Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-19
MONROE |. HUDSON. Reminisoenoe of the Man Who Sprang Into Notoriety IN JEFFERSON COUNTY Through the Deaths of Charles Cole and James
 Smith.
N JEFFERSON COUNTY

''Tell me something about old man Hud- son; haven t they caught him? Will they catch him?' are among the questions that great many people ask great many other people, and yet the great many other people seem to be slow with an answer that such a simple query should demand.
 Everybody wants to know, but the man that is to furnish the information seems to be unable to deliver the goods.
 The presumption we all cling to is that be is in the woods, but now what part of the woods is matter of most picturesque speculation. And so it is. While the au- thorities are on the trail a large element of the community, who claim that they "have not lost old man Hudson," can fill in the gap of the law's delay by variety of conjectures.
 . Speculation is innocent, and to large degree harmless, if speculated out of Win chester range.
 : But as facts stand, possibly no man in Alabama ever leaped so suddenly into mo- toriety and surrounded himself with an atmosphere of morbid interest as ttaches to the exploits of Monroe H. Hudson. Certainly no local celebrity has ever had the attention of the public so drawn to him. There is something baffling, even, about
 
 figure out. The character of an outlaw is at best parasitical, and grows upon the many things afoat in the air. It is so with old man Hudson. There are all sorts of vague rumors of what he has done and what he will do. If his character be given the benefit of the talk of the street he would become at once the greatest outlaw the world has ever seen.
 A well-known citizen of Bessemer. who is familiar with Hudson's life while in L. .-lx wlku some interesting facts. The gentleman re- ferred to was on terms of intimacy with Hudson and his family throughout the period of his residence in White county. Hewas an eyewitness to one of the most sensational double killings that ever red dened Tennessee soil. Vile Hudson was the central figure, he emerged from it sup ported by large, conservative public opinion.
 The town of Sparta, the capital of White county, Tennessee, is situated on the Cum berland plateau. 1t is an ideal mountain town. The natural attractions surround ing The place are unsurpassed by any in the entire Cumberland range. The people of u Q county are hardy, fearless type. Per So sal resentment is of easy growth, and the ve1detta has made it's home on it's soil. It was here, and as town marshall, one after , noon in 1875, that Roe Hudson, as be vas familiarly called, was drawn into an affair, the signal to which flashed the prowess of the little mountain town beyond the bor- ders of the state. The story is simple one.
 Crockett Lowry belonged to one Of the oldest families in the county. He was , fine type of the moonshiner, we'll bred, but high strung and dangerous. Lowry had been down south with drove of mules ! end had returned. He undertook to cele- brateshis return. Sparta was prohibition town and whisky was an uncertain quan- tity, unless the ropes were understood. Lowry understood the ropes. The quiet marshal, who walked the streets in his , shirt sleeves, went to Lowry and remon- strated with him, but Lowry only broke away from him and galloped at break meek speed around the square, cursing and yell ! ing at every jump. Hudson watched for his chance, arrested Lowry and locked him sup. When he sobered up he swore venge- lance. He assembled his friends for cen Ssultation, with the result that Hudson received a warning to leave Sparta within three days or take the consequences. Hud- son declined to leave and awaited the con- sequences.
 They came in short order. Three days not acted upon, Lowry, accompanied by company of picked friends, rode into Sparta. The marshal saw their approach and moved away. from the. horsemen.: They followed him up until they had doggea n,m to he rsi side oa me
  Here Lowry called to him with an oath and the party opened fire. Hudson had pre- pared for the attack and as the bullets whistled by him he hopped into store and dashed back with his shot gun.
 The party continued to fire upon him, and as he reached the curbstone he returned the fire. At the first shot from Hudson Jonathan Padfete, brother-in-la law of Lowry, and one of the gaDlest men that ever lived in East Tennessee, reeled from his saddle, bleeding at the eyes and with nine buckshot in his heart. The second shot from Hudson's gun struck Sevier Evans in the hip, and ranging to the stomach killed him in the sadjle. Lowry was shot in the elbow and the ball passed out at the hand, crippling him forever. Hudson came out of the bloody duel com paratively unhurt.
 Public opinion supported the marshal. He was tried and acquitted: Hudson en- gagged in different pursuits aft,r this occur renee. He retired from the office of mar shal and opened up butcher business.
 A period of years passed by In which Hudson continued at Sparta. He was for long term jailer, and had teams for public hauling. It was while jailer and butcher some years after the occurrence related above that another event happened that brenght him again suddenly before the Fpnblic. T. J. Swofford was the leading lawyer of Sparta. Tom Swofford was ru me to couture with in East Tennessee politics. He was one of the "Swoffords of the alley"
 Swofford had a client who had been com plieated in cattle-stealing scrape. He had been found guilty and sentenced to 5 three years. 6wofford went to Nashville and effected a pardon for the fellow. The agreement between the client and attorney