Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-18
INFAMOUS OUTRAGE.
A Citizen of Memphis Attacked
by Negro Outlaws in
Arkansas.
Tied Hand and Foot, the In
fortunate Man is Bitten
by Snake.
Memphis Appeal. july ID.

Marcus Levi, an enterprising Hebrew
resident Of Memphis, who has been en-
gagged in the dry goods business as clerk,
and who is well known as a faithful and
industrious salesman, concluded TO make
good use Of the dull season by branching
out into the interior on a little peddling
scheme, and to this end invested his small
capital, consisting of the savings from his
wages during the past few years, in an as
sOrtment of variety goods, such as he
thought would command ready sale at
farm-houses and villages along the line of
the different railways leading from Mem
phis. Everything in readiness, and his
spirits buoyed up by the golden vision of
success in his undertaking, he en-
barked last Tuesday, a week ago, on
the good steamer A. j. White, for a
point on. the Mississippi river, a few
miles below the city, known as JOhnsOn's
landing, where he shOuldered his pack and
struck out, seeking whom he might trade
with somebody. %FOrtune faYOrs the
brave,H and in the case Of young Levi the
tickle dame had begun to smile to his
hearts content. He struck one or two lit
tie bargains, amounting in the aggregate to
four dollars and twenty cents-three dollars
and twenty cents in lawful greenbaekS, and
one dollar in silver. He banked on this
silver dollar: it was the fruits Of honest en-
deayor; the first specie payment he had en-
countered in his new enterprise, il was
sunk deep into his pocket. from whence it
would never be reSurrected except i'm the ex-
tremest necessity. 1t was the nucleus
around which lie expected to gather large
fortune.
LEWIS PLANS
were we'll laid, and possessed Of the spirit
of determination, would have been fruitful
of most satisfactory results if his unlucky
star bad not lighted his pathway into the
midst of q party of three or four civil
Fighters of the Arkansas persuasion. who
practiced a yillainOus deception upon him
in order TO get him of of the highway and
more securely into theirpOwer. This they
did by proposing to pilot him 10 a very
wealthy farmers mansion, about q mile or
so distant, where they assured him be
would find ready sale for ali Of his goods,
and mOTe too if he had them. The unsus-
pecting Levi was caught in the trap, and
agreed to follow his new found friends,
they leading the way through a thick
WOODS until a spot was reached
where the underground was
scarcely penetrable, the negroes seized upOn
Mr.. Levi, took from him all his goods,
stripped him TO his shirt and pants, tied
him hand and foot. hard and fast, in which
condition they laid him on his back and
held consultation over him, discussing
the propriety of putting him where he
would tell no tales, the mildest form of
which proposition was phrased. "Let's kill
the white son of a b-h,' "Cut his
heart Out,7 and similar expressions, that
we're anything else but cOnsOling to their
victim. About an hour was consumed in
this kind Of mental torture, when Mr..
Lewis bonds were closely scrutinized and
made more secure, and the fiendS finally de-
clared that il was impossible for the man
to free himself and they left him to his
fate. Mr.. Levi states that be lay in this
condition day and night, during which
a SHAME BIT BIN
on the left arm, which is now much swOl-
len; and his arms above the elbows, his
wrists and ankles, are considerably swollen
and chafed by the cords that bound him.
He went to work at the cords, however,
with his teeth, and by constant pulling and
biting. succeeded in getting one hand loose.
and then another, and finally freed him
self entirely from his bonds, but was so
emac.ated from hunger, anxiety and ex-
haustiOn, that il was a considerable time
before he was able to move his limbs, eX-
cept in a sitting posture; and he was so
confused that he did not know in what
direction to start to get out of the thieket.
He started, however, and wandered
five days without a mOuthful of any
thing to eat, and had almost given up TO
perish in the wilderness, when he
came suddenly upon the farm Of Mr.. w.
p. Williams, one mile and a half back of
Cat Island landing, on the Mississippi riv-
er. Some negroes gave him food, and di-
Tected his course toward the landing al
luded to, where he arrived in time to take
passage on the St. Francis, the officers of
which boat kindly bringing him to Men,
phis free of charge, where he arrived yes
terday in the condition in which the negro
had left him. His friends,
however, provided him with clothing be-
fore he left the boat, and he visited the Up
peal Office yesterday, and told the tale Of
his trials as above narrated, exhibiting his
person to verify his statements. His arms
and legs were much chafed and swollen,
and his breast shows marks of blows ad-
ministered by the fiends, seemingly with
the determination 10 murder him. Mr..
Levi is in 4 pitiable condition, and de-
clares he survives his injuries he will
never return into the State Of Arkansas
again, for love nor gold.