The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-05
Work OF Gang Of Murderers I'm West
Virginia.

1 saws For several years lDal pOTllOn Oi
West Virginia in and about Barbour coun-
" has been the scene OF the outrages OF a
| band OF thieves and murderers that for
thoroughness OF organization and success
ful work rivals anything this country has
ever seen. Murder after murder and rob-
berry after robbery have been committed,
until the people have been terrorized.
Both Doddridge and Barbour counties are
wild and largely covered with timber
growth. In the latter county the Allegha-
nies begin TO dwindle into hills. Doddridge
county. although rugged. is not so wild.
/ During the past six months six murders
have been committed in this one county,
with a population of less than 1000.
Soon after the war moonshiners began
business in these counties because OF their
remoteness and inaccessibility. The Gov
ernment vainly endeavOred to break the IL
/ legal business up. One OF the gaugers in
the employ Of the United States was Ma
rion Howse, a man who possessed the con-
| fidence OF all who knew him. Soon after
his arrival on the ground the illicit distil-
! leries began to disappear, according TO his
report, and the authorities congratulated
themselves on the favorable turn OF affairs.
Howse established bimself at the little vii
lage Of Pbillippi, place OF two hundred
| inhabitants. nestled at the foot Of the great
hills, hamlet not often visited by the out
side world. but so situated that all the
mail from number of back counties passed
through it. As there were no banks there
the merchants sent money to pay for their
goods by registered letters.
just after Howse settled in Phillippi he
began 10 organize lodge Of " Red Men y
To suppress crime and lawlessnesS. Into
this order came many prominent persons,
farmers, merchants, attorneys, and even
school-teachers. Howse was made Grand
Sachem, and got up constitution ana all
things necessary for thorough organlza-
tion. After the plans were fully matured
! Howse began TO crystalize his scheme,
which at that time was TO protect the
moonshiners. To do this he won over
several men in each subordinate wigwam
| 10 his views. and the fun began. Some OF
/ the best men in tn county engaged in the
work without scrup'e. Howse levied a
special tax on each still protected, and was
rapidly accBmuating money. One OF bis
trusted agents was a man named Price, a
United States deputy marshal.
After a time the stills from some cause
were shut down. and the organization
turned its attention 10 mail-robbing rs
| speciality. 4 map OF the mail routes IN
| half score of adjoining counties was made.
The most favorable places for robbery were
marked. as were also all avenues OF escape.
Men were detailed TO watch the offices,
| keep track OF the valuable packages, and
report them at headquarters, and relays oi
horses were provided for this purpose. 1t
is certain that post-oflice attaches were en-
gagged in the enterprise, but the ofncers
have not vet made known their names.
The mail-carrier, too often boy, was way
laid al some lonely spot, the pouches taken
awav, their contents rifled Of all yaluables,
and the balance burned. For nearly two
wears this thing continued, and over forty
robberies and at least three murders
were committed. None Of the murdered
nersons were connected with the mail SER
vice. Last summer :he mailpOuches from
I the rear counties coming in 10 take the
train on the Baltimore and Ono railroad ut
Webster, Taylor county, were taken from
the boy in lonely gorge near Calhoun,
Randolph county, and four thousand dol
lars was distracted and all the contents OF
the pouches DESTROYED. The "Red Men "
made a great parade and vowed vengeance,
buf nothing came Of il. so strong had the
q Red Men" become that Howse deter
mined TO use the organization 10 wreak
vengeance on Worth letters, deputy
limited States marshal for West Virginia.
An old feud had long made them enemies,
and Howse resolved 10 kill him. This
more than anything else led 10 the denou-
rnent. Howse in his anxiety to accomplish
his end lost his caution.
In August last the boldest robbery OF all
occurred. The mail from Randolph, Tuck
er, and Upshur counties was in charge OF
boy on a blackboard wagon en- route for
Webster via Philippi. Howse planned
the robbery, which took place in piece OF
| timber known as Browns woods, at the
! foot Of Laurel mountain, seven miles from
| Phillippi. Noah kittles, who was engaged
personally in this robbery, made confess
sion last night 70 United States Marshal At
kInson. Five persons shared in the pro-
ceeds OF the affair. "Howse said the best
time TO rob the mail was on Monday" said
Kittles. cas- he had frequently seen ten
registered htters leave the Bellington post
office on that day. Hoffman and / were
10 do the robbing. Price was TO go TO
the Bellington post-office, and il there
were several registered letters in the mail
he was 10 ride along on the left side Of the
mail-bov. When they got into Browns
woods we CHoffman and u stepped into the
road. Hoffman drew revolver and | a
club. We made the boy get off his horse,
and we took the mail-pouch into the
woods. cut il open, took out the letters.
got all the money, and left. | got about
$500 or s7Oe for my part. The money was
to be equally divided among us. The day
after the robbery Howse said TO me if he
did not get his share he would make q
revelation. Hoffman took Prices share
and was to give it 10 him. Before the rob-
berry YVES made we planned 10 lay IL on
salathael Cross and Sam Coontz.
AT this time Howse was bent on killing
letters, and between his desire to do this
and a quarrel over the division OF the
spoils of the last1robbery the thing began
to leak out. The civil authorities took
courage and arrested IA suspicious char
acters' two members OF the organization
who were called Harsh and Watkins.
They were placed in the Jail in Phillippi.
The next night band OF Red Men, dis
guised with red masks, surrounded the
Jail and compelled the release OF the two
men, and on the succeeding day Howse,
the leader OF The gang, who was acting rs
district judge, discharged the men. One
week later old man Lynch. who lived in
the mountains back OF Peel Tree, was
murdered. / don't know who did 1t.
Lynch was a sRed Man, but had threat
cned to squeal. Soon after man named
Cayton. also q kicking Red Man. was
st,of affHr dsrk and by an unknown DeY-