Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-04-22
The Two Gentry Outlaws.

nOteu NcntIS SaHS vi Hoiso tnlSNe'j
highway robbers, and murderers, is on
Il ill in the Ca roll county, Ca, Superior
Court for simple horse stealing. But
when the Gentry gang is under consid-
Grafton horse stealing means a great
thing. George and Asbury Gentry,
brothers, have made wider reputa-
ton for outlawry in the South, for the
short time they have been operating,
than even the noted Rube Burroughs
or John A. Murrell did. Asbury is
Georges senior by two years. AT 10
Asbury ran away from home, near
Buchanan, Harrallson county, Ga, and
went to Texas. There he joined an
older brother, Will, whose ways were
evil and soon Asbury was noted horse
thief Asbury and his brother stole fiji
teen horses from Texas ranchmen and
started for the Indian Territory with
them. The brothers were overtaken
after two days hard run and captured
by the ranchmen and posse. Will
Gentry was hanged on the spot and AS
bury's beardless face saved him. He
was taken back and sentenced to the
penitentiary for ten years. Asbury
scaled the prison wall after five years
and went to New Mexico, where he
stayed two months There he is said
to have killed woman for SO, and
then he left for Mexico, where he
spent several years in highway robbery.
Two years ago Asbury returned to his
native county and to his fathers home.
George was at that time Sunday
school superintendent and leader in
prayer meetings. Very soon after AS
bury returned from the West numerous
petty thefts were reported in Buchanan
and throughout that and adjoining
counties. At length these thefts were
traced to George and Asbury Gentry,
aud the courts began to get after them.
They always had money to pay fines,
and got Off lightly, pleading their inno-
cence. The town of Buchanan: the
county seat of Harrallson county, was
terrorized by robberies and the town
nearly destroyed by fire. About that
time a fine horse was stolen in Carroll
ton, and later George Gentry was ar
rested in Alabama in possession of the
horse and under an assumed name.
George was confined in Jail there for q
short time, but afterward gave bail.
Buchanan soon Fad bad incendiary
fire, which has been traced to the Gen
try band. Five horses were stolen
from Buchanan livery stable next and
run Of. Some of these horses were
captured and evidence was strong that
the Gentry gang stole them. Next an
old foot pcddler, Richard Byrnes, was
killed, robbed of his pack and money,
and his body thrown into Big ITALIA
poosa. Suspicion rested on the Gentry
gang as murderers, and detectives were
put on the case. Asbury Gentry was
arrested, and on preliminary trial he
was released.
Next Ashby and George Gentry stole
three horses, two mules, a buggy, and
5000 in money near Admission, Ala,
and ran Oft to Georgia. They were
pursued by officers, who came upon
them in an old field near Cedartown,
Polk county, Ga, while the outlaws
were asleep. The officers made a
charge on the Gentrys, and after Q
desperate hand-to-hand battle captur'
ed them. The stolen horses and mnles
were tied to bushes with long ropes SO
that they might Craze while the thieves
slept. The Gentry boys were taken to
Rome to jail for safe keeping, and near
" escaped several times. The jailers
were compelled to chain them to the
floor to keep them.
Later the Gentrys gave bonds and
went back to Harrallson county. Then
nightly raids began to terrorize the
people of the town and county. They
waylaid two detectives near Buchanan
and shot at them. The fire was
returned and battle resulted. De-
tective Trip was shot at several
times at the hotel in Buchanan
and lawyer who was prosecuting
the gang was attacked one dark night
on his way home and cut with knife
seriously. The boys vowed vengeance
against every officer who had arrested
them, against the detective, and also
against the prosecuting attorney and
the Judge on the bench. They said
they would kill them or dic, and pro-
ceeded to put this threat into effect by
trying to blow up hotel where the
Judge Of The court, the prosecuting at-
torney. and detectives were asleep, and
these barely escaped with their lives.
While the outlaws were committing
their acts of desperation and lawless-
ness detectives were gathering evidence
showing that they had murdered the
peddler Byrnes Officers of Harrallson
county arrested Asbury for the murder
aud at the same time officers of Carroll
county arrested George for horse steal
ing. Asbury was put on trial for mur.
der at once and George was confined
in Jail there. Asbury was found guilty
of murder and sentenced to be hanged.
An appeal was made to the Supreme
Court in his behalf and he was taken to
the Atlanta Jail for safe keeping. On
the way from the Courthouse to the
railroad station, the detective who had
worked up the evidence against As
bury passed near him, and Asbury
grabbed a pistol from an officers belt
and shot at the detective. Asbury was
confined in the Atlanta jail, and the
Supreme Court affirmed the decision of
the lower court. He would have been
resentenced to be hanged in the second
week in last January, but he bribed the
iailors in Atlanta and got away on
January l.
Asbury is said to be in hiding near Buch-
anan, and when he ventures out ne dons
womens clothes. A reward hangs over his
head. Several train robberies are attributed
to Asbury and George Gentry. The authorl-
ties say that they have stolen no less than