Huntsville gazette., 1882-02-25
The James Brothers Again.

A tall, muscular-looking gentleman,
| apparently forty-five years of age, wear
ing suit of well-made gray clothes, a
slouch hat, and boots with heavy soles,
walked into the Four Courts about dusk
last evening, carrying an oil-cloth car
pet-sack in his hand and looking some
what fatigued. He walked to the rail-
ing of the Central police office and in
quired for Chief Kennett, saying, as he
did so, 'sI must see the chief, and no
one else will do, as have important in
communicate to him. I leave for the
West on the next train" After consid-
cradle trouble the Republicans repre-
sentative finally ascertained that the
gentleman's name was P. j. Kennedy,
and that he had come to st. Louis from
Arkansas to communicate what he had
to tell to the chief personally. Mr.. Ken
nedy, who may be a crank, or private
detective, or anything, claims that he
has discovered the rendezvous of the
James boys, which is located at the base
Of the Boston Mountains in Arkansas.
In order to prosecute his search into
the interior of that wild and uninhabited
country, he engaged to work as q Sec
tion-hand on railroad two years ago.
| While scouting about the country in the
vicinity of Boston Mountain one day he
discovered a dilapidated-looking house,
the only sign of Civilization in existence
in that locality for miles around. He
walked up to this house and knocked at
the door, when man apparently fifty
years of age, with shaggy beard, look
ing savagely from pair of restless eyes,
came out and asked him what he want
ed. Kennedy was surprised to find that
this man was Bill Atchison, ,one of Guam
trell's band, whom he had known dur
ing the civil war, in 1868. As soon as
Atchison recognized him, he looked at
him suspiciously, as much as to say,
what in the world brought you into this
God -torsaken country. and then sullenly
| invited him to walk into the house. AS
soon as his host found that his guest was
engaged in working on railroad, near
ly days ride from his house, and had
simply found the place while hunting,
he became more hospitable, and invited
Kennedy to make him visits from time
to time. Kennedy made several
visits, and finally his host became
confidential, and communicated to
him his secret. He told him that
he was the person through whom the
James boys and some of their comrades
occasionally communicated with the
outside world. He was known to the
world as the eccentric old hermit, aud
people looked upon him with supersti-
| ton rather than suspicion.
Kennedy then asked him where the
James boys were.
| To thi, question he answered ''Their
rendezvous is short distance from here,
at the foot of Boston Mountain. They
| belonged to strong band of outlaws,
composed of few survivors of Guam
trell's band and number of other des
peradoes. The narrator said that he
conveyed to the James boys newspapers
and gave them information regularly.
| The band was in the habit of taking
long trips, and never molested the few
inhabitants within twenty-five or thirty
miles of their rendezvous. For that
reason people living in that section
would rather assist in keeping their
whereabouts secret than incur their dis
pleasure Many farmers in Arkansas,
the narrator said, knew where the rem
devious of the James boys was located,
but found it convenient to avoid Boston
Mountain and hold their tongues. They
| knew, he said, that the moment they
said anything they would be spotted
and put out of the way. Kennedy served
| in the Confederate army during the
war, and showed his left hand, which
lacked finger, to corroborate the state
ment. The finger, he said, had been
shot off by a guerrilla. He also said
that there were two illicit distilleries
running full blast few miles from Bos-
ton Mountain. As the country was wild
and sparsely settled, these distillers had
never been disturbed. The Government
evidently knew nothing of their exist
ence, for no measures had ever been
| taken to shut them down. Mr. Kennedy
was absolutely certain that the rem
devious of the James boys was at the
| foot of the mountain. The band OF out
laws to which they belong, he said, were
SO strong and well-drilled that it would
be difficult for any other than q strong
military force to capture them. The
country for miles around near Boston
Mountain was wild, rocky and fit for
nothing. There were caves and re-
treats in the region he knew, and could
conceive of no better place for rem
devious than had been selected.-St.
L0uis Republican.
/ Charging the Jury.