The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13
OUTLAWS OF fBE WIEDVRaESS
aEN HHW FGsReRIgED SHIO
AND 0fssIsslgFg tGLRtA

Weasas aa4 llss Hteeg eIytfea ne
alaf fttfIe IlapEa NaslaBHN'f SaseNw
Nsssps asyAeaassgs SstsF1gsa Bsaf
IJnstWgaasss lofeusnl ~ We dtelea
tha easly agttlemeNts, many n Nhum we're
egaanigsi lnt5 NJmfsss baa.is, via ferga.
Afsed le4tiuta ans en- Htade fobIsfy and
maFdsF q maflNF n bsSaiae~a
When ~ Louis was afl eWstse apaalah
dgafinsos the I~a.ogcDaehs Wlth New OfINaes
Nasat tln.e eeHdpEet estfemsly danesfs
0aa ~ 4 Isfes haad ~ fobbega uNdsP tW0
daspepadsas Rmmel elaeilhsay a6d Culheft,
Whteh, atattoeiae itsalf on me river, casfIest
% ~ eataaave system ~ pifacy, BHFs
laa M SKINNER ~ ifsf q hagas, richly
lsdeu, ist New Orleans fss ~ L0ule ~
feaanglelra iaiaad the fobhera hcsTted
Ne veaasl end tomb peaaesloa, aaya the
~ houls dlsSe. DsHsseaf Tho OWHer
u The beat YES On hoard His entiss
fortune wa In the hafes, and hia antiei.
fated l0es q aa0aleiha Evefythina
Saa aaved to him, however, by tina wlsiom
and DARING ~ o negro known ~ Cacasotts,
who wa n u the crew. when the robbers
took poasasioh ihs negro felaBed that h"
waa ovesjoyed. lis @Iou induced them To
believe that HE Joy aFose from their having
Hbefnted him from HE enalaved condition.
He attended, 10 tho smallest wants of tho
robbers and had soon won their utmost
~eonhdancs and was permitted 10 roam
~ will about tho weasel. unmatched and I'm
molested. Having thus far effected hia
object. he found an opportunity 10 speak
b the 0wner 81 the boat and 30 beg per-
mission 20 rid the boat Of tho robbers.
M $1,000 AA..N.A A.. IL. -. IA -..
agreed that tho signal for dinner should
be the signal for action. When the dim
nef hour arrived tho robbers asssmhfed
In considerable numbers On deck, station
ting themselves on how and stern and
along the sides 10 prevent any rising Of
the crew. Al soon az his comrades had
taken their stations. Cacasotte placed him
self near one Of the robbers, who was
well armed. Suddenly he gave the pre-
arranged signal and instantly the Pobber
near him was struggling In the water.
With great speed Cacasotte run from one
robber to another az they were sitting on
the sides Of the boat, and In a few Soc
onds time had thrown several into the
river. Then seiyiRg an oar he struck on
the head those who we're trying TO save
themselves by grasping the running board.
In the meantime his comrades had done
as mitch execution as their leader, and
those robbers who were not killed were
thoroughly secured.
About the year 1900 a man named Mea-
son was noted as u desperate along the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers. For a long
time he lived In a cavern on the Ohio
River about twenty miles below the mouth
Of the Wabash. The cavern has long
been one Of the natural c,iriosities Of that
part Of the country. Meason was said to
have hsen a mar Of more than ordinary
talents and Of giant size. He was both
o land and o river pirate, infesting rivers
and woods and robbipg all who came his
wav. Often he plundered the descending
boats. but more frequently I've preferred
to wait and rob the owners Of their
moIev AZ they returned. The rapid ad-
vance OF settlers caused him to desert
the cave on the Chic, and he began in
fsstit 4 the route through the Indian Ma
ton known as the Ma n and Natchez
trace, and he coon became the terror OF
ira vellers.
Associated with him were his W sons
and several others equally desperate.
To the robberies committed by the band
murder was frequently added, and their
crimes became SO frequent and terrible that
n I4tIuI TtNdTu Wub ouVIVt III Nhtuboi'
dead or alive. Such. however, was the
fellows knowledge Of the wilderness and
his untiring vigilance and activity that
for o long time no baffled every effort OF his
would-be captors. Treaohery finally sue;
ceeded where stratagem and courage had
failed. Two of his band, attracted by the
reward for Meason, planned his undoing.
Watching their opportunity, when Mea son
was counting out the proceeds OF one OF his
orisa: !, one Of the oo1spirators approached
In his head. They h cut of the head,
carried 1t to the county seat and claimed
the reward. Before they got their reward
a great assemblage gathered to view the
head Of the robber chief, and 1t was identi-
fed by many. Among IN csc were tive
Meason as members Of the gang. which had
robbed them. Upon their evidence their
treaohery met Its reward, az they were
arrSsted, tried, convicted and hanged:
Deprived Of Its leader the Meason band
The celebrated oounterfeiter, Stnrdevant,
at a little later period lived In Illinois, not
far from where the Ohio flows into the
Mississippi, and for several years defied
the laws. He was talented. a genius In
He resided In a secluded spot, where all OF
his CLOSE n~eighbors were his oonfederates
or persons whose friendship he had CON
oiliated by various means. At any hour,
by the blowing OF u morn, ne COulu Summon
from so to 100 armed men to his defence,
and he praotised his schemes for a long
period without molestatlon, He conducted
a well attended farm, and his house was
one OF the best In the country, Yet he
was the most notorious oounterfeiter that
ever infested the Western country. None
before or since his tins ever worked as
boldly. His confederates were scattered
throughout the entire Western country, and
received through regular channels their
supplies Of bank notes, for which they paid
him a stipulated price, SIC In good cash for
800 In counterfeit bills. His long security
arose partly from his caution. He allowed
none Of his confederates to pass any OF the
spurious money In the State In which Stur-
devent lived. Finally many Of his neigh
bora arose against him and drove him from
the country.
pioneer settlements Of the West. The
term slynch law originated in Virginia
during the Revolution and wal first adopted
by a Col. Lynch against q lawless band
OF Tories and desperadoes, who terror
lied the country along the base Of the Blue
westward and It's operation was found to
be effective In Kidding the country Of Grim
inais whom the laws OF the new country
were not strong enough to punish. The
tribunal Of Squire Biroh,' as the person
who impersonated the Judge was called,
-. natohliahad ,,ndar n traa in tho vnn6a