The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1897-11-05
RiYerDays Before the uIar.

TeC 'aScally QeeiS. W nat are James
andXis half dozen vulgar rascals COM
pared with this stately old criminal,
with his sermons, his meditated insur-
rections, and wary captures, and his
majestic following of 1000 men, sworn
to do his evil will"
Murrell seems to have been a most
dexterous, as well as a consummate
villain. When he travelled his disguise
was that of an itinerant preacher, and
it is said that his discourses were very
soul-stirring and so interesting to
hearers that they forgot TO look after
their horses, which were carried away
by his confederates while be was
preaching. But Murrell's most lucra-
tive occupation was stealing slaves to
sell them in another quarter. lie had
n peculiar way of managing that part
of his business. One of his men would
tell a negro, for example, TO run away
from his master and allow him TO sell
him to another, whereby he could Sc
cure half of the money paid for him.
Then the negro was advised TO run away
the secondftime, return to the gang and
be sent to free state by them, where
he would be safe. Many poor wretches
complied with this request, hoping to
obtain money and freedom. They
would be sold in this manner three or
four times, until the Murrells had real
lied $4,000 or $4,000 from the repeated
sale of one man. After this, for fear
of detection, the method would be to
,.iI Of No only .sstf M nir,ct
them, which was the negro himself.
He was murdered and his body thrown
into the Mississippi river.
The general rendezvous of this gang
was on the Arkansas side of the river,
where they concealed their negroes in
the morasses and cauebra3les. Though
it was well known that Murreil was tint
head of this gang of outlaws, it was
difficult to obtain proof against him.
A young man named Stewart final!
gained his confidence, turned traitor
and exposed the whole concern, bring
ing home sufficient evidence against
Murrell to send him TO the peniten-
tiary for IA years.
1t was found that a coed many men
tions in which they lived were connect
ed with Murrclps gang, and every effort
was made to tliscrelit Stewards state
ments. He was obliged to leave the
southern states in consequence.
One of the most daring deeds of the |
notorious outlaw was the rebellion he |
melted in New Orleans, his object being
a. no l1oalr1 n l,i4ag
taking possession of the city in the
melee and plundering it at leisure. ThC
story is told by Capt. L. ". Could ont |
of the oldest river captains, now living
in New York. Capt. Gould collected i
from accounts furnished by the ma |
Stewart, who vouched for its correct |
ness. and declared that it was told him |
by Murrell himself at the time he was |
in his confidence.
81 collected all my friends about New 1
Orleans" said Murrell, "at one of om
friends houses at that place. We sa
in council three days before we got all
our plans to our notion. We then de-
termined to. undertake the rebellion al /
all hazards, and make as many friends |
as we could for that purpose. Every |
mans business was assigned to him
and when all was ready the signal was
given for the rebellion to break loose
The history of it is well known. Suf-
fee it to say that we carried Off thou
sands of dollars in horses, cattle, and
other movable property, and killed peo-
pie without number who were in our
way"
Another noted outlaw in the early
part of the century was Mason, the high
wayman Of the Natchez Trace, who in
Tested the canebrakes near Walnut
hills, from where they boarded man!
n boat, killing the crew and carrying
off the cargo.
A story well remembered by old-timc
St. Lousans is that of the murder oil
young Mckenzie on the steamer Nellie
Rogers Young Mckenzie was the SCH
OF prominent merchant of st. Louis, a
most estimable gentleman, who was at
one time an Indian trader on the upper
Missouri. The elder Mckenzie had mar
ried squaw, Indian fashion, and raised
n family of half-breeds, part of which
be took to the states and educated.
Young Mckenzie, then about years
old, had returned to his tribe, the Crows,
married and was living at Fort Peck.
BE, with his wife and young child, to-
gether with a large number OF Indians
Of both sexes and of all ages, had en-
camped on the bank opposite where the
boat was discharging. They all had
lccess to the boat, and were constantly
passing to and fro. III
The bar on the boat had been closed
by the order of Charles P. Chouteau,
the owner of the line, and no excessive
drinking was allowed. They had on /
board as n passenger all the way from 5
St. Louis n Mr.. Clark, formerly from
Philadelphia, quiet, gentlemanly man
~ educotion. who for ten or twelve