Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-08-24

me, that little wretch, ever since that. Hav
1 said enough to clear her ? Yes, there's an
other thing, too. John Gedney-I-did tn
deed he was hung for years ago-I swear t.
that. Is it any good praying for me %
He was gone, and they carried the poo
minister away in a dead faint.
But Ruth was saved-Ruth was cleared
and, moreover, the father who had been he
shame, had become martyr
ssIt was worth it all" she often said, will
tears in her eyes, "worth all the agony, an(
terror, and disgrace. 1t would have beer
worth dying for if that had been needful.-
Mary Kyle Dallas.
AN OLD TINE OUTLAw.-The death Of
Jesse James in Missouri, and the frequent
reference to his robberies and to his notorlet.
as ssthe most conspicuous and formidable
scoundrel of the Schinderannes and Cartoucht
type ever known in this country, may suggest
to some of the Ne,rs readers, with long mem
cries, that forty years ago or more there wa'
robber and a band organized and directed by
him in the lower Mississippi, more famous
than Jesse or Frank James, or the 'Blue CUT
gang, more dreaded, more wide reaching ii
crime, and far more bloody, for they made il
a rule to leave no victim to become witness
John A. Murrell was name of terror IRON
the mouth of the Ohio to the Yazoo, and fal
back into the interior of the States bordering
the Mississippi, on the east side. The west
side was too wild a woods for travellers or rob
bers in those days, but the east was beset for
hundreds of miles along the roads leading
northward from New Orleans, which were
largely travelled by dealers from the North
who had taken down droves of horses or flat
boat loads of grain or pork or Whisky
The depredations were not confined to the
land, by any means, but unsuspecting 'broad
horns" were captured and pillaged and theil
crews fed to fish, while tied up at night out OF
the wake of steamers and RATS that might
sink them in fog. 1t is said that the Muir
rell gang had hiding places in caves and stored
their plunder in them. Western Tennessee
was said to be their favorite ground, but
| they ranged from the mouth of the Mississippi
to the Ohio Many efforts were made to cap
ture their leader and break up the gang but
low named Virgil Stewart undertook it OF his
own motion, partly to clear the country OF
terror, and partly to employ his superabun'
dant enenergy and daring. He became a
member of the gang and continued so for
some considerable time-a year or two, posi-.
sibly more, and finally trapped the greatest
villain ever known on the American Continent
~, of &bo hroo nhsnfc Mont
bass and Morgan. He was sent to the penl-
tentiary at Nashville for long term on con-
victon of robbery, it is to be presumed, as
conviction of murder would have hung him.
1t may be that no legal evidence Of direct par
ticipation could be advanced even by his cap
tor, however complete might have been the
moral certainty of his guilt. Stewart publish
ed an account of his adventures III large
pamphlet forty years ago or thereabouts The
robber chief died in the penitentiary, or, at
all events before he got the chance to resume
his old career, even if he had been so disposed.
There are, no doubt, persons in this city who
retain accurate recollection Of the mans ad-
ventures and notoriety. Indianapolis Ne,cs.
TEXAS ARCHEOLOGY.-Evld OF the
existence of man at a very remote age is
found in many locations in this portion of
Western Texas. On the dividing ridge, be-
tween Cherokee Creek and San Saba River
Valley, there is, covering a space of 10000
acres or more, evidence of the whole of this
tract having been occupied by the dwellings
of an ancient people, who probably thatched
with straw or covered by the skins of animals.
Thousands of circular elevations exist OF a
size almost uniform, being twenty-five feet in
diameter across from the out line of circum-
ference at the base Of the mounds-the eleva-
tions at the highest point do not average
more than two and half feet above the sur.
rounding planes-instead of being mound
shaped, round on top, they have in centre a
depression about six feet in diameter. This
depression never exceeds in depth one-third
the height of the mound. The material OF
which the circular ridge is composed is gene
ally small broken stones or gravel taken from
the surrounding deposits, intermixed with
earth. The material of which the central part
is composed is of somewhat different nature,
| being earth and ashes intermiXed with small
fragments Of stones, which show unmistaka'
BILE evidences of having been submitted to
frequent heatings-the earth shows to have
been baked. Fragments of the shells of mol
lusks, principally mussels, of species differ
ing little from those found in neighboring
creeks at the present time, are common. The
writer has had several of these mounds thor
oughly searched for human remains or de-
posits of implements used by the ancient peo
pie who constructed them, but without re-
sult.-Sun Saba Neus.
| OUTWITTING THE LAwYERS.-A wealthy
peasant, who felt that his hours were NUM-
bered called his sons around his bedside, and
began, "James, you are the eldest, and l be-
uueath you my blessing" The second Sol
came forward, with bowed head, and the
father said "John Henry, you have been
good boy, and bequeath you my good name.
The third son showed up, and the old maj
kindly remarked, "Andrew Jackson, you are
my youngest, and l bequeath you the care OF
my grave. Good-by, my dear sons. Eacl
of you press my hands for the last time ant
then skip to the field, for this is glorious
weather for corn.'' "But, dad, you are wortf
so, ,OOO!" they protested, in chorus. ''Tha
is true, boys, but l have tried to make al
equal division. / have left all the honor tt
you and all the money to the lawyers. The.
would have got the sugar, anyhow, and, in TIN
getting, would have left you nothing, ant
proved your mother fool and your father
lunatic, beside die happy and full OF peace
Bury me just to the left of the old COW shet
and Day for my tombstone on the monthly in