Year: 1876

CHAP Elk IL.


STRANGE REVELATIONS.


At this point leave the hero of my mar
rative for awhile, in order that | may open
another chapter.


Many years elapsed, during which the
tradition remained in this unsatisfactory
state, and l had given up all hope oil
further elucidation of it, when an accidental
discovery brought me once more upon the
track of inquiry.


There was published in the city of Balti-
more, in the year 1908, a book whose title
was certainly as little adapted to awaken
the attention of one in quest of pictur-
esque legend as treatise on Algebra. 1t
was called "The Landholder's Assistant,
and was intended, as its name imported, to
assist that lucky portion of mankind who
possessed the soil of Maryland in their pur-
suit of knowledge touching the mysteries
of patents, warrants, surveys, and such like
learning, necessary to getting land or keep
ing what they had. The character and
style of this book, in its exterior aspect
we're as unpromising as its title. 1t was
printed by Messrs. Dobbin Il Murphy. on
rather dark paper, in muddy type,-such
as no Mr.. Dobbin nor Mr. Murphy of this
day would allow to bear his imprmatur,-
though in 1903, doubt not, it was consid
cred very creditable piece of Baltimore
Typography This unpretending volume was
compiled by Chancellor Kitty. 1t is very
instructive book, containing much curious
matter, is worthy Of better adornment in
the form of it's presentation to the world,
and ought to have title more suggestive
of it's antiquarian lore. l should call it
" Fossil Remains of Old Maryland Law,
with Notes by an Antiquary.'


1t fell into my hands by purchase at
auction, some twenty years after l had
abandoned the Legend of the Cave and the
Hawks as hopeless quest. In running
over it's contents, found that Colonel
George Talbot was once the Surveyor Gen
eral of Maryland; and in two short mar
ginal notes (the substance of which after
wards found in Chalmers's ANNALS ~ it
was said that she was noted in the Pro-
vince for the murder committed by him on
Christopher Rousby, Collector of the Gus
toms, ,"-the second note adding that this
was done on board vessel in Patu1ent
river and that Talbot twas conveyed for
trial to Virginia, from whence he made his
escape; and after being retaken, and y las
the author expresses his belief "tried and
convicted, was finally pardoned by King
James the Second


These marginal notes, though bringing
no clear support to the story of the Cave,
were embers, however, of some old fire not
entirely extinct, which emitted feeble
CLEAN upon the path of inquiry. The
name of the chief actor coincided with that
of the tradition; the time, that of James
the Second, conformed pretty nearly to my
conjecture derived from the age of the
hawks; and the nature of the crime was
what l had imagined. There was just
enough in this brief revelation to revive
the desire for further investigation. But
where was the search to be made9 No his
tory that was aware of, no sketch of our
early time that l had ever seen, nothing in
print was known to be in existence that
could furnish clue to the story Of the
Outlaws Cave.


And here the matter rested again for
some years. But after this lapse, chance
brought me upon the highway of further
development, which led me in due time to
strange realization of the old proverb that
"Murder will out, Though, in this case,
its discovery could bring no other retribu-
ton than the settlement of an historical
doubt, and give some posthumous fame to
the subject of the disclosure.


In the month of May, 1896, l had mo
tive and an opportunity to make visit to
the county of St. Mary's. had been look
ing into the histories of our early Maryland
settlement, as they are recouuted in the
pages of Bozman, Chalmers, and Grahame,
and found there some inducements to per
suade me to make an exploration of the
whereabouts of the old city which was
planted near the Potomac by our first pill
grims. Through the kindness of a much
valued friend, whose requirements and
taste-both highly cultivated rendered
him a most effective auxiliary in my enter,
prise, was supplied with an opportunity
to spend a week under the hospitable ROOT
of Mr.. Carberry, the worthy Superior Of
the Jesuit House Of St. 1nigoes on the St.
Mary's river, within short distance OF
the plain of the ancient city.


Mr. Campbell and myself were invited
by our host to meet him, on an appointed
day, at the Church of St. Nicholas on the
Patuxent, near the landing at Town creek,
and we were to travel from there across tc
St. Inigoes in his carriage,-a distance Of
about fifteen miles.


Upon our arrival at St. Nicholas, we
found a full day at our disposal to look
around the neighborhood, which, being the
scene of much historical interest in oul
Older annals, presented a pleasant tempta
tion to our excursion. Our friendly guide
Mr.. Carberry, took us to Drum Point, the
southern headland of the Patuxent at its
entrance into Chesapeake Bay. Here was
at that time, and perhaps still is, the resi-
dence of the Carroll family, whose ances
tors occupied the estate for many genera
tions. The dwelling house was comfort
able wooden building of the style and char
acter of the present day, with all the ap
purtenances proper to a convenient anC
pleasant country homestead. Immediatel,
in it's neighborhood-so near that it might
be said to be almost within the curtilage o
the dwelling-stood an old brick ruin o
what had apparently been a substautia
mansion house. Such monument of tn,
past as this, of course, could not escape ou
special attention, and, upon inquiry, W,
were told that it was once, long time ago
the family home of the Rousbys, the ances
tors of the present occupants of the estate
that several generations of this family, dat
ing back to the early days of the Province
had resided in it; and that when it ha,
fallen into decay the modern building wa