The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

peslth from ylrginisy named 1Aneford,
had been robhed and murdered on the
wi deFnens road. Suspicion was a. once
directed toward the narpes. Capt, Ball.
pursuit. Of them. They we're. captured IN
Green River, near where Liberty nov
stands. They wers taken TO Stamford.
Among their effects we're found linen shirts
marked with Iangford's name. They also
had Considerable money IN gold which
were placed In jail at Danvllle and. soon
aftervard escaped. They we're next. heard
OF In Adair county. Here they murdered q
small boy, son Of Col. Trabue, for a small
sack Of meal, which he was carrying home.
They shaped their course toward Green
River, and their path was marked by rob
berries and murders Of the most horrible
character. The country was thlnly settled
and for this reason their crimes went TN:
punished for quite a While. They seemed
saturated with hatred for the whole human
race, and they killed where there wal no
temI tation TO rob.
One Of their victims was a little girl,
found some distance from her home, whose
tender age would have been protection
from n except incarnate fends. Their
last dreadful act OF barbarism which led
TO- their punishment, exceeded In atrocity
all others. Assuming the guile OF ministers
of the Gospel, they obtained lodging one
night at a solitary house on the road. A MIR.
Stagall, master of the house, was absent,
but they found his wife and children and q
stranger, who, like themselves, had stopped
for the night, When they retired TO rest
they contrived to secure an axe, " HIGH they
carried 18th them to bed. In the dead Of
night they s~tealthily left their bed and
assassinated the whole family, also the
stranger. and, setting fire to the house;
horne his grief was terrible. He went TO the
house Of Col, John Leeper, a neighbor,
who lived a few miles distant, and In a
little v hile % Leerer, Stagaii and four OF
Ave others we're in pursuit OF the Harpes.
Leeper war a powerful man, and II was
agreed he was to attack Big Harpe, leaving
Little Harpe to be disposed Of by Stigaln.
The others were to hold themselves ready
TO assist either, a. circumstances might
require. The party found the women be-
longing to IN the ,1 ad dr|s at zen %sm 70 ' toid
them that their men had gone aside into
the woods to shoot an unfortunate ira weller
named Smith, whom they a Just capt,
uIed, and whom the women had begged
might not he killed in their presenoe, The
the Harpes, mounting their horses, fled
Big b Sf Harpe and %i's% ssiioped after him. Little
Harpe succeeded in escaping from Stagal,
and the latter. with his oompanions, fol
lowed on the track Of Leeperand Big Harpe.
After a chnse OF nine miles Leeper came
within gunshot OF the latter and fired.
Horse and rider fell. Reloading his rifle
Leeper ran to where the wounded out
law lay weltering in his W blood.
The robber and murderer begged that
he might not be killed. Ieeper told him
that be had nothing to fear from him, but
that Stagall was coming and could probably
not be- restrained. Harpe appear red very
much frightened at hea ring this and inn
plored Leeper to protect him. In q few
n1Ps9Igs j.. STA To sell RAP aR 3 F Gls ri and an wl's sSot
Harpe through the head; They then eey-
cred the head from the body and stuck 1t
upon a pole, where the road crossed the
creek, from which the place was then named,
and is still called, Harpe,s Head. The Little
son. He was one of tho two bandits who,
tempted by the reward for their leaders,
head, murdered him, and eventually them
selves suffered the penalty OF tho law. as
pssAbout the same time that the Harpes
were committing their great crimes, John
James Audubon, the distinguished or
nitholoRist, narrowly escaped being muir
dered and by a family Of desperadoes
with whom he lodged for the night while
returning from the upper Mississippi apl N H,aalley
self at the cabin door" said ne, aand asked
the woman, who was tall and coarse look
ing, IL l might lodge there during the night;
She grufiy told me that ! could. walked
in and seated myself by the hre' a inely
the fire. resting his head between his hands.
Near him a long bow rested against the
wall. A quantity Of arrows and several
raoooon skins lay at his feet, l addressed
him in French. He raised MS head, pointed
me a significant glance with the other. His
face was covered with blood. An hour
before, as he was in the act Of d~ischarging
an arrow at a raocoon, the arrow had split
upon the cord and sprung back with such
violence into his right eye as to forever
woman what kind Of fare I might expect.
I drew q fine timepiece from my breast
and told the woman 1t was late and that
felt %fatiRued. "
her attention. She told mi that there was
plenty OF venison and jerked buffalo meat
and that, on removing the ashes, l would
And a cake. She asked to nee my watch.
I handed 1t 10 her. She ven into eostasies
over II, telling me how beautiful II was n
how happy the possession OF such an orna-
ment would make her. Thoughtlessly, ]
paid little attention to her remarks. fed
my dog on venison and soon satisfied the
demands OF my own appetite. The Indian
rose from his seat, as II in extreme suffer-
ing. He passed and repassed me, and once
pinched me 30 violently that the pain nearly
brought forth an exclamation Of my anger.
He again seated himself, drew his long
knife from its greasy soabbard, examined
it's edge, replaced 1t, and, taking his toma-
hawk from his back, filed the pipe Of it
with tobacco, and sent me expressive
glances whenever our hostess CHANGED to
have her back toward US. ! began to sus-
pect that I was in danger, resting assured
that, whatever enemies i might have, the
Indian would not be one Of them: / asked
the woman for my watch, wound 1t up, and,
pretending that I wanted to see how the
weather might probably he on the morrow,
took up my gun and walked out Of the cabin.
/ slipped a fall into each barrel, scraped the
edge Of my fints, renewed the printing and
returned to the hut.
Il took a few bear skins, made a pallet,
and, calling my faithful dog to my side, lay
down with my gun close to my body, and in
asleep. A short time had elapsed when
I heard several voices, and from the cor
ner Of my y I saw two athletic young
49, az ~nhio haadna n Had aka h