Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-03-07

MurreH was compelled to go away on
some call of his Iefarious work. Dur
! ing that ride and on subsequent oc-
/ casions this colossal villain told in
part the story of life bristling with
crimes Of every sort with smack OF
Internal pride which Satan himself
could not have surpassed
Murrel's mother, Tennessee
mountain woman, had, in spite or an
honest father, trained her young son
as a thief from early childhood.
/ While yet q STRIPPING. he began 10
steal horses, and in disposing of these
he fell in with various small predatory
gangs, who did not hesitate to MUIR
der as we'll as rob. Young MurrelFs
superior address and cunning made
him an adept in disposing OF robber
loot, and he gradually became initial
ed into all the successive grades. Oh
crime.
He brought to the business great
craft and power of organization ana
the ability to make use of the vulalny
of others.
i He was arrested for horse-stealing
and was sentenced to the penitentlary
for three years. He was model pr1s-
oner and gave up his spare time to
assiduous reading, more especially to
the study of theology, law and the
rudiments Of the healing art.
Stewart met the bandit chief, and as
they rode west Murrell told him that
they were on the way to one OF the
principal headquarters of the clan
which was on an island in Missis-
i sippi bayou, just across the river from
i Memphis. Here he would meet some
of the principal men and be sworn
into the band
Murrell was eXhilarated into fierce
hilarity, for this Napoleonic rutt1an
seems to have been inspired by gen.
ial liking for his chance recruit which
banished all his native caution. He
had, in his craving for a perfect con-
fidence, beguiled himself into the con-
viction that in Hues he had found the
very twin of his soul He now outlined
to his companion something OF the
colossal scheme of a negro uprising,
over which his diabolical spirit had
brooded so long
This may seem too bold to you,
Hues, but that is what / glory in he
said "All the crimes / have ever
committed have been of the most dar-
ing. I've been successful in all of 'em.
| am confident shall be victorious in
this matter I'll have the pleasure
and honor of seeing and knowing that
by my management have glutted the
earth with more human blood and de-
stroyed more property than any rob-
Der who has ever lived in America or
the known world. look ON the Amer
lean people as my common enemy.
They have disgraced me"-thus he
designated his short term of impris-
onment-"and they can do no more.
my life is nothin' to me- and it
shall be spent as their devoted enemy.
My clan is strong, brave, experienced
and rapidly increasing in numbers.
shouldn't be surprised If we number
ed 10000 at the time of the uprising.
And am strong in the high standing
of so many of my chief councillors,
many, indeed in honorable and lucra-
tive offices. Should anything leak out
away the fears of the people by ridi-
Guile, turning it into a cock-and-bull
story.
I'VE have considerable money in the
4 hands of our treasurers to complete
our purchases of arms and ammuni-
ton, to fit out the companies that are
to attack the cities and towns. We
will manage to get possession of the
different arsenals and supply ourselves
from every source that may offer. The
negroes wouldn't want many arms till
they get 'em from the houses they de-
Il stroy, as knife, club, pick or an
ak will do to murder families at night,
when they are dazed with sleep and
terror at the light of their burning
homes"
Stewart tells us that he afterward
marveled that he RETAINED from
\ shooting Murrell then and there, for
he always kept one hand on pocket
derringer silver-mounted pair of
which had been given him the day be-
fore by this incarnate demon
i Perhaps the feeling that the one
soft spot in Murrells nature was the
curious infatuation for himself re-
| strained his itching hand
! They found themselves on the banks
| of the Mississippi, at that time storm
| dashed, at dusk, but the rowboat on
/ which Murrell relied was gone. So
| they applied for hospitality at the
house of planter named Champion.
He looked askance at Murrell when
the latter requested the loan of
skiff on which to cross. Stewart at
once appraised him as an honest man
and not one Of the many secret con-
federates of the robber gang Cham
pion felt note slipped into his hand