The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-05
TAR SWAMP OUTLAWS.
ScufletOwn, the Mulatto Capital
Of North Carolina.
ORIGIN OF THE FREE NEGRO SETTLEMENT.
First Appearance of the Low
cry Half Breeds.
THE OLD TUSCARORA BLOOD.
Life and Feeling i'm Scu1fle-
town.
CAUSE OF THE VENDETTA.
Lowery's Cousins Slain by
Brant Harris.
~~o0-N~-~>--~~>>>|>~.~---~-
The Murder of Barnes
and Harris.
~~o~-~>>~~>~~~<N~-~--~-~
Old Allen Lowery and Bill LOwery Shot
by the Home Guard.
THE vow OF REVENGE.
AbOrtive Efforts to Make
Peace.
Old Allen LOwery and Bill LOwery Sho
by the Home Guard.
THE VOW OF REVENGE.
AbOrtive Efforts to Make
Peace.
The Lowerys Exempted from the
Act of Oblivion.

LUMBERTON, N. c., Feb. 20, 1872.
Here 10 the place where the LOwery gang has been
IN jail, whence futile processes issued them
and where any or the members ever caught will be
hanged or burned. IL Is town almost wholly built
OF implanted planks logs which have be-
come nearly black with weather stains. The streets
are sandy and without pavements Of either brick or
wood About nine hundred people reside In the
place. and nearly every white man in 1t and IN the
surrounding country scotch. The country was
settled by Scotch Hghlanders before the evoutiOn,
and afterwards by promiscu0us emigration from
the west coast OF Scotland. About thirty miles
distant, al Fayetteville, lived Donald and Flora
Macdonald. the latter the savior Of Prince Charles.
the Pretender the former the defeated
champion OF the royal standard at the be-
ginning OF war OF independence. These
Scotch shareholders were hard taskmasters, and
they look with pinched and awry faces upon the
negro voting beside them. The county government
Is democratic, and perfectly impotent to catch
kill five outlaws that at present 1t Is making
ertiOns whatever. Indeed, the opinion prevails
that the Sherif's office has concluded truce upo
what are called honorable terms with Henry Berry
LOwery. II 1t can be said that these bandits are
publicans 1t must also be charged that the county
government Is democratic, and the honors are easy
between pilage and impotence.
The Court House is built Of brick, with frame
pedlment above the caves in the gable end, and
the court room the second story is covered with
sawdust to keep the peace while Judge Clarke. one
OF the District Judges, goes through the comedy OF
justice
snake proclamation ~ cries he his clerk to
the Sherin, who stands at open window opposite
the bench, and who roars down in stentorlan way
TO the people assembled In the pubic area:-"Nen
Mcneil Campbell McGregor Mcleod Duncan I
come into Court, as you are this day commanded,
or your security win be forfeited to the State !"
This kind Of noise, with variations OF "Oh, yes Oh.
yes ~ goes on pretty much all day, while witnesses,
jurors and attached people are being summoned.
The court room ID very crude, large and bare, and
the Judge looks amazingly high up benind the long
gallery where they expose him. He Is q queer,
afIabe old judge who has fought In the Mexican
war, in the Confederate army, and commanded one
OF Holden's regiments kirk leading. the Other)
against the Ku Klux. He Is at present what Is
called 'tscalawag," and says, among many other
things OF no consequence, that II he ever sees
Lowery he will kill him. Ten opportunities appear
good for this sort OF Intention
Down before the Court House, where the people
OF the county are congregated, there is old pole
well in the public square, where white and negro
Ill their gourds at the dripping bucket Around
the corner stands the old dray-curiOus vehicle for
such q vage-On which the Lowery band hauled
on safe from the rear OF LumDertoE store de-
liberately backing the dray up through alley
between two houses and leisurey setting the valu-
able casket thereon, stopping at the Court House,
with contempt OF supersttions TO maui on the
county safe. To do all this required the opening OF
a mans stable stealing his horse and the robbing
OF blacksmitn's snop OF tools to break open the
safes, as we'll as the impressment OF an additional
no ofa
10 the woods. The horse could not pull the
whole load, and the county safe was
dropped or within town limits. The valiant
volunteers and posse OF the Sheriff marched
out OF town Two three miles and found the
private sale rned OF about twenty seven Thousand
dollars. This was money which had been placed In
the hands OF the sate.owner for private keeping.
strange 1t may seem, TINS robbery caused a feel
ing OF relief IN many minds. With great a
quantity OF money 1t was hoped that Lowery's band
might have quilted the country, and such riddance
would have been cheaply purchased at the figure
named.
LIFE AT THE BELEAGUERED TOWN.
The tavern at LumDerton Is without a sign-post,
and Is q her-statned frame house. with small
bedrooms no carpets, bar and lair country
table found no milk to drink with coffee any,
where In the region but plenty Of eggs and chickens.
The jal-not ON the same site where Henry Berry
LOwery was once cOnnncu, ana whence several Oi
the outlaws effected their escape-is truly singular
edlfce. IL Is built IN grove OF oaks and pines IN
the envIrons OF the town, and constructed wholly
OF hewn timoer, enclosed by high pan0 picket
fence, outside OF which picket Is log guard house
for small offenders. stepped inside the jail yard,
nobody directing, to make sketch OF the gallows
where Henderson Oxendine recently met his tate
stocaly, no rescue attempted, only the singing OF
couple OF voluntary hymns by himself, negro fash.
ion. The cord supporting the drop was not severed
by the Sheriff but desperate from OHIO voluntarily
assumed the ONCE. While sat within the sloWng jail
yard heard BANJO cumming In the Jail, and the
negroes confined there were comparing with Pop
Oxendne and the newly arrived offenders for Will
inhgton the relative quality OF meals vouchsaied
at the two prisons. The Lumber River, which flows
Into the Little Pedee OF South Carolina and reaches
the sea near Georgetown Is at this time OF the year
htte wider than city street. and Of running water
but barely fordable and capable Of carrying logs and
rats OF lumber down the SIX score miles OF its
course. Hearing horrible imprecations made on the
other side OF the river, accompanied by cries OF
sore me my knife Yes, I'll cut his heart outl
say gi'e me my knife My biood's been In.
suited. man Of homo can't live alter he's