Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-05-21
JOHN A. MuRRELL.
A SKETCH OF TIL FAMOUS
PIRATES CANCER.
From Philadelphia Times.

From Philadelphia TSnaes.
An account of the life of the
once celebrated John 1 Murrell, of
Mississippi, in early tines the lead
er of band of OUTLAWS whose OPP
erations extended frem the Ohio
River to the Gulf of Aexico, would
furnish material for nord of dime
novels.
Murrell was born IN Southern
Tennessee about 1896, and when
16 years of age was sent by his
father, a prosperous Methodist
preacher to Louisyille.fo be edu-
Gated. Fora while he I'D zell. hut
after time took to gambling and
was soon out of money.
One night he lost large sum to
a Pennsylvania horse dealer named
Shaner. In the courst of the game
this man told Murrell that he was
going South the next day and would
carry away more mones from Louis
vile than he had brought there.
Accordingly he left tom, and about
three miles out was halted by a
masked man pistol il hand, and
told to s'stand and deliver" sha-
ner was a brave man and made a
clutch for the holster hat held his
Derringer, and the hext instant
dropped from his horse dead with a
bullet through his bIein.
The robber and Murderer was
John A. Murrell. III cody search
ed his victim and VS. believed to
have found only mall sum of
money. Remountin he led Sha-
ner's horse into the Noods, and ex-
changing saddles MAD his way into
town. The saddle ws fine Eng
lish one, and Murrell determined to
keep it for his own use, and took it
to a harness-maker named Frew,
leaving directions to ave it re-cov-
cred. In doing this found in
the padding $1,000 II Pittsburg
money with note king anyone
who might come int possession to
send information sst sax brother. "
This was signed Felix Shaner.
The mans body had been identi-
fed and Frew at once notified the
authorizes of his discovery. MUIR
rell got wind of this, and, with the
officers at his heels, rushed down to
the banks of the river. He hailed
two men in a skiff, offering them
500 to take him aboard. They at
once agreed, and, although fired on
from the bank, succeeded in max
ing their way to the other side of
the Ohio.
Once out of danger Murrell look
ed with some curiosity at one of the
boatmen. He was short but very
brOad-shouldered, with a swarthy
face and an enormous head. His
eyes were like those of a corspe,
and the young man shuddered in
voluntarily as he recognized the
man from descriptions that were
posted at every cross-road. "Ain't
you Mason 20 he asked.
eyes, my smart youngster, Pm
Mason, the river pirate. What dye
think of me? It's lucky met you
or the traps would have had ye.
What ye been doing 20
Murrell, with all his nerve, felt o
sentiment of fear. No more blood
thirsty ruffian than Mason ever
lived. There were rewards on his
head in three States. His business
was robbing the keel-boats on the
Ohio, and he spared the lives of
none who fell into his hands. The
rendezvous of his gang was at a
cave in the rocks below Paducah.
Murrell told his story, and Mason,
at once proposed that he should
join his banditti. He agreed, and
his initiation into crime was now
fully consummated. For over a
year he participated in scenes of
cruelty and bloodshed, and became
hardened in vice. He had more in
tellect than Mason, who was a mere
stabber, and he now began to or
ganize what he intended should be
a robber republic.
Nearly every ruffian in the South
west was brought into his band.
The country was sparsely settled,
and by force or intrigue he got the
control of the elections in many of
the river counties in Mississippi,
and made his own men sheriffs and
justices of the peace. Law-abiding
people were appalled,. 1t was i'm
possible to hold a murderer or a