Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-18
MARY sULLIvaN,s CRIMES.
The Story of a Recent Kentucky
Lynching.
THE CAMPBELLs AND THE sULLIvANs-THE MID
NIGHT FoRAYs OF THE FEMALE DESPERATE

THE CAMPBELLs AND THE sULLTvANs-THE MID
NIGHT FoRAYs OF THE FEMALE DESPERATE
AN ILLICIT LOVE AND TIGHTENING MOOSE.
special dispatch to the Louisville CONNER
eadt tells the strange story OF iawless love ana
lawless hate which is connected with the hang
Ing OF Mary Sullivan on the 29th OF September.
In Caldwell county, KY, there lived on the bot
toms of the Tradewater river two families des
tined to most terrible ends-the Campbells,
Reilly. j. b. and Bud; and the Sulvans, Tom
and his sister Mary. They were considered
neither better nor worse than those about Them
They were ignorant and rather shiftless but so
were many others in the neighborhood Soon,
however. the country people round about be-
gan to say strange things of the girl, Mary Sui
Ivan. She was bright. quick girl OF twenty.
with light hair, light blue eyes. and little
above the medium in size. No man for
miles about could outfit her. With gun or
pistol she was dead shot. On horseback there
wasn't boy in the county who could ride
faster over rOugher country or who dared to
Commit half the daredevil pranks that Mary
constantly delighted in She rode n horse like
n man and cared little that her limbs were ex-
posed thereby. Mary had lost all sense of cir
lish delicacy. and half the young men of the
neighbOrhoOd openly bOasted that she had bes-
lowed her favOrs on them. The effect of all
be imagined. Mary Sullivan's name became the
bywOrd for all that was Infamous and the staid
country matrOns lulled their babies to sleep
with stories of the horrible Mary and her mid
night rides and crimes. Then rumOr turned to
other things. Mary was seen often with the
Campbell boys, and once or twice she was seen
with them and her brother late at night DASH
Ing at her usual breakneck speed over
The country roads. About this time the
most daring robberies began to be committed i'm
Earr md
Their sm0kehOuSes open night after night. Sew
erai stores were broken into and robbed. and,
strange to say. no one knew who committed the
crime One old farmer began to talk very freely,
saying he recognized Mary Sullivan at the head
OF the Campbels break into his smOke house
day or so afterwards Mary gaoped up to his
house. called him out. and asked him what he
meant by saying what he did Ibid you see me
and the Campbells at your smokehouse?" asked
she, at the same time pulling big navy revolver
and showing it under his nose. The old man
hammered out an apology and was never after
ward heard to say word against the CampbellS.
Among the most bitter denOuncers of the gang
was an Old man named Felkers, who lived few
miles away from them on the Tradewater One
night, just three years ago, two men. afterward
discovered to be Tom Sullivan and Reilly Camp
bell, rode up to old man Felkers', took him and
MS old wife cut and beat them severely. They
then rode off. This affair caused the most in
tense excitement. mob was hurriedly organ
lied. and some forty men rode over to the Camp
bells Mary Sullivan had in some way heard
that they were coming several hours before
hand She and her brother Tom went over TO
the little log hut of the Campbells and barri-
caded themselves. When the mob came up thew
demanded the instant surrender of the whole
gang Mary yelled out tauntingly. "Come on
and get u.s. you cowardly dogs" Fire was
opened by the mob, and the Campbells and Sui
Iivans promptly returned it. After little the
besieged made 1t so hot for the mob that it had
TO retire. The only man hurt in the melee was
y-bn chntiY fIor
who soon recovered.
TOUCH OF LOVE.
The gang became more bold after this and
roboeries became more frequent. At this time
IN event happened which was destined to cause
the entire destruction of the band. Mary Sui
Ivan met Crockett Jenkins. The meeting itself
was romantic enough to merit its being told
Mary was riding along the Tradewater one
spring day two years ago, when she saw q man
Oh the other side preparing to come over. The
water was deep. the little river having been
raised by frequent rains. and she yelled over to
MIN not to attempt to cross there. He either
Old not hear her or paid no attention, for he
plunged his horse in. The current was too
strong for the horse, and he soon threw his rider
OF and tried to save himself. Then with
his heavy winter clothes on Jenkins would
most certainly have been drowned but for
Marys daShlng on into the stream with
her horse and Iescuin9 him at the peril of her
HE She brought the man up to her brother
"A
admiration soon sprung up, which quickly
warmed into love. From that time on Mary
Sullivan and Crockett Jenkins were warm
lovers. Jenkins, who lived some miles AWAY
moved over to Sulvan's, an the Illicit love of
The tive was the talk Of the county. From that
time on the gang had no more faithful follower
than Crockett Jenkins. About a month ago
however, Jenkins tired of Mary, and began pay
ing his attentions to another woman. For some
time Mary was ignorant of what was going on,
but when she heard il her jealous hate was ter
rible- Il will Kill Crockett Jenkins if he dares
to betray me" she had said to more than one
AT length the storm burst. One night about
month ago mary accused Crockett of his inf
deity He laughed at her. She was too ex-
cited to get her pistol. but sprang at his throat
struggle followed. and Mary would have stran-
Rled him then and there but for Interference
Crockett left the house. Some time before this
the band moved up from Tradewater bottom
and had hired little grocery some four miles
away on public road leading to Princeton. A
day or so after the fuss between Mary and
Crockett. crowd of men from Princeton were
rldIng by the little grocery, all drinking Verv
freely. when one of them in a moment of reck-
iessness, fired off his pistol. The Campbells,
thinking the mob them again. rushed
OUT OF the grocery and began firing The men
Returned the shots and then gallOped Oh to
town.
VENGEANCE TAKEN
Ihls created another tempest Of excitement
anu the next day mob was got together to ex-
terminate the Campbells. The robbing had con-
tlnued without intermission, and did much to
lhhaine the people The next night forty men,
armed TO the teeth. with masks on their faces
ana hatred In their hearts. swept down the road
toward the little log cabin where the Campbells
Kept their grocery The leaders We're picked
men. and they were followed by some of the
most desperate men of the county. 1t was re-
solved to do no half work this time but to
make sure job of it. At dead gallon they
rushed up to the house and in an instant it
was surrounded. The forty men sat on their
horses like statutes, and each man with a shot
gun in his hand the hammer raised. finger on
trigger, ready for work In the be use was q
family named McMurtry. an old man and some
small children The only other inmates were
Reilly Campbell and his brother Bud The
leader OF the me5 called out to the McMur-
trys TO leave the house, which they instantly
dld. Standing out i'm the woods shivering and
waiting for what horror they hardly knew Pre-
parations were instantly made by the two men
In the house for fight to the death Quarter
was neither asked nor given. The mob opened
fire, and the Campbells answered them Then
The hiring came fierce and fast Balls ratified
against the walls of the old log cabin like hail.
The two men opened little port holes and an
swered as best they could groan and mut-