Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-03-05
Mlistellaueuns &eading.
CHAINED SKELETONS.

CHAINED SKELETONS.
THE CAVE OF TIE FAMOUS AlURRELL GANG
FOUND
A Huntingdon, Tenn, letter to the Nash
vile World says: On the 11th of Februa-
ry we left Huntingdon for the southwest
ern portion of the county for few days,
bird and squirrel hunt. Being securely
seated behind two forty (hours) thorough
bred, we were soon on our hunting ground,
it being in the immediate vicinity OF where
the writer and his companion, Mr.. A. NJ.
Lee, were both born and raised, as mat
ter of course we were we'll acquainted with
the woods. While followinga rocky branch,
known as the Gin Branch, we came to
where it skirted the margin of high hill,
our setter, Charlie, made dash at a rabbit
and both rabbit and Charlie disappeared in
the hill. The entrance was what we sup
posed to be a crevice in the rocks, as the
margin of the hill was covered with large
sand rocks; in moment the bats came pour
ing out by the hundreds; the weather be-
ing chilly, they fell to theground as soon as
the air struck them-their slumbers being
disturbed by the dog. We were enjoying
the fun when, to our astonishment, several
a dismal hoot as though he had not seen
daylight in years or wished to frighten us
away. Becoming uneasy for fear our dog
could not return, Mr.. Lee went to the en-
trance of the cave, taking pole and probing
some six feet, he found it made an abrupt
angle to the right; the opening was barely
sufficient for a common sized man to enter;
he groped his way until it became so dark
that he returned and revealed the terrible
news that it opened into what he believed
to be large hall, and that he could hear
Charlie running around and whining, as
though he was lost and could not find his
way out. We sent to a neighboring house
and procured a lantern, determined to res
cue Charlie at all hazards. With lantern
in hand we both entered, compelled to
crawl on hands and knees for some distance
before we could walk erect; the entrance
turned first to the right, then to the left, in
zigzag form finally we met Charlie and
his bark, as it echoed and re-echOed, as
tonished us to such an extent that we rails
ed our lantern over our heads, which threw
bright light around We stood dumb for
moment; we were shocked and horritied;
the surroundings were revealed we were
in large room, ceiled on sides and over
head with rude clapboards. Before US sat
large table with a mutilated pack of
around the table; couple of large and
rough shop-made knives on one corner. AS
soon as we could collect our senses and
calm our staggered brain we found that we
were in secret cave that had once been oc-
cupied by band of outlaws, but who or
when was the question. In surveying the
room, which was 1SX1S, we found in one
corner black something; holding the
light close, our blood was chilled; it was
large black man, his skin and flesh dry
as those who, in ancient days, were given
passage over Sharon; a large and rough
made chain was locked around his ankle
and fastened to a staple in the floor. In
the opposite corner lay the dried frames
of two huge blood hounds; in an old and
heavy wooden box was found two old fash
ioned horse pistols with flint locks they
had undoubtedly done service in the revo-
luton there were also several pairs OF hand-
cuffs. We began to think that we were in
the regions of the damned. When looking
on the rough wall, there we saw 'the hand
writing" 1t was "John a. Murrell, 1928"
We were in the great outlaws den; we
could then see that the man chained had
been stolen by the bold bandit-brought
there and chained until they could run
him South and sell him. The presump-
ton is that when the cave was deserted he
WAS dllNej lIe uoOlll "oo ouAS, puo ".it.o
agony he underwent--chained and alone--his
face like Mitons devil. "grinned horribly
CHASTITY smile." The bloodhounds had been
Kept for the purpose of recapturing any
slave that might escape. AS we were about
making our exit, our companion, Lee, call
ed our attention in an excited manner, to
another object. We turned around, he was
pale and the lantern trembling in his hand;
he pointed under the table, and there lay
the dried form and frame of another human
man being, examining close it proved to be
that of once beautiful female. She too was
chained. She had died a horrible death
starved to death. Her long yellow hair still
clung to the dry skin on her head which
hung in golden tresses over her bosom that
once heaved with the breath of life, though
now cold her once ruby lips were parted SO
as to disclose a set of pearly teeth. How
came she in a robbers den" She could not
have been a victim to Cupid's dart if so,
why chain her? She undoubtedly had been
kidnapped and held for ransom. But our
hearts grow sick as we write. Several let
ters were found of a suspicious character;
but as they contain the names Of people in
Middle Tennessee we decline to give their
contents.
The discovery of the den has caused
great excitement in the neighborhood.
Numbers have visited the place and few
have ventured in. Mr.. w. G.. Blair, on
whose land the cave is, refused to have any
thing disturbed until the people could see
it. He permitted Mr.. Lee to remove the
dragoon pistols, which have John A. Muir
rell's initials stamped on the barrels.
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