Greene County herald., 1913-03-07

The young man was Initiated, sworn
In under blood-curdling penalties,
taught all the grips and signals OF
recognition. and the night was worn
out In mad debauch.
The next day the Grand Council
dissolved. It's members departed, and
Murrell, who stayed to superintend
the loading OF the black cattle in
natboat for the slave-market, was fin-
ally left alone with his lieutenant.
There's $4,000 in that batch he
exulted, and we will have another
cargo next month.
| The bandit chief in his unbounded
confidence then insisted that Stewart
should do what he had feared he
might not be able accomplish-make
complete list of the Grand Councillors:
their occupations, places OF residence,
and their assignments in conspiracy
OF murder, arson. robbery and deyas-
tatlon unparalleled in American his
tory.
It took two days to secure this fatal
transcript from the books, and the
scribe was amazed to find, among the
four hundred names on the black
sched'1lc participants scattered over
the states south of Virginia, men OF
unquestioned repute and social place,
even professed ministers of the gos-
pei, wolves in sleeps clothing, judges
on the bench, law practitioners, news
paper editors, merchants and hotel
klRnpTg a.
welded to the stability of order and
suppression of crime.
When the twain departed from the
dismal island, reeking with it's crime
laden mystery, Stewart, well-night
overburdened with such sinister rev.
elation, devised an excuse to stop at
Champions plantation. To him he told
sufficient to secure pledge of CO.
operation at q moments notice. and
silence until the time was ripe. It
was arranged with Murrell that his
new man should meet him at rendez-
yous week later, to be formally as
signed for active duty.
Stewart narrated his amazing story
to Mr.. Henning, and the old preacher
was stricken dumb; suspicious though
he had been in vague way, by such
a disclosure.
1t was determined that John Muir
rell should be arrested in an ad-
joining couAEy and not in the vicinity
OF Tuscahoma, as it might mean that
Clanton, who was justice OF the peace
as well as probate judge, would at
once discharge him from custody.
Champion and some of his friends
came at Stewards call and with Par
son Henning, his son, and half dozen
trusty spirits, all armed to the teeth,
sworn out and Murrell taken When |
the robber marked one face among
his captors he spat on the ground and |
gr0wled out between his teeth with |
sort OF frozen rage:
It's well for you that / was such a |
-- fool; but mark you, traitor, this |
business isn't done yet, reckon!"
Stewart ham confesses that for a |
moment, demoniac-like villain as he
knew the other to be, he felt pang |
of shame that it had fallen to him,
for whom a wretch like this had |
shown his one human weakness, to be |
the instrument of his betrayal, neces-
sary as that was for the good of the
commonwealth. While awaiting the
action of the grand jury, the arch
desperate escaped by conniyance, but |
was retaken and lodged in Memphis |
prison, where he could be more effect |
lively guarded. There he remained
for several months before trial. as the
indictment being for negro-stealing, rs
the proofs of his vastly more henious
crimes were, as Stewart had antici-
pated, difficult to marshal Murrell
was convicted and condemned to ten
years in the penitentiary for kidnap-
ing and selling slave property.
Many attempts were made to get /
him released on bail during the three
months interim, as well as to assist
him to break jail. A campaign OF
abuse and SANDER Of the most en-
venomed sort had been at once open
ed against Stewart, and numerous
journals throughout the south hearth
ly espoused Murrel's side as that of
an innocent man.
The young Georgian's life, as well
as his reputation, hung in evenly bal
anced scales. Many estimable per
sons could not persuade themselves to
believe in such q prodigy of guilt. He
wrote and disseminated at his own
expense printed pamphlet. with
detailed account of his experiences
with Murrell, scattering the document
however. He did not make procla-
nation Of the names and residences
of Murrell's associates of the Grand r
Council. He held it in reserve. max
ing it public that the list was in such
hands as would publish it If anything
unf0ward hannened to him