The Raymer enterprise., 1913-03-06
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portion OF the news.
papers. as they are In
all civilized communities. But we
must look back to much earlier
period to find a chronicle Of an at
tempt to bring together In widely
extended conspiracy under a single
head all the forces Of evil which fes'
tered over $4,000 square miles OF
sparsely settled territory.
The field OF this satanic campaign
extended from Cairo. H.. to the Mis-
sissippi delta and cut the width OF a
broad swath through a half score OF
slave states. Wholesale and retail
robbery, counterfeiting. land swim
ding. negro stealing and selling. black.
mailing, and even murder and assassi.
nation. all played their part in this
vast campaign Of crime.
John Murrell. the apostle and lead
er Of this Internal cult. the would.be
Napoleon Of chaos and crime in the
Mississippi valley. the organizer OF a
desperate clan OF some twelve hun
dred miscreants. taught his followers
that It was the safest way In most
cases to kill the victim. unless there
was some obvious reason to the con-
trary.
Make an eId OF the - fool" he
as wont to say: rip out his bowels
and heaye him into the nearest swamp
or bayou: then the body won't rise
as testimony"
He himself would boast. in the swag-
ger OF his cups. that he had slaughter
ed 40 men with his own hand. But
most OF his crimes we're committed
through agents.
But this dIabolism was only the
fringe OF his ambition. appalling as 1t
was. The goal OF his hopes was a
great negro insurrection throughout
the south. which would sweep the
slave states like devastlng fame.
With this lust OF raplne. giving It n
sharper edge. was lvenomous jeal.
ousy and hatred of the rich which had
become like the mania OF a rabid dog
The time Of the slave uprising he had
fixed for Christmas night, 1885
About IS months before this e1.
pccted climax, an interesting en-.
counter occurred In the woods OF Mad.
ison county. West Tennessee. In what
was then known as the Choctaw pur.
chase.
Virgil Stewart. young Georgian.
had come into small inheritance
from his father n year before and had
then concluded to invest It In the
virgin lands OF that newly opened
tract He had made his entry. paid
the fee. and after keeping the store
OF one Clanton, probate Judge, for
a while. had returned to Georgia to
complete the purchase and take resi-.
dencey
Stewart was out riding one eve
ming In the early dusk when he over.
took striking figure mounted on a
fine hunter. which he sat with the
ease OF a finished horseman. He ac.
costed Stewart with wellbred ease
and the resonant voice OF one accus.
toned to public speaking:
Good evening. sir hope that you
arc enIoyin' your ride In the twilight
cleaning There is something de.
lightful at this hour in the woods Ma.
ture declares the glory OF God"-part-
ly shutting his eyes with an air OF
pensiye enthusiasm-"but this meetin'
OF day and dark among the tree pillars
always makes me think OF u great
church made without hands"
Stewart stared at this salutation,
which he politely returned and for a
moment tanCied the stranger an itin.
Grant minister OF the better class. But
he thought It odd that n gospeler
should ride thoroughbred hunter
and carry heavy pistols In his hol,
sters, with q knife In his belt and n
sawed.off shotgun on his pommel. Yet
almost all white men were wont 10
ride armed then in that country and
there was nothing suspicious in the
fact except the p!ous twang OF the
overture.
Tho stranger caught Stewards look
and said suavely:
MY host, who lives about ten miles
from hyar. ia out OF venison, and so
] thought God would send me a chance
for buck. | don't believe in slayin
the beasts OF tho field wantonly. but
they we're created for the use OF man,
we are taught In Holy Scripture. Do
you reside In this district, sir?"
Probably shall" answered Stew.
art, AS have recently bought land
here, and am on the outlook now for
some likely slaves. may have to
run down to New Orleans to get them.
though II is costly trip. for n good
lot Of them have disappeared from
here Of lnte--run away or stolen.
That's a fine horse you're riding"
YES" said the other with a slnIs.
ter twinkllng In his eye which Stew.
arts keen observation noted. I'm a
good Judge OF hoss. or OF the sons
Of Ham whom God made for service. |