Year: 1875

Leeper told him his request was useless,
that his wound was fatal and that he
would soon die. Not long after TOmp
kins and the other pursuers came up one
by one. When Stigall arrived he imme-
diateIy presented his gun 10 Harp's head
with view 10 blow his brains out but
Harp moved his head backwards and for
wards, so as 70 prevent il. ThCreupOu
Stigsll placed the muzzle Of his gun
against the body Of Harp as be Law on the
ground and shot him through the heart.


DEATH or HARP AND sTIGALL.


Thus perished one OF the most brutal
monster OF the human race. His head
was cut of BY Stig2n, Whether the body
WAS buried or left prey for wolves, l
did not learn. The party intend 10 use
the head in getting the large rewards
which had been Offerd by both the Gov
ernOrs Of Kentucky and Tennessee, as
Mr.. Ruby told me. But the heat of sum
mer rendered its preservation impractical
ble. 4 tall young tree growing beside
OF the trail ..Or road, was selected and
trimmed Of its lateral branches to its top,
and then made sharp, On this point the
head was fastened. The skull and jaw
hana EeIaained there many years after all
.el1t lllLl IlIselll alIlE 9gled
with the dust The pIaee where TINS tree-
grew is I'M Webster county, and is known
upon the map Of Kentucky - 'Harp's
Head" to this day


Mai. Stewart informs me that he was
Sheriff OF the county of Logan in 1879,
and that after the Big Harp was killed
and the Little Harp had fled from the
State, their wives and children were
brought to RusSellVille, where the wo-
men were tried as accOmplices Of their
husbaRds, and acquitted.


Stigall and party Of his associates in
tended to murder the women after their
acquittal, and sought opportunities to do
il. This evil design was detected and its
accomplishment prevented by the wise
conduct of Judge Ormsby and Sheriff
Stewart. The Judge seeing the danger,
that women would be murdered by
mob, ordered Stewart, the sheriff, to put
them IN jail, as though il would never DO
to turn tuch characters loose upon SOcie-
ty but secretly told Stewart he would
entrust the safety of the women to him,
and he might remove them after night 10
any place of safety. Accordingly, Major
Stewart told me he put them in Jail; but
fearing they might not even be safe there,
As soon rs he could do it undiscovered, af-
Ter dark, he removed them from the jail
and hid them in = sink. The next night
he removed them about five miles from
RussellYllle to cave, where he kept them
hid and supplied with food until Stigau
and his party had left, and they could
safely make their escape. Maj. Stewart
told me that Sigall and his party re-
mained in Logan county some days after
the trial of the women, hunting for them
in every direction. Major Stewart said
each Of the three women had child;
that Big Harp's two wives were coarse
women, but that Little Harp's wife was 4
Il L I. -.
well raised. He also told me that the
wife of Little Harp, after he was hung
in Mississippi, had married a highly re-
spectacle man, and raised by him a large
family Of children, all of whom were
much esteemed for their honesty, sObrie-
" and industry. l asked the Major to
tell me the name OF the man she had mar
ried. He said he could not be induced to
diYulge it, because a silly world might
take occasion to reflect upon her children
in consequence Of her connection with
Harp. L approved and asked no more for
the name.


Major Stewart said the women seemed
TO be grateful to him for the manner in
which he provided for them, and they re-
lated to him with apparent candor the
history of their lives and their connec-
ton with tho Harps. Among ether
things he said they told him that their
husbands had once been put in Jail at
Knoxville, Tenn, upon suspicion of their
being guilty OF crime, when they were in
noeent; and when they got out they de
clared war against all mankind, and de-
termined to murder and rob until they
were killed. They likewise told Major
5. that they might have escaped after the
murder and robbery at the branch where
Smith was shot. The Big Harp expect
ing to be pursued, proposed that the three
children should be killed, so that they
might flee without that incumbrance.
His two wives and his brother consented
after some discussion. But the wife Of
Little Harp shortly after the proposition
was made, and before any determination
or conclusion had been arrived at, took
her child and went of with it to the
branch, where she had seen projecting
shelving rock. Reaching the spot she
placed her child under the rock and laid
down at its outer side. and determined 10
remain in that situation and there to die
with her child. Her husband followed
her to the branch TO let her know that
they had concluded TO put the children
TO death. just as soon as he saw his wife
in the position described, he saw Smith,
the horse hunter approaching. lie i'm
mediately left his wife and child, and
moved towards Smith. In a very short
time he met Smith, and sounded the shrill
whistle on his Charger - which was the
well understood signal of impending dan
ger. The Big Harp almost in a moment
afterwards made his appearance at the
branch, mounted on Loves mare, when
the firing commenced. Smith was shot
down and the HarpS fed. The Big Harp
did not go directly to the camp, but cir
cled around it, fearing that the enemies
might have taken il. These sudden and
unexpected events saved the lives Of the
children, by allowing no time for their
execution. Little Harp's wife and child
hastily returned to the camp, when the
firing took place a little distance below
the shelving, and were made prisoners
with the wives and children of the Big
Harp. l have now written what was
communicated TO me as coming directly
from eye witnesses and participa,Ors in
the TRANSACTION related. This account diff
fers in many respects from thar published
in Collins History, under the head of
Hopkins County.