The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1901-07-12
FACTS
...AND...
~FANCIES~
CORRESPONDENCE FROM TENNESSEE
BY WILL T. HALE.

| beginning of the nineteenth century,
and began his career when boy. He
| prepared himself for his calling. That
he might successfully practice decep-
| ton he studied medicine and became
| thoroughly versed in the Bible. In
his travels he would claim to be a
preacher or physician, and staying
over night with some unsuspecting
| family, would rob them and then
leave.
After while he organized a band OF
robbers that existed throughout the
| South and Southwest. They made a
practice of enticing slaves from their
! owners, with promises of freedom, and
then selling them. Sometimes they
would sell a negro one day, steal him
| at night and sell him later on. When
they reached the end of their line
they killed the negro to prevent him
| from betraying them.
1t was one of the most successful
organizations for robbery that ever ex-
! listed. The members of the conspiracy
recognized each other by signs, and
dexterously concealed their identity.
Memphis and Natchez and other towns
On the Mississippi have been the stop
ping place of these murderers and
thieves, and the citizens held them in
dread. Murrell was their leader. He
himself told of the first murder he
ever committed. He was sitting by
the road one day, and saw a stranger
approaching on horseback. He was
well dressed, and his horse was a
splendid animal. When he came up,
Murrell ordered him to dismount. His
clothes were taken from him, the
horse hitched, and then Murrell told
him to follow. Reaching a river bank
he was told to turn his back; then,
while begging to be spared, Murrell
shot him dead, dissmboweled him, and
threw his body into the river. Murrell
always did this with a victim, as
disemboweling him would prevent his
body from rising.
But in 1909 there was born one who
was to bring the land pirate to JUS
tice-or at least to some semblance of
justice Virgil A. Stewart. Stewart
often heard of the Murrell organiza-
with the leader. He joined Murreli
and succeeded in gaining full informa
ton of the plans IF the gang. They
had set December Is. 1885, as the time
to incite the slaves to insurrection and
murder and rob their masters. The
whole matter was divulged by Murrell,
who was not suspected by his neigh
bors in Madison county. The outlaw
was arrested and-sentenced to the peni-
tertiary for life.
After the trial and conviction Stew
art published a pamphlet account
of the affair in 1885, under the title of
The Western Land Pirate" giving
the names of the conspirators- some
of them very prominent. This book
quickly disappeared, statements were
circulated that the informer was a
made to murder him. 1t was never
known what became of Stewart.
After serving ten years in prison,
the consummate scoundreI Murrell,
was pardoned. He returned to his
home and died a natural death.
1t may be interesting to give the
end of the leaders mentioned in the
lightning of this article. George Carter
was killed by a negro soldier during
the war, at Salisbury, N. G. Champ
Ferguson was persuaded to surrender
after the war through false promises,
and was hanged in Nashville. Tinker
Dave Beatty died natural death in
f'entress county.
For years after the war Beatty and
his men went heavily armed, once at
tending trial in the Federal Court
at Nashville in that way, where they
created considerable excitement. One
Of Beaty's sons was. few years ago,
elected to the State Legislature. He
went down to the capitol on a raft of
logs. and not being able to read and
write, had a secretary. He was a
peaceable citizen.