The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-04-12
Relics of John A. MaGrreIE.
Evansville Journal.1

lESansVllle
The discovery of anything that tends
to throw light upon the villainies of
John A. Murrell and his celebrated band
Of Western outlaws will always be of
interest to the people in this region,
where he operated so boldly and with
such signal success. His murders and
iashing deeds of outlawry were SO cold
olooded and daring that they have be-
come renowned, and in many portions of
the West have settled into traditions
that are handed down from father to son.
In the light of the progress of the world,
it is long time since Murrell lived, but
in the light of the daring of his achieve
ments and the extent of his success it
seems but few years since he was living
and terror of all honest people. The
left upon the people of the
West is vivid, and to children yet the
name of John A. MurreH is one of hor-
ror and dark, bloody import. From
1915 to 1880 Murrell and his notorious
outlaws were the terro, of the West.
Southern Illinois, We .ern Kentucky
and Tennessee, Eastern Missouri and
Northern Arkansas was the territory
upon which he levied tribute, and which
he wrung with a merciless hand from all
who came within his reach. That was
the iron age of the West, when men were
hardy and likely to carry their lives in
their hands. Western men were from
tiersmen, used to all dangers and ready
to brave opposition. Murrell must have
been a remarkable man to have sue
ceeded in establishing among such peo-
pie fraternity of outlaws and murder
ers, that struck terror into the hearts of
even these. In many respects he was
most remarkable man. Possessed of un-
doubted courage he united with it won
derful judgment of human nature, rare
powers of mimicry, and capacity to
adapt himself to the most varied situa-
tions. Such was the -merciless charac-
ter of his reputation that freside tales of
horror have for their heroes John A. Muir
rell and his gang. Notwithstanding many
of the horrible tales related of him are
pure invention, the fact remains that he
never was suspected of a generous mo-
tive. There is nothing recorded of him
that serves to tighten up the romance of
the Robin Hood of Merry England. The
impression of Murrell is that he was
a most conscienceless and murder
GUS villain-a man who never felt a
forgiving impulse. Murder was his trade
and robbery his pastime.
Although Murrell, himself, is particu-
larly remembered as land pirate and
murderer, his gang included scoundrels
of every description, who operated in
every trade. While Murrell held his
quarters on the lower Ohio River, and
engaged in numbering flatboatmen and
plundering their property, a portion of
the band was engaged in the more artis-
tic villainy of counterfeiting. The ex-
tent and daring of their operations
struck terror into Western COM
merce, for they counterfeited all me-
diums of trade, and evidently COM
prised among them some skillful artisans.
Tradition has fixed upon Cave-in-Rock,
near Paducah, as the headquarters of
the counterfeiters. Here, last week,
while the government employees were
blasting in the quarries at Rose Glare, a
few miles away, blast in crevice dis
closed TO view cache, small and well
concealed. Upon examining it the
sides were found supported by four rough
iron bars, and in the center of the hole
was an iron casket, with handle and
crank in the top, having the exact ap-
pearance of coffee mill. This was taken
out, and on being opened was found
to be filled with a number of coun-
terfeit plates of copper and steel. They
were so well protected that there was lit
tie rust upon them. The "coffee mill, !"
upon being examined, turned out to be
press for taking impressions, for the
handle and crank was screw, by which
heavy pressure could be put upon the
plates below. Officer Messmer, of this
city, has in his possession three plate
pieces and a die. One of the pieces is a
mere smooth plate of copper, upon which
are some chisel marks, as if there had
been an attempt to cut it in two to make
two more plates the size of the ones we
shall refer to. The most interesting of
these relics are two plates composing one
set or piece, counterfeit upon the State
Bank Of Kentucky of the date of 1921.
This plate is very smooth and bright cop.
per, about three inches long and two
wide, and is handsome specimen Of the
art for that period. The die is so badly
! rusted upon the face that nothing can be
made of it. 1t was probably the coun
terfeit stamp of some bank, by which
/ correspondence could be counterfeited tc
| inveigle prey into their hands. There il
little doubt that this is some of the worl
of MurrelPs gang. A book called the
History of the Great West gives de
tailed account of Murrel's counter
feiteIs, and mentions the fact that in 1872
two unusually skillful engravers wer'
employed at the headquarters in South
ern Illinois in the preparation of plates
The dates and the places correspond well
and the work on the plates is evidence o
the work of skillful engravers. Mur
rell died in the Nashville penitentiar,
in 1888.
The Pittsburg (Pa.) Chronicle, alludinI
to the foregoing, says: Captain ]. Shar
Mcdonald, of the towboat Charley Nc
Donald, corroborates the finding of a box
containing dies, ETC.. near Rose Glare
Illinois, supposed to have been left ther
by John A. Murrell, the notorious West
ern bandit and counterfeiter.
A NATURALIST who has examined tn
large fossil bones recently dug up i
Washington Territory, pronounced ther