Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-02-21
JOHN MuRREL. THE OUTLAW.

NOTORIOUS bandl anu His Gang Defied
officials for Twenty Years.
Many notorious bandits and train
robbers have terroriZed the Western
plains for many years and it Is inter-
esting to recall incidents of the life
of some desperate, like John Murrel.
who defied the law for more than 20
years. Many lives and many hundreds
of thousands of dollars We're the trib-
utes levied on the country by Murrel
and the gang that he SO adroitly or
ganized and masterfully ruled. The
government officials We're ever OF his
trail.
Murrel's adoption of his criminal ca
reer was delibaterate. Of gentle birth,
his boyhood was quietly passed on a
Louisiana plantation. The desire TO
accumulate millions seized him. aud as
he had no desire to acquire money
through the ordinary avenues of sue
cess he chose Il safe aud comfortable
form Of piracy to be practiced on the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers. At that
time, 1920, these rivers swarmed with
fatboats laden with all manner of pro-
duce and manufactured goods, some
times bearing quantities of gold and
silver coin and other government val
uables.
One of Murrel's first moves was to
organize Il band of 40 piclsel tuen and
establish headquarters, which lie did
at C~ave-in-Ilock, Illinois. About 300
Yards from f1ln oOfpo,,no ,,,, .4.t1.,
his 20 horses and near by n years pro-
vision for them. The opening of the
cave. which faces the Ohio river, is
more than 60 feet in diameter. From u
long corridor filled with wonderful sta
lactites deceptive passages branch off
at frequent intervals. Murrel's own
room was reached by n ladder. Miles
of underground passageway would
serve now as then to bewilder the I'M
Initiated hopelessly. One of these
routes. however, led over a distance
OF 30 miles to Equality, Gallatin Coun-
~. This provided an infallible escape
for Murrel and his confederates.
In the long interval between 1920 and
1880 hundreds of boats were captured
by the gang, their own men placed in
Charge. and the boats crew and pas.
sengers held prisoners in the cave
while the pirates took the cargo South.
assumed the real owners name. sold
out the contents and returned to the
cave with the booty. Not infrequently
would the captives be released later to
return as best they could to their
homes. A pretty and winsome lady
was always a prize for the outlaws.
and the number that lived and died i'm
the cave with the gang will never he
known.
Murrel's performances had been no.
torious for many years before the COM
merce of the central West demanded
relief. He pillaged so long and success.
fully that he amassed m immense for
tune. The government placed a reward
of $4,000 for his head. Trouble COM
menced among the members OF the
notorious gang and many deserted
Murrel. Some had become West In.
Ola pirates. others had settled in far.
of localities, unknown to the world.
and the old leader himself had grown
gray in crime.
In 1910 Murrel was betrayed by one
of his followers and ~treacherously shot.
His head a offered to the govern.
ment for the reward. but the bargain
was never completed, owing in part to
the murderer's fear that his w life
would be j~eopardized by the act.