The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-26

lated how the "bummersn found guides and sup
porters among the free mulattoes Of Scufnetown.
IL came out, too, in ghastly way, that the rebel
whites OF the district wishing to wreak their ven
geance on the coored people. came in the night to
Old Allan Lowery's cabin, and, dragging forth him.
self and his son william, mercilessly
SHOT THEN, FATHER AND BOY,
with the one voley, and then went their way,
putting two Of their supposed enemies out Of the
way only to create pack Of avengng devils in the
persons OF the old mans sons and their outawed
friends. The war closed, and, rightly or wrongly,
the white people OF Robson county, true to their
murder OF the father, exempted the Lowerys from
the act OF oblivion. How truly has 1t been said that
1--WE can never forgive those we have injuredr The
end OF the strife between North and South brought
NO peace TO Scuflet0wn. The "angelsn were In the
swamps robbng by DAY, numbering 0y night; the
rebels had become Ku Klux, and from fighting man.
fully In the sunlight were tr00ping In
THEIR MURDERoUs MASQUERADE,
under the pines and Expresses at night, and drag
Rng negro here and thore from his shauty letting
him sing his Wild. hurried prayers for minute or
two' and then stopping 1t all with buckshot but
carefully skirting the outlaws themselves some
day to fall like John Taylor, under 'bead" drawn
py Henry Berry or one OF his brother outlaws This
was not civilization The irresponsible er alionis
OF the hater and hated, the state OF things that
created in the land Of Muscovy between serf ana
feudal master the phrase that described the murder
OF the latter by the former "a Ihe wild justice OF
revenge" existed In the land Of the Lowerys with
more degrading surroundings than ever before or
In any other country. That social restraining force
called government had failed to put an end to It,
and there seemed previous to the HERALD's expose,
to be sort Of laissez aUer agreed on In tact
apathy by all parties.
But even yet the outlaws themselves had not
spoken.
THE OUTLAWS STORY FOR HIMSELF
was unuttered, except through his sentence Of
death by word OF mouth, followed pretty surely by
execution through the barrel OF rlne In perhaps
any other state OF things no more would be needed
previous to setting about his CAPTURE. As things
stood IT seemed that there must be something
needing fuller detail-something of moment in
their position which neither the shivering sympa
tplzers OF their own race nor the Wanting but
trembling white foes thereof would or could impart
This was to be got from the outlaws lips alone. 1t
did not require much deep reasoning to arrive at
this conclusion. forced itself naturally forward
and the journal which had enterprise enough to
gather the first Of the story could surely learn
the second. Without then. any feeling of rashness
or bravado that am aware Of but simply In the
exercise Of grave duty, to shrink from which
would be aDhorrent to my nature,
LEFT FOR THE WOODS AND swAMPs
OF Robson county. My preparations were simple
as my MISSION was direct, and relying on my ability
to make the honorable nature Of my purpose appar-
ent even to the desperate 1t was my deliberate
purpose 10 meet face 10 face Passing over the in
cidents which do not properly belong 10 my nara
tive, may say that on my arrival in Wilmington
found the Lowerys and the HERALD expose to be the
only topics OF interest In that quiet Carolina town.
and the tone OF the well-dressed, ounglng chivary
about the hotels was not at all encouraging. / told
the object Of my visit to several and the universal
verdict was,
"a DANGEROUS GAME, STRANGER,
rather you than me-" They recalled to me with all
the dscOuraglng emphasis which o slow ejacular
ton OF alternate words and topacco-spittle can
command Of the fearful fate Of Saunders, the detec
tive, and generally finish by saying:-
IAN HE WAS sMARTERN YOU LOOK, sTRANGER.u
This communal replication or warning did not tend
to cheer me. II recalled In painful way had
never before imagined the poem of Excelsior with
its dismal fofebodings OF fatal end TO my venture
but l dashed these all away In the thought that
Longfellow's aimless young mailman VINO died in
the snow. had nolhins in common with man
endeavoring In his own humble way ~ serve the
~s-siis~ss~~ -'s.~A 1879 ".~vAco OUT III the
swamp region beyond. II the scare had reached
Wilmington, reasoned, / shall not then have
much difficulty in getting the whites Of Robson
the objects OF their terror through, perhaps,
MORE MERCIFUL WAY
than killing them of like dogs. But In this was
destined to be mistaken. Excepting Captain Nor
rison, the "klng OF conductors" on the wilmington,
Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad, and Ed Hayes
OF shoe Heel, no one encouraged me to proceed.
From the ticket agent from whom bought ticket
for Moss Neck, at Wilmington, with his horrined
ejaculation
My God stranger you are not going to stop
there %
to the merchants Of shoe Heel, who assured me
death would he the sure fate Of any stranger who
would venture into Scunletown. heard but the one
opinion, that the Lowereys were devils and would
welcome an opportunity to kill o white man. Be-
fore leaving Wilmington prepared
LETTER, DIRECTED TO n. B. LowERY,
stating that / desired to Interview him for the
HERALD and offered to give myself into his hands If
we would grant me the interview. 1t was my in
tention to stop at Moss Neck and attempt to find
messenger who would deliver my letter, but on the
train Captain Morrison advised me TO 90 on to Shoe
Heel where / would find better accommodations
than at Moss Neck. and from where could Ger.
tainly send messenger TO the outlaws. ! took his
advice, but was unable to find any one in or about
Shoe Heel who would deliver or who knew any one
VINO would present my petition to the "KIngn or
Robson county. The reported killing OF Boss
Strong, 1t was supposed had
so ENRAGED THE OUTLAWS
that the time was particularly inauspici0us for my
VISIT met here James Mcqueen, or Donahoe, Of
Richmond county, N g., who asserted he had Killed
the notorious BOSS. He Is O tall, AWKWARD sham.
bling, dark compexioned man, Of scottish accent,
twenty-five years Of age; he has very small eyes,
which he has trick Of dropping the instant he Is
looked at. His story will appear hereafter.
The next morning, March IA, left Shoe Heel and
came to Eureka or Buie's Store, nall way between
Moss Neck and Red Bank. the store, close to the
railroad, the colored clerk, Of whom enqured the
road to Patrick LOwery's left the store to point it
out to me. TO him stated the object Of my visit,
and asked him to inform any OF the outlaws he
might see what was after