 man ABOUT here is gong to risk his lii
by InfOln.ItIg on tlnm
Hnis was sad in SUCH decided tone, an
! with such tOr,iLle expression, both {
d pnN siognOmY .lII attitude, that 1t bcta,Il
at once convincing, and though protestc
'f that was innocent OF any sin,Stc. dpsi, i
against the outlaws, it WAS in Vstia tn,
Of cOurteu tuIther news .CActlnlD5 fhcln, all
the oil GET lel.lan Coolly walked of, |. Vm
Of me TO INV own retlccllCns. Ii was Gle;
that notlIil.S could bp "a. he'd by ASK, Z d
Of rect questions, particularly If the pau
questioned was white mai, So aGVpte
Of anOllIer course snid inIdSed myself 5ln ii
ing and alkiI.-G about lntil-the arrival
y, the fl e ht Lralr which was 10 take Inc ~
J.. of SUCH a remarkably UIiIca,Uhy latitude
y An hour Afterwards. while thus engage.
OF neGlv accOsted me, three or four hrIhiI,
rs yards from tho depot, in tie tuu )N inS cha
40 acfcflStIc manner
~ :: Good lnorniu', Boss. What is de tim
~ if vou plcase?'
j. Il Wo O'clock" replied.
of '.Thankee, Ross" and lie was about
l., 20 on when / stopped him.
- How far from here do the LoWre
Sc live?''
q Not far, Ross-ober dar, in Scufil
ne town '-po,nt.ng i'll the d,cction.
J. :. DO trey ever tlouDle auvtoGy now
y q No. sab, 'cept 1t is dcy goes to {
III farmc:s' houses an
ORDERS MEAT AND HEEAD