Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-05-21

and yet their horses and negroes
were stolen and themselves shot
down with impunity. Murrell left
this work to his subordinates and
was constantly travelling, seeking
new associates and making new
combinations.
Clergymen, lawyers, merchants
farmers from the Tennessee line
to the gulf, were his paid agents,
and it was his ambition to finally
capture the State government. But
the people were now aroused, and
under the lead of General Coffee,
who had commanded the Tennes-
scans at the battle Of New Orleans,
began to enforce justice by referring
all cases to Judge Lynch. Eight
men were taken on the race-course
at Pamela, and hung on the porch
of the principal hotel as a warning,
and travellers coming south on the
great wilderness road could see the
bodies of robbers swinging from the
trees with notice hanging from
the foot telling the story of their
taking off.
Murrell was now known as the
leader of the banditti, and the Gov
ernors of Mississippi and Alabama
offered large rewards for his capture
dead or alive. They were very near
ly earned in 1881. Murrell sus-
pected that one of his agents had
played him false. This agent was
a lawyer practicing in Selma, then
one of the largest towns in the
State. Murrell met the man in the
courthouse, the court being in ses-
sion.
Some words ensued, and Murrell
coolly shot the lawyer dead and
rode off laughing, but the alarm
was given and a party pursued the
murderer. His horse fell and he was
taken. Bail was at once offered,
but refused, and he was sent to Jail
and well guarded, but by morning
he was gone. This aroused the
people, the sheriff came near being
tfy1schcds and werrapts were sworn
out against Murrell in every county
in the State, with accurate descrip-
tions of his person. These read ::
Give feet, six inches in height,
well built, small head, with very
black eyes, with a trick of closing
them when talking snowy in man
ner and good talker."
He now began to draw his band
together and they made their head
quarters in dense canebrake in Is
saquena county, lie wanted a part
ner who was a man of education and
tact, and not known to the author
tiles, to take his. place as an out
side manager, and such a man he
finally secured to his undoing.
Thoroughly disguised he had been
on a visit to Natchez, and was
riding north when he overlook a
mounted traveller, whom he saluted
and soon got into conversation with.
He was young man, spare in per-
son, with reddish hair and pair of
resolute gray eyes. The stranger
said his name was Ovid Stewart,
from Cumberland county, Pa. lie
had studied for the ministry, but
was compelled by poor health to
abandon his intention and seek a
home in the South by some strange
freak OF sentiment.
Murrell took to Stewart at once,
and the more he talked the better
he liked him. Suddenly from the
shelter of the timber a horseman
sprang into the road. His face
was hidden by a shaggy cap, and
there could be no doubt as to his
intentions. Pistol in hand he halt
ed them and ordered them to dis
mount. Murrell recognized one OF
:he men and gave the sign, but in
an instant Stewart leyeled his pis-
tol and the robber fell dead from
his horse. 81 don't like to kill a
man, but | don't want him to kill
me either" said the expreacher,
coolly returning his weapon to the
hostler.
| 1t at once flashed through MUIR
rell's mind that this was the man
he wanted-braye, educated, a gen.
tleman in manner, and, above all
poor. He at once wheeled around
in the road and halted his compan-
ion. "Mr. Stewart, / am going to
make very important communica-
tion to you. / like you, and if you
will join me in my enterprise / can
| mako Won n rich mau apJ c,o,-o,-,,o.. :.