Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-10-26
A FEMALE JESSE JAMES.
TIE LYNCllING OF MARY SULLIVAN IN
CALDWELL COUNTY, Ky.

CALDWELL COUNTY, Ky.
The following strange story Of lawless
love md lawless hate connected with the
hanging of Mary Sullivan by mob in
Caldwell county, Ky, on the 29lh of Sep
tembcr, is given in a recent dispatch to tho
Louisville Commercial:
About ten years ago there lived in tho
bottoms along T'radewa,er River, in the
Northern part of Caldwell couoty, two
families destined to most terrible en1s--tho
CampbelIs, Reilly, j. b. and Bud; and
the Snllivans, Tom aud Mary. They we're
considered neither better nor worse than
those about them. They were ignorant and
rather shiftless, but SO were many others
in the neishborhood Soon, however, the
country people round about began TO say
strange things of
TUE GIRL MARY SULLIVAN.
She was bright. quick girl Of twenty,
with light hair Iiaht blue eyes, and little
above the medium in size. No man for
miles about could outlifl her. With gun or
pistol she was dead shot. On horseback
there wasn't boy in the country who could
ride faster over roushcr country, or who
dared commit half the da,e-dcvil prauks
that Mary constantly delighted in.
The effect of all this in quiet country
ncighborhood can hardly be imagined
Mary Sulivnn's uame became the by-word
country marons ullcd thci. babies 10 sleep
with stories of the horrible Mary and her
midnight rides and crimes. Then rumor
turned to other things. Mary was often
seen with the Campbell boys, and once or
twice she was seen Will, them and her
brother late at night, dashiug at her usual
breakneck speed over the country roads.
About this time the most daring robberics
began to be committed in the Northern end
Of the county. Farmers found their smoke
houses open night after night. Several
stores were broken into and robbed, aud,
strange to say no one knew WHO committed
The crime. One old farmer began to talk
very freely, saying ho recognized Mary
Sullivan ut Tue head of the Campbclls
bi cak into his sulokc house. A day or SO
afterwards Mary gaIlopcd up 10 his house,
called him out and asked him what he
,ueant by saying what he did.
"Did you zee nc and the Campbcl:s at
your smoke housc?' asked she, at the same
time pulling big navy revolver and shov
ing it under his nose.
The old u,an slammered out an apology,
and was never aftcrwar1 heard 10 say n
word against the Campbells. Among the
most bitter denouncers Of the gang was on
old man named Fclkets, who lived few
mites from them on the Tradcwatcr. One
night just three years ago Two men, after
wards discovered to be Tom Sullivan aud
Reilly Campbell, rode UP to old man Eel.
kcr's, took him and his old wife ont aud
beat them severely. They then rode Of
This affair caused the most intense excite
mcnt. A moh was hurriedIy organized and
some forty meu rode over to CampbeI!s'
Mary Sullivan had in some way heard that
they were coming several hours beforehand.
She and her brother Tom went over 70 tho
little log hut of the CampbcIs' and bairi.
cadcd Themselves. When the mob came
up they demanded tie instant surrender
of the whole gang. Mary yelled out
tauntin:ly:
"Cumo on ard get US, you cowardIy
dogs"
Fire was opened by the mob aud the
Campbclls aud Sullivans promply returned
it. After little The bcsoigod made it so
hot for the mob that it had to retire. The
only man hurt IN the melee was Tom Sui
'ivaD who vas shot in the brest, but who
soon recovered.