The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1873-12-25
ROB ROY OF THE MIssIssIPPI.
A Desperate Thorough Learned Villain,

Ex-senator Foote, in one of his personal re-
mniseences, gives the following account of an
outlaw whom be was called upon to defend and
who was called the Rob Roy of the Mississippi:
"AlonzO Phelps was a native of New England
According to his photographed confess
sion, drawn up chiefly by himself but in nv
own presence, a few days before his DEATH while
detained a prisoner), he had, in fit of jeal-
Ousy, slain rival lover in his native vicinage
secreted the body of his victim in y neighboring
mill pond, and fed to the valley of the MISSISSIPPI
pi. He had here been a wanderer for many
years, seldom entering human habitation and
snbsisting altogether on the raw meat of squir-
rels and other wild animals which Inc had can
tured in the chase. He had long infested tile
banks of the Mississippi, had committed eight
murders, and more than sixty rObberies and had
n dozen times broken Jail and escaped the pun
ishment of the law. Strange to say, he was o
ripe and accurate scholar, and when taken prs-
oner few weeks subsequent to the perpetra-
tion of his last murder, had, as l personally
know, pocket copy of Horace in his possession.
which he read with great facility, and with far
more relish for the rare beauties of the poetic
friend and prOtege of the great Mccaenas than
Lord Byron reports himself to have mt any time
done.
"His appearance at the trial was very striking
and impressive. He was a muscular well shan,
ed man, about five feet eleven inches in height,
and evidently possessed of great physical vigor
and activity. He had n particularly fair com
plexion, good deal freckled from constant ex-
pOsure to the air. His hair was blood red was
much inclined TO curl, and his crispy, snake like
locks stood stifGy up over and about his cranium
with a singular grizzly and menacing aspect.D
He was convicted, and sent to Jail to await his
execution. Mr.. Foote says he was Summoned
to the prison to aid this man in the preparation
of his confession, document afterwartl publish
ed as his autobiography. Before the writing of
it was completed, l had to leave Vicksburg for
one of the courts in the interior of the State. |
left ON the table where had been writing a
leaden inkstand for Phelps nse, out of which /
had been myself writing. After scribbling some
twenty or thirty pages of manuscriptin addition
he closed by the declaration that he did not in
tend 10 be hung; -. -. he had once been SOL
der, and he intended to die the death Of a SOL
der. After this he asked that preacher 60 the
Gospel should be sent for to minister 10 Ma. the
last spiritual consolation. The Rev. Mr. Mar
shall, then, as now, resident of Vicksburg, was
sent for and came. In the meantime Pbel1s had
prepared himself for the performance of an ,x
traordinary feat. had contrived in some way
to saw the manacles which bound his hands, al
most in two, so that, with strong effort, he
could burst them asunder. He had enveloped
the leaden inkstand in stocking and stood
with it grasped in both hands behind the door,
when Mr.. ADding, the jaler, opened it, and con
Quoted in Mr.. Marshall. With single blow he
Knocked down the jairr. Mr.. Marshall had
time 10 fly into another room, which he saw
open, and had sufficient presence of mind to lock
himself up therein securely. By this time Pbelps
having made an unsuccessful effort to dscncnm-
Der his hands, saatched u large knife from the
belt of Mr.. Anding. walked out of the door of his
own cell, closing the door behind him, and adj |
vanced to the outer door of the Jail. BY sthis |
time the alarm had been given, and Mr. Howard |
the Sheriff, rushed to the Jail yard with nun.
ber of attendants, many of whom were armed. |
The Onter door was forced open, by Orler of the |
Sheriff, by use of axes. The first man that en- |
tered saw blazing before his face the uplift,l |
knife Of Mr. Anding, which Phelps held firmly |
in both his fettered hands. The doOr-opener re- |
,oiled and Phelps marched forth. The crowd |
gave way before him. He strobe n |
few steps toward the gate of the prison yar,l.
The Sheriff struck him severe blow over the
head with heavy gun which he held in his
hands, which slightly stunned him. He still
'frode forward, got without the gate, and was
apidly descending. the hill toward the river,
when brickbats, sticks, and other missiles were
lured at him in great number. One of the
'rickbats struck him in tbs small of the hack,
md seriously disabled him. Upon this he turn
d suddenly round to the Sheriff, who was pur
ming him with loaded gun, and demanded
eath at his hands. He fred, aud there was an
nd of the earthly career Of THE Rob Roy of the
Mississippi"