The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-03-19
From the N. 7. Herald.]
END OF AN OUTLAW.

N. c.. Feb. 23.-Stephen Lowery, the
last and probably the worst OF the Gar
olina Swamp Angels, who rioted in
blood, and held such a high carnival OF
crime in North Carolina for so many
years, was killed at about halt past
-four o'clock this morning in the Scuffie-
town region by three young white men,
all farmers, named David HolcomDe,
Thomas Dutton and Mcneil Patterson.
The scene of the tragedy is located
about two miles from Red Banks, on
the Carolina Central Railway, about
sixteen miles west of Lumberton, the
county seat of Robson county, and six
miles from this point. 1t was also on
the plantation and not far from the
house of Mr.. John McNair, a gentle
man who has repeatedly been robbed
by the outlaws.
The three young men above men,
toned had been out searching for the
outlaw for several weeks past. They
were on this mission together on Sun
day, and at about midnight approached
whisky camp on Mr.. McNairs place,
where there were two wagons contain
ing whisky and tobacco, belonging to
man named Burns, of Randolph county.
Here there were quite crowd of ne
groes and few white men drinking
and carousing together. Among the
number was Steve Lowry, who seemed
to have been imbibing pretty freely.
The young men approached the outlaw
and began to converse with him. He
made many boasts of what he had done
and what he could do, and said that
he could show more gold than any 9TH
er man in Robson county.
After while the young men arose
and babe Steve good night, saying that
they were going home. After getting
well out of the range of the camp,
however, they made detour and crept
up to within twenty yards of the out
law. Here they remained quiet for
long time, waiting for shot. but were
deferred for more than an hour by the
fact that there were others near him.
Finally they all separated, and Steve
picked up banjo and began drumming
on it for the amusement of his friends
One colored individual kept near to
him, but the young men were deter
mined not to lose this opportunity, and
so at a given signal they all three fired.
There was but one report from tile
three guns. The outlaw jumped from
his seat and Immediately fell to the
the ground dead. The negro who was
near him had his ears slightly scratched
by the shot, but was rcioiced to find
that he, too, was not killed. The young
men then reloaded their guns and add
vanced to the dead body, which they
secured and bore away. 4 cart was
hired and the dead body placed on it
and taken to Lumberton, where it ar
rived this morning at about 8 o'clock.
1t was then taken to the court house
and placed on a table in the Sheriff $
office.
Immediately there was wild COM
motion in the town, and the streets
were filled with an excited crowd dis
cussing the tragedy, and all rejoicing
that the last of the outlaws had been
killed. The body was perfectly riddled
with balls and buckshot. The head
was perforated in several places, and
were three large wounds in the heart,
any one Of which would have proved
fatal. There were found on the body
but very few articles, among which
were a bunch of keys and a copy of
the Wilmington Weekly Post. This lat
ter, which is now before me as | write,
is perforated through with a hole al
most large enough to have been made
by Minnie ball, and in another place
the paper is torn, it is thought by a
second ball.
The outlaw was armed to the teeth,
there being found on his person when
killed, aHcnry rifle, three pistols, and
a knife with blade about twelve
inches in length. He was only about
twenty-cight or twenty-nine years of
age. Like all the rest of the outlaws,
his earthly career has been cut short
before he had reached the prime of life.
He is said to have been the most cow
ardly, and at the same time the most
treacherous and vindictive of them all.
! Rhody Lowery, the widow of the de-
funct chief Henry Berry Lowery, was