The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-10-29
RiverDays Before the uar.
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his depreciation were as terrible and
far-reaching as any of the pioneers of
his profession.
Mark Twain, in his Life on the Mis-
sissippi," calls Murrell a wholesale ras-
ral to distinguish him from Jesse James
retail rascally deeds. "What are James
and his 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
10 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
n is said that his discourses were very
soul-stirring and so interesting to
hearers that they forgot to look after
their horses, which we're carried away
bv his confederates while he was
preaching. But Murrell's most lucra-
tive occupation was stealing slaves to
sell them in another quarter. He had
q 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 second time, 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
. ized $4,000 or $4,000 from the repeated
sale of one man. After this, for fear
of detection, the method would be to
get rid of the only witness against
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 canebrakes. Though
1t was well known that Murrell was the
head of this gang of outlaws, it was
difficult to obtain proof against him.
A young man named Stewart finally
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 good many men
who bore respectable names in the Sec
tions in which they lived were connect
ed with MurrelPs gang, and every effort
was made to discredit 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
10 raise the blacks against the whites,
Baking possession of the city in the
melee and plundering it at leisure. The
story is told by Capt. E. w. Gould, one
pf the oldest river captains, now living
IN New York. Capt. Gould collected it
from accounts furnished by the man
Stewart, who vouched for its correct
pess, and declared that it was told him
by Murrell himself at the time he was
In his confidence.
Il collected all my friends about New
Orleans" said Murrell, "at one of our
Friends houses at that place. We sat
p council three days before we got all
pur plans to our notion. We then de-
lermined to undertake the rebellion at
Rll hazards, and make as many friends
Is we could for that purpose. Every
pans business was assigned to him,
end when all was ready the signal was
given for the rebellion to break loose.
be history of it is well known. Suf-
Zee it to say that we carried off thou
Rnds of dollars in horses, cattle, and
4ther movable property, and killed peo-
pc without number who were in our
Ray."
Another noted outlaw in the early
Rrt of the century was Mason, the high
Fayman of the Natchez Trace, who in
&sted the canebrakes near Walnut
Ills, from where they boarded many
boat, killing the crew and carrying
q the cargo.
"a story well remembered by old-time
Louisans is that of the murder of
Dung Mckenzie on the steamer Nellie
Pgers. Young Mckenzie was the son
prominent merchant of st. Louis, a
psf estimable gentleman, who was at
e time an Indian trader on the upper
ssouri. The elder Mckenzie had mar
d a squaw, Indian fashion, and raised
Eamily of half-breeds, part of which
took to the states and educated.
Young Mckenzie, then about 30 years
had returned to his tribe, the Crows,
rried and was living at Fort Peck.
with his wife and young child, to-
ther with large number of Indians
both sexes and of all ages, had en-
hped on the bank opposite where the
y was discharging They all had
ess to the boat, and were constantly
sing to and fro.
he bar on the boat had been closed
the order of Charles P. Chouteau,
owner of the line, and no excessive
nking was allowed. They had on
rd as passenger all the way from
Louis Mr.. Clark, formerly from
ladelphia, a quiet, gentlemanly man
education, who for tsn or twelve
rs had been living among the In
ps at Benton.
iter the boat had been lying there
several hours Mr.. Mckenzie came
ara with others and stepped into
cabin. just as he got abreast of
stove in the hall Clark came out
pis stateroom, one of the first in the
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