Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-02-28


But thou canst jerk right honest work,
Although thou art the bold Mullet.
CHORUS by the coryphees of the Cape Ann, SEN
eca, Akron and Dix Island quarries.)
Though England may not lose her Wren,
Nor Rome her Angelo forget,
Yet Uncle Sam must tell il when
He has, he has the bold Mullet.
GadabOuf and the Lowery Band.
During the past week the telegraph conveyed
10 the country news of the death of Steve
Lowery, the last of band of bandits OF mixed
blood, which has made havoc in North Caro-
lima for eleven years. These Lowerys are ex-
ceptional in the history of their race if they be
considered Africans; for, with the single excep-
ton of Nat. Turner's revolt, no negroes have
ever organized for outlawry north of the gulf
states. A citizen of Washington still living
here, Allison Nailor, ST., rode with the news of
Nat. Turner's instruction from Richmond 10
Washington in twelve hours.
The Lowerys were the most peculiar mulattoes
l ever saw,-so strange, that their white neigh
bors ascribed their ferocity to Tuscarora or
Cherokee mixture. had an idea that they were
or gypsy blood, but as ali the white people la
those parts are Scotch Highlanders, their Zero
city might have been Gaelic merely, and their
complexion Gaelic African. had some instru-
mentality in making these negro outlaws known
through the north, and will give in a few lines
an inside account Of the matter.
February IL, 1872, received a letter from the
managing editor of the New York Herald, ask
ing If would go to the Tar State and describe
romantic band of chaps of whom had never
heard. Thursday, 22d, left Washington, pro-
vided with several books on North Carolina, but
without the remotest idea of the color race or
performances of the Lowerys. At Richmond
the Herdid'S resident agent was not to be found,
but he telegraphed me at Weldon, saying thar
l must lie over at Wilmington and then 90
west to the end Of an unfinished railroad Oh
the South Carolina line. Saturday, 9th, at
Wilmington, 1 found that the Lowerys were
negroes, and, borrowing a newspaper file, pro-
cetded to deyour 1t, making notes OF every
Iumor and incident connected with the band.
For the rest, circulated about equally be
tween communicative whites and negroes, t.
get both sides, not so much of the story as OF
the impression, and went through the jail
escaped. Monday, early. I took t the train rain
to Lumberton, the county seat of the
Lowerys, and found on board a judge,
sher Cousin and of de sBe a1s 8ssndns
to be tried for murder. The conductor
seemed to know all about my mission.
that on the succeeding day, when wanted TO
make some sketches for HdTper'S Weekly, h
stopped the train as long as pleased at each aud
every station, without solicitation. We were
half day going to Lumberton, but improved
the time to have the story soaked into me BY the
passengers, for it was the universal topic OF the
state, part of finance, politics, the militia anu
religion. The white people seemed to me more
interesting and peculiar than the Lowerys could
possibly be. At Iumberton was Quartered in
an old, uDpainted tavern. The town is one OF
the Oldest in the state, all frame, and has never
been painted at ali. L hat day was spent soak
ing in more of the story and making sketches of
the jail, gailows and court house. AS it was
court week, the people of the whole country
were collected, the women In sunbonnets and
the men in homespun. Bitter indignation and
pallid fear agitated the populsce, as the Lowerys
had just made raid on the court house safe,
which they carried out Of town and dropped
with contempt, while they took a IN erchants
safe and rifed It OF s26 600 The negroes were the
only just people to converse with. They honestly
lamented the bloodshed, but attributed Ii to
original aggressions by the whites carried on
for nearly century against the free mulattoes
Oh Scumetown, and during the rebellion inten-
SIZED by cold bl00ded murder. The confede.
rate conscripting officers had repealed the Young
ihkowreys from the confederate army, where
they wanted TO be soldiers, and had driven them
to work on forifcations amongst the negroes
Thence escaping, the lads had taken to the
swamps and become hardened by exposure,
act OF outlawry, until they were now human
hyenas. Monday night L went nearly blind
reading the files Of the RoLesoaidn weekly paper
Tuesday, when Lumberton was exhausted, I
took the train for Shoeheel, q little turpentine
and trading settlement, and passed several OF
%S sYoe wnere the Lowreys had waylsid and
. Scotch word at some time, like Lochiel, might
have been in Patagonia and no more lonesome.
It stood in the midst Of pitch pine forest, and
wagons, encamped in the streets, raising fires
at night which burnt Q sort of supernatural
mole IN tne Dlock vastnee6 OF fir. Scotch Fair
was but i've or six miles distant, where an an
nual gathering Of these wagons collects thou
sands Of people from far and near. Here, FOR
nearly twenty-four hours, with all my antenna
extended, soaked the residue of the Lowery
legend, and returning toward Wilmington con-
tnued the study the whole Of the next day with
the United States mail agent, who had been in
umately acquainted with all the outlaws.
Thursday, February 18th, arrived in Wash
ington, after an absence OF eight days, with
o ream OF notes, and forthw went TO work At
my house. Friday mailed I've columns to the
Herald; Saturday three columns more; Sunday
four columns; Monday three columns, and
Tuesday i've columns. The rip cost the paper
about seven hundred dollars, which they paid
without hinchinE.
Amongst the young men whom the story ex-
cited was an express clerk ct Lockhaven, Pa,
by the name CT Henderson, who offered to fol-
low me and seek the Lowery band In the
svawpe when he reached Lumberton he
found it nearly sAfe 10 90 70 the swamps - to
stay In town amongst the whites, who had bean
greatly scandalised In that had held them IN
account for every innocent black man they kiiled
during the lowery war. They seFiously medi-
tated ouflawipe Henderson and aunexinr hin
Pernsnsntiy g the outlaw family. he per
the great sensation went On ppth TIE Boverv