Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-23
A THRILLING TRAGEDY.
BY HoN. JOS. R. UNDERWOOD.
From the Bowling GrssI Democrat

Prom The bowling GresL democrat
There were two Harps. They were
brothers. One of them was large, ath-
letic man, named Micajah, and the other
small and active, named Wiley. They
were better known and scarcely ever call
ed by any other names than Big and Lit
tie Harp. Big Harp had two wives, Lit
tie Harp but one. These women had
children, but how many, / did not learn.
Their wives were detained with their
children at Danville for some time after
their husbands broke Jail and fed. When
they were released, they moved and lOca-
ted themselves about eight miles from
the present site of the town of Hender-
son, where they lived in the winter of
1859 and spring of 1893, and passed
themselves as widows. In the summer
of 1893, the Big and Little Harp passed
through what is now Hopkins county, on
their way TO join their wives. At that pc
riod the country in Kentucky on the
South side of Green River was a wilder
ness, with but few scattered settlers in it.
The word settler has technical mean
ing in consequence of the Legislatures of
Virginia and Kentucky, granting land
to those who settled and improved the
wilderness. The Harps rode good horses,
were well dressed in broad cloth coats,
and armed with rifles and holsters of pis-
tolls. The wild, uninhabited condition
of the country was their apology for such
equipments. They stopped and got din
ner ut the house of settler, named Jas.
TOmpkins, who resided near Stubens'
lick This lick was named after the Ba-
ron Stuben Of revolutionary memory
Mr.. a. Towns told me that there was q
tradition among the early settlers that the
old Baron had visited Kentucky soon af-
ter the close of the war and had been
wounded by the Indians at this lick, hence
its name. While resting themselves and
enjoying the hospitality of Mr.. Tompkins,
they passed themselves as Methodist
preachers, and one of them said long
grace at the dinner table. The converse
ton with Mr.. TOmpkins related mostly
TO the general character Of the country
and the great quantity of game it furu-
ished. One of them asked him, whether
he hunted and killed many deer? Mr..
Tompkins replied he did when he had
ammunition, but for some time past he
had been without powder; that it was
difficult to obtain supply, and, cOnse-
quently, abundant as was the deer, he
had no venison to eat. Thereupon the
Harps, with affected generosity made a
liberal division of their stock Of powder
with Mr.. Tompkins.
1t will be seen in the sequel, that, by a
most singular providence, the Big Harp
was mortally wounded by the explosion,
or shooting with his own powder, given
to TOmpkins. After the Harps had rest
ed and refreshed themselves and horses,
they left Mr.. Tompkins, and resumed
their Journey toward the Ohio river
The first cabin they passed after leaving
the house Of TOmpkins was that of Moses
Stigall, then occupied by his wife and
child, he being from home. Stigall's set
tlement was five miles from that of TOmp-
kins. The next settlement they passed
was Peter Ruby's, eleven miles from Sti-
gals. My informant, John B. Ruby,
was at the house of Peter Ruby, and saw
the Harps as they passed. They were
seen no more until after they had Joined
their wives and children. There were
only two families living between Peter
Ruby and the residence Of the Harp wO-
men, near the site Of the city of Hender-
son. 1t may be that the Harps passed a.
round these two families so aS to conceal
themselves from observation. 1t is sup
posed that the Hsrps had determined tC
remove their wives aud children from
kentucky and locate somewhere III the
South. ItiS certain, that on joining theil
wives, they lost no time in packing uI
. and leaving the place where the women
and children had resided. In moving
South, they camped for the night a few
miles from the residence Of Stigall, whC
owed one OF the women dollar. Stigal
met the party III the flats Of Deer creek
| as he WAS going on his way to the Robin
son lick, north Of the Ohio, for salt, ant
/ told the woman to call on his wife and tel
! her 10 pay the dollar. He also told tht
/ woman that his wife did not know wher,
/ he hid, or kept his money, and that h'
would inform her where it was TO bt
. nj hon elta farrnI - oR.Rrflif frf
/ TO his directions, she would know that n
/ had authorized the woman TO call and ge
I the dollar due her. In pursuance of theS
| instructions, one or all of the wives o
I the HarpS went 10 the house OF Stigal
and told his wife what her husband ha,
/ said. She found his purse where she Wa
/ directed TO look for il. II contained aboU
so in silver, out Of which Mrs. Stigal
paid the woman the dollar due her. Tn
wives of the Harps told them how muc
( there seemed to be in the pile found on
of the purse, and this led TO the perpetra
ton, during the following night, of on
. of the most horrible tragedies ever wit
messed on earth.
Mrs. Stigall was Il young woman wit
only one child. 1t so happened that
man named Love was staying that nigh
At her house. With the information do
rived from their wives, the two Harp
left their camp and went to the house {
Stigall, got the money and then murder
cd his wife and child, and Love likewis'
They then set the house on fire and burr
up the murdered bodies and all that ~
in it. There were two men, one name
Hudgens and the other Gilmore, VII
were returning from the lick with the
packs of salt, and had camped for n
night not far from Sugall' :, OF which Il
Harps were informed. About dayligl
the Harps went TO the camp Of these me
and arrested them upon the pretence tn
they had committed robbery, murder an
arson at the house of Stigan. soon att
the arrest they shot Gilmore, who die
on the spot Hudgens broke and ran, bI
was oyertaken by the Harps and put