The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-09-09

NrW YOREt sept o.
o, SIr worst man in Florida" on Friday
'ut to be the cause Of general re-
ioicins throughout the State -, .
'I T.rmon Murray, the desperate who
10. Killed, has long been the terror OF
Me great interior.
mt Of the affair reporter yester-
I'm Wv interviewed Mr.. ]. s. Twomey' a
a c,Ininent business man of Gaines,
lille. who is staying at the Continental
Hotel. hons. chat
no man has been shot," said Mr..
T 11s "You will appreciate the i'm
',,,"nco of it when l tell you that for
ilSnn,hs that he has terrorized both tho
a' 'o,is ond the officials to such an ex-
i, a. ,bnt Il seriously interiered with
w.. .t,.' crows In some places the farmers
T v not work in the field without
ng,,inp some one on guard. Hls depre-
ES,i , had become so serious that
oaiy Inst week a special meeting OF the
T S, Commissioners was held ana
e. V S1G WAS added to tho reward already
S St;sDsd by the Mayor OF Gainesville"
THE OUTLAWS CAREER.
Mr.. Twomcy said that until few
vc,r. ago Murray was an ordinary
.nula,to negro" u big strappling farm
hand who seemed inoGensive enough
n rT he fell in with a gang OF black
roarbs headed by white man, an Eng
I.bman known us James Kelly. MUIR
,oy Soon developed into first class
L5n5it He was worse than any OF the
" ",' They rayaged the country around
t;oinesyilic, and as many OF the rich
;sros ara more or less secluded among
the swamps OF the interior the gang,
WHO travelled from point to point by
night had things all their own way for
o time.
TIE KILLING OF MCPHERSON.
But bad luck came last spring when
Murray killed Merchant Mcpherson,
who owned store and ran farm.
Murray had attempted to rob his store
iast wear, Tor which he was imprisoned
after narrowly escaping McPherson's
bullets. lie got out, and in revenge the
gang tried to rob the same store. This
vas in March. Failing to break the
door, they fired the barn. This brought
Mcpherson flying from the store, where
lie was sleeping, and Murray shot him
dead.
The county was wild with excite
ucnt. A posse was raised, and on the
following night Kelly and one Of his
negro followers were captured, one in
swamp, the other in railroad depot
near gainesville. They were lynched
before the moon went down. Murray
again escaped, and was more diabolical
than ever. lie called the rich farmers
out OF bed at midnight, fastened them
10 trees with log chains and shot at
them until they revealed where their
money was hidden.
COULDN'T SCARE MURRAY.
Notwithstanding half the people in
the county armed themselves and went
searching for the desperate, he hid in
the swamps by day and kept right on
With his atrocities by night. His favor
ito plan was to force innocent young
negroes to 20 with him in advance and
DO the shooting leaving him to plumber
ind torture.
Within few weeks after the lynching
Of his assistant cutthroat, Kelly Murray
went on u tour and killed deputy
sheriff at Fernandina, and few days
later killed two men ut Starke, Fla.
Then he returned and settled down to
cold business in the swamps OF Alachua
county, Of which Gainesville is the
county seat SO frequent were the out
RACES OF the gang, and SO dangerous was
it for men to work out of doors any dis
lance from their homes that fields were
neglected and crops left without culti-
ration.
Murray had great success in terrifying
TIE negroes Of the section to such an
extent that he forced them to feed him
and his gang and assist in misleading
the officers on their trail.
MuGRAY's LIEUTENANT LYNcHR0.
Last week another exciting episode
occurred down there. Andy Ford, Muir
rays principal confederate in villainy,
WIS caught and speedily lyRched amid
countless demonstrations OF Joy on tho
part OF the hunted farmers. But this
did not brighten the leader.
Murray grew holder and more despe-
rate every time one OF his gang was
Killed. He killed and mutilated both
Oh and young, He spared no one when
no wanted money. He sent word to the
officials OF Gainesville, not forgetting
The county authorities, that he would
shoot them on sight. Scarcely night
passed that some fresh outrage was not
committed.
This was tho condition Of affairs last
tuesday, when the commissioners met
and added $1,000 reward to the sum
already offered for the capture OF Muir
fay dead or alive. Then a general cam
paisn was organized to hunt the out
avs uOWIl, nut they grew bolder ana
more defiant than ever.
WAS IT MURRAY IN PErrIcoATs?
Last week man, passing under the
name OF Workman, boarded a train near
st. Petersburg, Fla, with woman.
Their actions were suspicious, and they
We're watched. Workman claimed to be
rom birmingham, Ala, and he nc.
hhowledged having killed man on &C.
count OF the woman with him. They
mad left the town secretly, and were
upset in boat on Tampa bay during
= big storm. Workman claimed to
nave lost gun, q fine dog and groceries
enough for year.
come down in the same train with The
suspicious couple, arrested them, and q
posse OF men were on hand to assist
tue deputy in case he noeded their