Greene County herald., 1913-03-07

Black Hand. and the
10 ~ lone highwayman are
pregnant enough to oc-
~ cupy considerable por-
portion of the news
papers, as they are in
all civilized communities. But we
must look back to a much earlier
period to find 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. Ill, to the Mis-
stssippi delta and cut the width OF a
broad swath through half score or
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 hum
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.
L. ~ hn f0rlS a
as wont to say; rip out his bowels
and heave 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 were committed
through agents.
But this diabolism was only the
fringe of his ambition, appalling as it
was. The goal of his hopes was a
great negro insurrection throughout
the south, which would sweep the
slave states like devasting flame.
With this lust of rapine, giving it
sharper edge, was venomous jeal-
ousy and hatred of the rich which had
become like the mania of rabid dog.
The time Of the slave uprising he had
fixed for Christmas night. 1885.
About 1S months before this ex-
pected 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, q young Georgian,
had come into small Inheritance
from his father 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-
dence.
Stewart was out riding one eve
ming in the early dusk when he over
took a 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. I hope that you
are enioyin' your ride in the twilight
cleaning There is something de-
Iightful at this hour in the woods. Ma
ture declares the glory of God"-part-
Iy shutting his eyes with an air of
pensive enthusiasm-"b this meetin'
of day and dark among the tree e-pillars
always makes me think of a great
church made without hands"
Stewart stared at this salutation,
which he politely returned, and for
moment fancied the stranger an itin-
Grant minister of the better class. But
he thought it odd that gospeler
should ride thoroughbred hunter
and carry heavy pistols in his hol-
sters, with knife in his belt and a
sawed-off shotgun on his pommsl. Yet
almost all white men we're wont to
ride armed then in that country and
there was nothing suspicious in the
fact, except the pious twang of the
overture.
The stranger caught Stewards look
and said suavely:
My host. who lives about ten miles
from hyar, is out Of venison, and SO
! thought God would send me chance
for buck. | don't believe In slayin'
the beasts of the field wantonly, but
they were created for the use of man,
we are taught In Holy Scripture. Do
you reside In this district, sir?"
Probably ! shall" answered Sew
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 1t is a costly trip. for a good
lot of them have disappeared from
here Of late-run away or stolen.
That's fine horse you're riding"
YES" said the other with a sinis