Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-10
LOCAL. -
THE OUTLAWS.
THE GANG AGAIN ON THE WAR
PATH.
Foul Murder Of Col. F. M. WiShart
STEPHEN LOWREY AND ANDREW
STRONG DO THE WORK.

l
atrocious, cowardly and fiendish-the muir
der of Col. +. M. WIsHART, of Shoe Heel,
Robson county, on Thursday last. Though
the victim Of violent treachery, led, per-
haps, too far by his courageous spirit, he
yet died brave man in the effort to benefit
his fellow-men.
The facts attending the murder of Col.
Wishart, as far as re have been enabled to
gatherthem are these: 1t seems that one day
last week the outlaws Stephen LOwrey and
Andrew Strong, boarded the freight train
on the w, G. & r. Il. r. near Shoe Heel,
Col. Wishart being on board at the time.
! They persisted in approaching him until
| he finally consented to n conference with
/ them. The conversation was long and
! apparently important, the outlaws finally
! taking their departure. Andrew Strong
was heard to remark on leaving, "when
| we send for you, you come" In Shoe
! Heel, subsequent to this interview, Colonel
! Wishart diyulged the fact that the subject
! of the conference was proposition on the
! part of the outlaws to surrender themselves
/ to him, on condition that he would inter-
! ccde and procure their pardon, and that
they would then depart the country.
Thinking that perhaps he could after
all benefit the county by causing the out
/ laws to leave in some manner, he seemed
determined to hold another interview with
them, upon receipt of notice Of the time
and place, as had been previously deter
i
pointment fixed for last Tuesday but Col.
Wisharts business engagements were such
as to compel its pOstponement until
Thursday. At the appointed time this
fearless man, alone (and unarmed, we
hea7} took his way to the place of meeting,
| a spot on the public road about three
quarters Of mile from place called Le-
| banon Church, between Shoe Heel and
| Red Banks, and distant some four or five
miles from each of those points. But alas
he never returned alive. lie was either
cowardly murdered from ambush, or
laseIy shot down while in the conference
to which he had been betrayed. Between
II and l o'clock Of that day two or three
! negroes working in the woods near
the scene of the murder, heard four
distinct reports Of firearms. About 4
O'Clock the same afternoon, Mr.. VIM.
Sellars, while riding by this point. found
the body of Col. Wishart lying in the
road, and completely riddled with buck
shot. He was shot through the side and
shoulder, and also in the head, one or two
shot passing entirely through the brain.
His death must have been instantaneous.
The fact was reported, and party OF grief
stricken friends and Heighbors secured the
body and conveyed it to his home in Shoe
Heel
Col. Wishar. was one Of the most in
trepid and courageous Of those who under
took measures TO rid the county Of the
f outlaws His efforts in bunting them were
persistent and vigorous. He exerted him
self most ardently to either capture or Kill
them for months and months, and was re-
garded by them as their most dreaded foe.
He was at the time Of his death engaged
in merchandising at Shoe Heel, and leaves
wife and three young children. 1t will
be recollected, when the State authorities
commenced war on the LoWreys, Col.
Wishart was appointed to the command OF
one of the regiments then authorized to be
raised.
The place of this murder was near the
scene of the killing Of young Davis by the
outlaws some months since. Stephen Low
rev and Andrew Strong are supposed to
have together accomplished the deed, Tom
Lowrey having seen elsewhere at the time.
The blood OF this brave man unites with
that already SO plentifuliy spilled by the
Lowrey gang in calling for vengeance upon
the murderers. And while unavenged,
this blood, so foulIy shed, remains blot
upon the administration Of the powers that
lie, and damning evidence against the
boasted protection Of the citizen.
CONFEDERATE DEAD.-On the Lo-
custshade - farm, near the head Of the Me-
chanicsvilIe turnpike, are three graves of
Confederate soldiers who fell during the
conflicts of 1864, near that locality. When
the dead were removed from that neigh
borhoOd these graves were either forgotten
or their existence unknown te those en-
marked by their comrades, and the names
in part have been preserved by persons liv-
ing near by. Hepet, Westall and Feather
ston are the names that have been pre-
served or copied from the boards, which
were put up at the time of burial 1t was
stated also that the parties belonged to a
North Carolina regiment, but the number
has not been retained. If the papers in
North Carolina will publish the foregoing,
it will perhaps lead TO enquiry, and per-
haps identity of the fallen brave.-RicI-
mOnd exchange.
MAY PARTY AT FAIR BLUFF.-We
learn that a large number of the colored
people of Fair Bluff and vicinity had q
pleasant May Party at that place last
Wednesday. There were over POO persons
present, and the perfect good order which
prevailed throughout the entire day was a
credit to all concerned.
Cyrus Smith, Guy Powell and Alex.
Beatty were the committee of arrange
ments, and they were very successful as
such.
The guests were welcomed by Cyrus
Smith in neat speech, which was fol
lowed by one from Guy Powell, after
which Alex. Beatty addressed them in O
Tboy, oil ia