St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-07-04

VlNGlON, 81. i ANN
u MURRELL THE MURDERER.
| he slew steamboat Grows and Darae1 ao1
sank the Crafts.
The name Of John A. Murrell stands
to-day among the blackest on the Grim
inal record of the south, and to visit one
of his haunts either in Tennessee OF
Arkansas is not a pleasant thing. When
gazing into . yawning cave where once
this retl-handed assassin dwelt thou
sand ghostly visions seem to leap into
the air. and as many echoes ring out los
revenge.
Murrell was bold in his operations
He possessed promptitudc Of decision
that was wonderful and . tendency OF
purpose that was equally noted. In
his earlier days in Arkansas he was
known for his brutality. Thefe can yet
be seen in Lee county . little mound
on Crowley's ridge which bears the
name Of Murrell. It was one Of his
favOrite resorts The mound is about
forty feet above the top of the ridge.
and will measure probably fifty feet At
the base. The center was dug out by
Murrell, and the hole will measure in
circumference about ten feet, while it il
fully twenty feet in depth.
| 1t was in this place that the noted
outlaw perpetrated some of his most
hendish crimes. The little mound 10
situated in the eastern part Of Lee coun-
| ty, and the St Francis river struggles
along at the base of the ridge upon
which IL stands. 1t was here that MUIR
rell would sit in solitude and gaze upon
the little stream below, watching
anxiously for some boat to appear, that
he might murder the crew and capture
the cargo. and how well and how often
he succeeded in this need not be retold
But probably the most striking illus
tration Of the mans brutality and fear
lessness can be found in the adjoining
county, Phillips. only a few miles be-
low the mound. Just north Of Helena,
about eight miles. can be seen q very
large lake, spreading over several hum
dred acres of ground and reaching from
towering chain of hills on the west to
the great Mississippi river on the cast
just before the body of water joins the
river it narrows into channel Of only
few yards in width. Murrell and his
assistants, for he certainly had oonfed-
erates. although but few OF their
names have been learned. would force
steamboats, through this neck and into
the lake. After compelling the crew
to run the boat into the lake the out
laws would murder and throw them
into the water. The boats would b.
finally destroyed and would sink into
the water.
To-day . visitor to that portion of
Arkansas can see the upper parts of the
boats captured and wrecked BY MUIR
rell and his associate robberA And it
is an ugly scene. At morning when the
sun, peeping from behind the trees that
skirt the eastern bank of the broad Mis-
siss;ppi. pours . warm light upon the
lake, the dilapidation, and wreck. and
ruin are mournfully apparent The
jackstaffs. half rotten and rusty Chin
ncy stacks, decayed pilot-houses, and
splintered bows. all 60 to form . spec
tacle that is forbidding to the eye, and
yet there is about the scene a something
strongly fascinating to the spectator.
From this ugly scene the mind is |
taken to another. where in later years
the wild vines have wound around a
little pine bush which is mirrored in q
crystalline spring on the west side of |
Crowley's ridge, but . few miles south |
of Mariana Not far from this pine tree.
half covered by a tangled mass of weeds
and grass and vines, can be seen q grin |
ming skull. 1t has remained there for |
years, and has been bleached in the |
blazing sun. It could tell it's own story
II It were given q tongue. Nothing has !
ever been known of it, except that it is
the skull of one of the assassin's victims
Where this white symbol of horror.
around which loathsome vipers wriggle
and squirm, now lies, once could be
seen Murrell, ferocious and thirsty for
blood, bathing his hot lips in the little
spring that bubbled from the mount
aims side. The cave he occupied dur
ing the day can yet be seen 1t this place.
and the pine tree is rs green rs in the
years agone.
found in this cave. Some time during
the same year box similar to the one
found in this cave was dug out of the
mound near St Francis river. Each Of
the boxes contained but small amount
Of money. The finding Of the money
but strengthened the belief that the
outlaw had buried all of the money he
obtained in Arkansas in some of his
secret haunts. There are many yawn-
ing caverns in the hillsides in which,
perhaps, there are skeletons to tell their
own stories of midnight murder, each
leaving . new horror TO swing above
The sepulcher of the man whose flesh
has long since furnished food for the
ve-worms.-Memphi Commercial.
Ie worked Both Ways.
Stern Parent-I do not see. sir, what
ros, have In marrY mv da01hter IN