The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-09

population that spoke OF as having been enfrau-
chised by the late enfranchisement though they are
the ruling spirits OF that clan; during the Confede-
rate war these people were called upon TO perform
duty at the Notifications at the mouth OF cape Fear
River; they were clasSed with ordinary negroes,
and they became very much dissatisfied about It.,
and refused TO be cassed In That way, and when
summoned TO do duty they refused to perform II.
During the war there were police regulations
In that State that made 1t the duty or certain officers
to obtain the services OF these men for the purpose
OF working upon fort1cati0ns; the Lowery family
generally besides some Others refused to obey, and
upon the officers requiring them 10 discharge hose
aud when the officers of the law would 60 out to
seek them they could not be found; OF the county
or Robson there Is region OF ABOUT eight or ten
miles square Ia which this old free cOIored pOpula-
ton hves 1t Is called Scunetown; they ali 1--we inside
o. that area during the war when they were called
DO 1t and were lying out In the woods, and they
were called deserters at that time; just little re-
town Is right on the line from Newborn, In North
Carolina (which was then IN possession or
wnee The ana had
prison In which they confined federal soldiers |;
s NUMBER OF THE FEDERAL PRISONERS
held at Florence escaped at various times,
the federal forces they would pass right to
lows. several VINO had escaped from Florence, after
having been captured by the Conederates and I'M
quite NUMBER Of them got INTO this place, and
There being such number OF deserters from the
sSs sesa IN the Of s %
there quite number OF them, and all banded TO-
getner; those federal escaped prisoners and these
c0l0red persons together made formidable force;
the white persons everywhere In the State
were IN the service; ana these persons, SO banded
this was about October or November, 1864; a mix
ture OF these mulattoes and these federal prisoners
VINO had escaped from Florence banded together
and had their camps IN the swamps and Islands
about there; they would steal out at night ana rob
some person living IN inc neignborhood Of all
In the winter of 1864 and 1866 they robbed
the wealthiest citizens all through the county
snas General sherman was %archns
from Savannah through TO Raleigh; tins again
about week before Sherman marched through
Robson county, think he marched through there
about the TIN or stn OF March, 1S65-just about
week before that time there were many Confederate
officers and soldiers nome on furlOugh; there Was
police force IN North Carolina at that Iime known
as the nome guard, VINO were required to perform
semi military services just police regulations how
ever; well, they were not sufficiently strong in
with the muiattoes; along about the list OF
March several soldiers who were at home
they
ATTACKED THIS BAND OF MULArroEs
and escaped federal prisoners and Killed two or three
OF their leaders, captured them anu snot them then
soon alter that Sherman came along and that settled
a haa ar Win US a eTe
That the general government established the freed
mems Bureau, ana sent the agents OF tnat Bureau
down there TO regulate our country and while those
people am speaking OF were never slaves, yet the
Bureau agents seemed to take special care or their
interests and to protect them think they induced
them to believe that 1t their duty to prosecute
those people who had killed The leaders OF those
robbers In 1854 and 1855; there were ABOUT eighteen
defended some OF them; am practising lawyer
IN that section Of the country; they were under ar.
rest for about twelve months and the Grand Jurle5
failed 10 ind true bill; THINK the political bias OF
that institution was unfortunate for us.
by the Chairman (Mr. P0O)-What institution
A. The Freedmen's Bureau; think " was unfOrtu-
nate; well, after that there were
they were attacked at night In their houses
ana murdered ana robbed OF what they had
had been sherir OF my county for about
eighteen years previous to that time; he was muir.
aered l BY eight or ten en OF saese and VII
the State Solicitor to prosecute them, and man
aged TO have four OF Them arrested; l
murder OF King; the trial was removed
rom Robson county TO Columbus county. an
were four on irial. ana but two were tried wnlle
TWO had their cases continued; the two who were |
tried were convicLed the evidence was mainly tnat
Of an accompnce; alter conviction their counsel ap
pealed to the supreme Court Tor q new trial, and
pending the appeal they escaped from jail, and
those Two men, who are now convicted felOns, con-
stItute a part OF what IL known as the Robson
county outlaws; George Applewnlte and Steven
culed, and escaped from prison; there are not q
great many in the band, considering the amount OF
mischief they do; one VI them. by the name OF
Henry Berry L0wery, Is
THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT LEADER OF THIS BAND;
ing; the OTHER was Convicted upon another
charge and hanged since that time; ne was not
OF aae hng n 0v. 81 aete nd
then committed murder after his escape; he was
again arrested aud convicted Of that; Henry Berry
Lvwery Is a brother OF stephen LOwery, and Is the
leader OF the OutlaYs-is The chief spirit among
them; the first murder that he committed, think.
was ABOUT 1863; he murdered man by the name or
James +. Barnes, who was attempting 10 put him
into upon the fOrtihcat0ns; think That was
about 1862 and ABOUT the same year he
n
Harris; the method Of his numbering was always
TO waylay and to shoot out or the thicket-oqt Of
the bushes; he murdered this Harris about
the same time and little alter he murdered Barnes;
his reason for numbering Harris, as proved
think, was this, there was a grudge existing be.
tween the two men, and 1t grew out OF
SOME WOMAN THAT BOTH WANTED TO ENJOY;
murdered MIN for II; / think That was 1t;
40 not THINK there was any politics III
1T; mean that do not think there were any polit
cal or otner reasons in the existing condition OF
the country at that time tnat caused the murder;
besides that James b. Harris was a pretty rough
man HIMSELF and had Killed two or three OF these
muiattoes before that time and was engaged In the
killing OF the atner and brother OF Lowery, the cnieIs
of the band or mulattoes and escaped federal prs-
oners, in 1864 anu 1865, 10 which nave heretofore
alluded alter about 1865 or 1867 there were IN the
band George Apptswee stephen LoWey Henry
Henry Berry Lowery married the sister OF Boss and
Andrew Strong, and those two brothers are III MS
band; they form kind OF nucleus there; do not
exactly remember the date OF their having
been outla wed. but the magistrates OF the
the Stale issued proclamation OF outlawry
against those men some three or four years ago;
this proclamation OF outlawry did not seem TO have
any eject al all;
1T DID NOT BFFECT THEIR CAPTURE:
as tell you, they lived there among people OF their
class. who are IN such numbers tnar any attempt or
effort to capture them would always oe made known
To- them before 1t could be made enectual: Scuie-
town some eight or ten miles west Of LumDerton:
this proclamation OF outlawry seemed TO have no
effect; there was man by the name OF Alfred
Thomas, who was an agent OF the Freedmen's Bu-
reau, aud located there on duty; he and the sheriff
OF the county on one occasion waited upon Henry
Berry Lowery and he agreed TO surrender to the
authorities OF the law; they brought MIN into Lum
berton and put nim in jail; he stayed there some
two or three weeks peihaps; do not remember the
exact time; understan nd that he said the agreement
had not been carried Out In good faitn, and be
drew revolver the Jaller ore DAY and told hun
to open the door, anu the ailer mad to let MIN OUT
he has never been tired.
Q. DO all the men OF that class cooperate with
Lowery In his outrages A. Well, SIR, think not;
l do not tn nix you put II exactly IN that light,
but think that most OF them sYmpathize win nm;
l think that If band OF men were to 60 there Tor
the purpose OF arrcsllng nun they would
ADVISE HIN OF THAT FACT IN TIME
for m IN papa aODrQVe