The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-03-11
DESPERATE FELLOWS.
Noted Robbers and Bullies Of the
Lower Mississippi Half a
Century Ago.

| SeutU1y &@SS'
| Sacramento Record Union: Th,
| historian who would confine him
self To simple narration of fact,
| in giving q history of events on the
Mississippi river, from the period
embraced between the years of 1915
to 1885, in this matter-of-fact age
would be accused of transcendins
the bounds of truth and reveling in
the realms of fiction. To provoke
such as this there is no necessity ot
drawing on the Imagination sim.
pie record of facts is all sufficient
for this purpose. The first settle
ment of any new country always at
tracts, in advance, the bold and
adventurous as well as the criminal
elements of eiEilized society; and
the first peopiing of the southern
and western states brought more oi
such men within their limits than
did the older sections of the Union
New Orleans, in the state of Lou
isiana, was the grand depot for the
products of this vast region OF
country; and the Mississippi river
and its tributaries were the only
channels of communication through
which these products found their
way to market. AS a consequence
all the towns on those rivers became
headquarters for lawless elements,
and were noted for gambling and
the outlawry which necessarily fol-
lows in its train. The genius of
Fulton had not at this early time
decorated navigable streams with
floating palaces; therefore the less
pretentious fst-boats, or "broad-
horns" as they were termed, were
the common means of transit.
Many old men of the present day
recollect with distinctness seeing
fleets of them floating with the cur
rent on the Mississippi, laden with
every article of produce in the
Western States, and manned by the
most stalwart and sinewy Of men,
who, like the products they carried
to market, were the growth of this
powerful section of country. The
popular song of Grow, Boatman,
Row." gives faitful idea of the
character of this class Of men at
that day. These boats, sitter they
had reached their points Of destina-
ton, could no longer be used for
purposes of navigation Their
owners generally disposed 6 them
for the price of the lumbe' they
contsined and returned to their
homes, hundreds of miles, by land,
through country sparsely pOpula
ted, carrying with them money in
large amounts which sometimes fell
into the hands OF the confederate
bands OF robbers which infested
the country. -
The most noted Of these robbie
was man by the nameof MssoG.
the leader of a band which bad dep
redated on unsuspeccing travellers
all through the states of Kentucky,
Tennessee and Mississippi for
years, and had euded all efforts
made for their capture. Mason
was terror Of he whole western
and southern country, and men re
turning from Ne1 Orleans with the
proceeds of their indu stry did not
venture to do s, except in large
parties, well armd. Large rewards
were offered by IL the states for
his head, dead or alive. This
course had the deired effect of rid
ding the country of the monster.
Mason was remgkable for his gil
gantic stature. One of his men,
who had visited he city of Natchez,
became aware Il the rewards Of
fered and determined TO possess
himself of these .arge sums, and, as
he afterward EXPRESSED himself, "re-
tire from the buiness of robbing."
On the spot whee the town of Port
Gibson, Claibone county, Miss,
now stands, Masn and this mem
ber of his band had succeeded in
numbering a returning fat boatman
and robbing him # large amount
of money. Whilethe two were sit
ting on the groud, counting the
spoils, the robbeI shot his leader
through the brain He severed his
head from the body ,ut it into a sack,
carried it into the cit of; f;Nstchez and
claimed the reward. The head was
readily recognized 8 Mason's, but
alas! for the robbei he was also
recognized by one othe spectators
who had previously ben robbed by
Mason and this veryman. Gen.
jackson, who was in Natchez at
this time, knew MasoIwell, the lat
ter having been a menoer of one of
the Tennessee regiments in the
Greek Indian war. Jakson said he
never saw a man of better proper
tions than Mason-pysically he
was the best and molly he was
the worst man he ever new.
Some years after the occurrence
here narrated, two broters, James
and Resin Bowie, cam into the
State of Mississippi, one ocsting at |
the city of Natchez, and ne other
in Concordia parish, louisiana.
AS the career of the formeDf these |
men has become somewhatloted in
IQ0 auQAlS vi buc 5OuIuSAh II sdJcS,
brief sketch of both of themyill not
be out of place. They werenatives
OF the state of Maryland, an came
from a highly respected fanny, into
which the great lawyer and states
man, Reverdy johnson, nrried.
They were both fine specinns of
physical manhood, good-loking,
with restlessness and determination
Enthusiastically stamped on thr Wis
ages. They were literally duca
ted, and their address was tat of
gentlemen. Both we're skilledn the
games of "faro" and ''bra." the
popular games of that day With the
sporting fraternity, which ten In
cluded every class of society. They
were not professional gamblss, but
played literally. The two bothers
were spectators in the rich;otton
lands of Mississippi and louisiana,
in which they realized large ans OF
money. AS society was orsnized
at that day, difficulties were sually
settled before the muzzfes f pis-
tolls, and men had to be ciremspect
in their conduct in order teavoid
coming in contact with brave who
subscribed to the saltpeter code.