The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-10-13
miscellaneous
MURRELL AND HIS OUTLAWS.

ut makes dark page in the history
of this Southwestern country, any.
way" The New York Sun correspon.
dent was riding horseback through
the swamps of Mississippi with an old
resident, s. NJ. Spencer, who was
speaking of the time when the notori
Gus freebooter, John A. MurFell, vir.
tually ruled this portion of the coun.
try, his "trail'' or trace" running
from Stewards Island, near the Mis-.
sissippi River, through Arkansas and
Missouri to Memphis, Tenn, and
Natchez, Miss. TIE subject was
brought up by the sight of a mammoth
pine tree, stuDted and dying now, but
which back in the thirties was a guide
post and meeting place for Murrell and
his followers. Standing solitary and
alone at the edge of the swamp, the
old tree seemed indeed the last re-
minder of a period of border life of
which people of the present generate
know comparatively little.
The time of Murrell,' went on
Spencer, twas the transition period OF
the country. All that vast territory
west of the Mississippi River was just
beginning to wake to life. All the
border States were thiniy settled;
houses were miles apart, and in some
Instances / recnliect that it required a
days horseback ride TO reach neigh
bor's. Communication was limited; q
letter from Washington or New York
was usually six or eight weeks in reach
ing its destination. These circum.
stances made it possible for Murrell TO
carry on his career of robbery and
murder with comparative safety. He
had scores of followers in nearly all OF
the border States. So firmly intrencb.
ed was he that when he was sentenced
to the Tennessee Penitentiary it was a
triumph of justice, although be richly
deserved hanging for his many bloody
crimes.
He had many rendszv0nses, but
Stewards Island was the main meeting
srot FIR his ccJmplices anG himself.
The island is really not i'll the Missis-
sippi River, ~ is commonly believed,
but is in lake that e,upties into the
river. one end OF tie island extending
nearly to il. Sixty odd years ago this
place must have been d paradise for a
land aud water pirate like Murrell.
n ItldI H. lht ihtlAi "iiosC YAH
not recall lived on the island. He had
a very comfortable dwelling for the
country, and cultivated two or three
hundred acres, raising cotton and corn.
Ofcourse he was q member of Murrells
gang. 1t was at this house that all the
deviltries, the robberies and murders
were planned. Murrell spent much of
his time here, and it was here that he
received his lieuteDants and heard
their re ports Oh uefarious schemes al
ready under way, or information OF
the movements of hatboats laden with
merchandise, Or horse drovers with
valuable herds of mules and horses, or
travellers starting with large sums OF
money from one State to another, all
of whom Murrell looked on as his
rightful prey. There's no telling how
many people Murrell and his gang
murdered in cold blood.
Zone of his worst crimes was com
mitted near the island in the early
thirties. A fatboat owned by man
named Denison, from Kentucky, l be-
lieve, was going down the Mississippi
toward New Orleans. The boat car
ried cargo of dry goods and general
merchandise amounting in value to
81, 900 or 50, 600, most of which had been
taken on at Cincinnati and Other
points on the Ohio River. On this trip
Denison landed at any point ne had 9
chance of selling some of his wares
The prospective arrival of the boat
was reported to Murrell at the island
by some of his spies; plans were at onee
laid to murder the owner and his meI
and loot the craft. When the boat
came in sight it was signaled, anC
Denison readily agreed to tie up for 6
day, being told that he could probably
sell the entire cargo, along with the
boat, MurPell and some Of his gane
visited the fiatboat and examined the
goods Depison carried. About /:
O'clock that night the boat WAS sud
denly attacked by some eight men
There were only four men aboard, in
Guiding Denison. Though surprised
they made stout resistance. The odds
! however, were too heavy for the small
crew to overcome; and they were sool
killed and their bodies tossed into tn,
water. The boat was then sunk, tn
| cargo having first been carried away
This crime was never avenged. twa
| only one of scores perpetrated b.
| Murrell and his associates"
The members of Murrell's gang dit
not fare so we'll along the line between
Arkansas and Tennessee. DIR. Charlie
e. Nash, q representative physician o
| Pulaski county, this State, gave tn
| Sun CORRESPONDENT few days ago
| graphic account of the proceeding
taken by the lawabiding citizens t
! rid themselves of these marauders.
l ts1D ~ hat Q0, - cold hn O c l.
county had goodly number of men
bers of tins Infamous gang within 1t
border. Every crime-murder, rot
berry, horse stealing, the running off G
negroes-was traced directly to then
The county Jail WAS insecure; it was
tumble down structure, and woul
scarcely hold a mouse, to say nothin
of a lot of desperate, daredevil prison
ers. In addition to this, Justice, in to
many instances, was leaden footed; an
Judge Lynch WAS generally called
10 settle any particularly complicate
case. His services were called lnt
yeuuisition in this instance. The be-
men in the county were directed
arrest all those suspected or known
he what was termed 'Murrelfs' men
A tremendous d-up-somethlr
like a circular fox hunt or county VIC
chase-was the result. Squads OF me
q came to town bringing prisoners Ca
) tured in all parts of the county. Publ
sentiment against Murrell and his Gu
tbroats was stirred to IA white heat, t!
search for them had been tEoroug
aud few, if any, escaped. When Il
prisoners were counted they mum ber'
d Just thirty-five men.
"a court was organized and thu
were duly tried, each man being foui
guilty of murder, horse stealing
I some minor offence. The pun'shme
was death. The men were marched