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The Napoleon of
American Bandits
The Account of a Forgotten National Conspiracy
By G. T. Ferris
Organized banditry doesn’t
flourish under our con
temporary conditions in
the United States. Spo
radic crimes such as
those of the train rob
ber, of the so-called
liiack Hand, and the
lone highwayman are
» pregnant enough to oc
yff cupy considerable por-
T —" portion of the news
papers, as they are in
all civilized communities. But we
must look back to a much earlier
period to find a chronicle of an at
tempt to bring together in a widely
extended conspiracy under a single
head all the forces of evil which fes
tered over 50,001) square miles of
sparsely settled territory.
The field of this Satanic campaign
extended from ('afro, HI., to the Mis
sissippi della and cut the width of a
broad swath through a half score of
slave states. Wholesale and retail
robbery, counterfeiting, land swin
dling. negro stealing and selling, black
/nailing, and even murder anti assassi
nation, all played their part in this
vast campaign of crime.
John Murrell, the apostle and lead
er of this infernal 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
eases to kill the victim, unless there
■was some, obvious reason to the con
trary.
“Make an end of the fool," he
as wont to say; "tip 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 4(1 men with his own hand. Hut
most of his crimes were committed
through agents.
Hut this diabolism was only the
fringe of bis 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 a devasting flame.
With this lust of rapine, giving it a
sharper edge, was a venomous jeal
ousy and hatred of the rich which had
become like the mania of it rabid dog.
The time of the slave uprising ho had
fixed for Christmas night, 1835
About 18 months before this ex
pected climax, an interesting en
<■ mnter occurred in the woods of Mad
ison county, West Tennessee, in what
was ihen known as the Choctaw' pur
chase.
Virgil Stewart, a young Georgian,
had come into a small inheritance
from iiis father u 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, a probate judge, for
» while, had returned to Georgia to
complete the purchase and take resi
dence.
Stewart was out riding one eve
ning in the early dusk when he over
took a striking figure mounted on a
tine hunter, which he sat with the
ease of a finished horseman. He ac
costed Stewart with wellbred ease
and the resonant voice of one aceus
tomed to public speaking:
“Good evening, sir. 1 hope that you
are enjoyin' your ride in the twilight
gloaming. There is something de
lightful at this hour in the woods. Na
ture declares the glory of God" —part-
ly shutting his eyes with an air of
pensive enthusiasm —“but this mootin'
of day and dark among the tree-pillars
always makes me think of a great
church made without hands.”
Stewart stared at this salutation,
which he politely returned, and for a
moment fancied the stranger an itin
erant minister of the better class. Hut
lie thought it odd that a gospeler
should ride a thoroughbred hunter
and carry heavy pistols in his hoi
sters, with a knife in his belt and a
sawed-off shotgun on his pommel. Yet
almost all white men were 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 caugtit Stewart's look
and said Buavely:
“My host, who lives about ten miles
front hyar, is out of venison, and so
1 thought God would send me a chance
for a buck. 1 don't believe iu stayin’
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 I shall," answered Sicw
a-t, “as l have recently bought land
hare, aud am on the outlook now for
some likely slaves. 1 may have to
run down to New’ Orleans to get them,
though it is a costly trip, for a good
lot of them have disappeared from
here of late—run away or stolen.
That's a fine horse you're riding."
“Yea," said the other with a sinis
ter twinkling In his eye which Stew
art's keen observation noted, “I’m a
good judge of a hoss, or of the sons
of Ham whom God made for service. I
(Copyright. t>y Itidfcway Co. >
trust, sir, you will find a nag as good,
and all the black boys you need. I
shall be hereabouts for the next tort
night, and then I shall obey the com
mand of God to call sinners to re
pentance. at the campmeetin' over in
Shelby county, up Memphis way. Par
don me, sir, but I took an instant likin'
for you and I hope we shall get furth
er acquainted. I ride in these woods
every evenin’. Goodby till we meet
again'."
He doffed his hat with great punc
tilio and spurred his horse through a
by road in the darkling w oods. Neith
er had mentioned his name to the
other.
Stewart pondered over the meeting
as he ambled home, conscious of its
incongruities. He mentioned the oc
currence to his host, Kev. John Hen
ning, Baptist preacher in the scatter
ed hamlet of Tuscahoma and a small
planter who worked a dozen negroes.
The dominie rubbed a stubby chin,
and wagged his head: \
“I wonder if it can be that fellow
Murrell, who's been hangin' aroun’ fur
the last six months off and on, down
at the Corners. Ye know two of my
boys have disappeared. 'Twas a fort
night since, just, before you came
back, and I've suspected him of slave
stcalln , but couldn't get any clue. My
Hick smells the same rat and lifts been
lyin’ low, but ye see neither of us ever
met him; he comes and goes like a
shadder.
Then he's got a lot of pals aroun’,
and some of my neighbors swear he's
all right; hearfi him preach the finest
.sermons in the world—lay preacher,
ye know—and got the spurrlt of God
In him.”
A few days later he again crossed
the stranger not far from the scene
of the first meeting, and the latter
greeted him with an air of unmistak
able pleasure;
I have thought a good deal about
you, sir. since I met you the other
night. I reckon we're kindred spirits
somehow, for 1 know human nature
pretty well and rarely make a mis
take,'' with an air of great compla
cency. “1 thought I'd like to have a
long powwow, for I’m a lonely man,
though I know many people. I am
unexpectedly called away tomorrow
evening. Pray, sir, come aud spend
the night with me at the Corners. My
host of the tavern has fine old 'apple,'
and a brace of wild ducks lit. for a
king fir for-—” stopping with lips
pursed into an enigmatic smile.
Stewart gladly assented, and they
rode together a few miles farther to
the Corners, which consisted of a log
tavern, a ramshackle store and a rude
blacksmith shop. The ruffianly land
lord lowered at Stewart with a glance
of suspicion, but quailed at the im
perious scowl which his more familiar
guest shot at him, as, turning with a
wave of his hand, he said:
"Tliis is my friend, Mr " with
inquiring look.
“Oh, my name is Hues, Adam Hues,”
answered Stewart, woudering with
alarm whether the landlord could pos
sibly know of him.
After supper under a huge gum
tree, and with a tongue well loosened
by frequent libations of apple toddy,
the man of mystery began to unbosom
himself.
“You are a speculator, Hues, and so
am 1, though not perhaps in the same
line. The world has treated me badly
and you, too, I reckon, if I read you
aright. See the swarms of the rich,
whose claws are fastened on all the
good things of life, .the best to eat.
the best of drink, the finest of clothes
to wear. If ye could only hear my
friend, John Murrell, talk on the
thing! lie's one of the greatest men
in the world, sir—beats Andy Jackson
all to death, and 1 want ve to meet
him."
And so he went on in a fierce tirade
against the whole order of society.
The young man had listened with
out a word, with the same feeling
that a hidden spectator would have at
watching cannibals at their ghastly
banquet. He had had time enough to
make up his mind, and he nerved him
self to see the thing through.
“Sir.'' he said, extending his hand,
"I don't know who you are, but put it
right there! What you've said has
sounded a hidden chord. I feel you're
exactly right, sir. and that we ought
to get even with our oppressors in any
way we can. You reckoned straight
when you saw in me a congenial
spirit."
The next morning as they rode
through the woods, talking of indif
ferent matters. Stewart was accosted
with the sudden interjection, “I am
John Murrell!" accompanied by a
look of piercing question.
”1 suspected so last night." was the
answer, "and was rejoiced to know a
man of my own kidney."
A handclasp seemed to relieve the
other's mind of any passing doubt, and
Murrell said bluntly:
"1 need a lieutenant, a man of grit,
of brains an' resources. Will you be
that man, Hues? 1 picked you by an
unfailin’ instinct, instantly I saw you."
The young man agreed, and two
hours later they parted, arranging a
' rendezvous for two weeks later, as
Murrell was compelled to go away on
some call of his nefarious work Dur
ing that ride and on subsequent oc
casions this colossal villain told in
part the stovy of a life bristling with
crimes of every sort with a smack of
infernal pride which Satan himself
could not have surpassed.
Murrell’s mother, a Tennessee
mountain woman, had, in spite of an
honest father, trained her young son
as a thief from early childhood.
While yet a stripling, he began to
steal horses, and in disposing of these
he fell In with various small predatory
gangs, who did not hesitate to mur
der as well as rob. Young Murrell’s
superior address and cunning made
him an adept in disposing of robber
loot, and he gradually became initiat
ed into all the successive grades of
crime.
He brought to the business great
craft and power of organization and
the ability to make use of the villainy
of others.
He was arrested for horse-stealing
and was sentenced to the penitentiary
for three years. He was a model pris
oner and gave up his spare time to
assiduous reading, more especially to
the study of theology, law and the
rudiments of the healing art.
Stewart met the bandit chief, and as
they rode west Murrell told him that
they were on the way to one of the
principal headquarters of the clan
which was on an island In a Missis
sippi bayou, just across the river from
Memphis. Here he would meet some
of the principal men and be sworn
into the band.
Murrell was exhilarated into a fierce
hilarity, for this Napoleonic ruffian
seems to have been inspired by a gen
ial liking for his chance recruit which
banished all his native caution. He
had, in Ills craving for a perfect con
fidence, beguiled himself into the con
viction that in Hues he had found the
very twin of his soul. He now outlined
to his companion something of the
colossal scheme of a negro uprising,
over which his diabolical spirit had
brooded so long.
“Tills may seem too bold to you.
Hues, but that is what 1 glory in,” he
said. “All tlie crimes I have ever
committed have been of the most dar
ing. I’ve been successful In all of ’em.
I am confident I shall be victorious in
this matter. I'll have the pleasure
and honor of seeing and knowing that
by my management I have glutted the
earth with more human blood and de
stroyed more property than any rob
her who has ever lived In America or
the known world. I look on the Amer
ican people as my common enemy.
They have disgraced me"—thus he
designated his short term of impris
onment—“and they can do no more.
“My life is nothin' to me, and it
shall be spent as their devoted enemy.
My clan Is strong, brave, experienced
and rapidly increasing in numbers I
shouldn’t be surprised if we number
ed 20,000 at the time of the uprising.
And I am strong in the high standing
of so many of my chief councilors,
many, indeed, in honorable and lucra
tive offices. Should anything leak out
prematurely, those men would drive
away the fears of the people by ridi
cule, turning it into a cock-and-bull
story.
“We have considerable money in the
hands of our treasurers to complete
our purchases of arms and ammuni
tion, to fit out the companies that are
to attack the cities and towns. We
will manage to get possession of the
different arsenals and supply ourselves
from every source that may offer. The
negroes wouldn't want many arms till
they get ’em from the houses they de
stroy, as a knife, a club, a pick or an
ax will do to murder families at night,
when they are dazed with sleep and
terror at the light of their burning
homes.”
Stewart tells us that he afterward
marveled that he refrained from
shooting Murrell then and there, for
he always kept one hand on a pocket
derringer, a silver-mounted pair of
which had been given him the day be.
fore by this incarnate demon
Perhaps the feeling that the one
soft spot in Murrell’s nature was the
curious infatuation for himself re
straned his itching hand.
They found themselves on the banks
of the Mississippi, at that time storm
lashed, at dusk, but the rowboat on
which Murrell relied w’as gone. So
they applied for hospitality at the
house of a planter named Champion.
He looked askance at Murrell when
the latter requested the loan of a
skiff on which to cross. Stewart at
once appraised him as au honest man
and not one of the many secret con
federates of the robber gang. Cham
pion felt a note slipped into his hand
as the twain parted from him next
morning, read a warning in Stewart's
eyes, saw a finger motioned to the
lips.
The island rendezvous was a sin
isterlooking place set in a little river
bend that somewhat concealed it.
All day long small parties arrived at
the island. To these Hues"
was introduced as a new and trusted
recruit, until about 50 were assembled,
a few of whom would never have been
suspected of other than a reputable
life. These were some of the prin
cipal members of the “Grand Council."
and this was the night of the regular
quarterly meeting.
The council was held in the eve
ning. Reports were read from local
centers as to the progress of the slave
uprising conspiracy. Figures were
given for the three months past as to
the various money-making crimes
which had been committed in some
five states. Plans were discussed for
perfecting the methods of propaganda
among the hosts of negroes on the
plantations.
The last business done was the for.
mal initiation of “Hues" as a member
i of the gang and as a Grand Councilor.
The young man was initiated, sworn
in under blood-curdling penalties,
taught ail the grips and signals of
recognition, and the night was worn
out in a mad debauch.
The next day the Grand Council
: dissolved, its members departed, and
Murrell, who stayed to superintend
the loading of the black cattle in a
flatboat for the slave-market, was fin
ally left alone with his lieutenant.
“There’s $20,000 in that batch," be
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 a
complete list of the Grand Councilors,
their occupations, places of residence,
and their assignments in a conspiracy
of murder, arson, robbery and devas
tation unparalleled in American his
tory.
It took two days to secure this fatal
transcript from the books, aud the
scribe was amazed to find, among the
four hundred names on the black
schedule participants scattered over
the states south of Virginia, men of
unquestioned repute and social place,
even professed ministers of the gos
pel, wolves in sheep’s clothing, judges
on the bench, law practitioners, news
paper editors, merchants and hotel
keepers, men one would expect to find
wedded to the stability of order and
suppression of crime.
When the tw’ain departed from the
dismal island, reeking with its crime
laden mystery, Stewart, well-night
overburdened with such a sinister rev
elation, devised an excuse to stop at
Champion's plantation. To hint he told
sufficient to secure a pledge of co
operation at a moment's notice, and
silence until the time was ripe. It
was arranged with Murrell that his
new man should meet him at a rendez
vous a 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 a vague way, by such
a disclosure.
It was determined that John Mur
rell should be arrested in an ad
joining county and not In the vicinity
of Tuscahoma, as it might mean that
Clanton, who was justice of the peace
as well as probate judge, w’ould at
once discharge him from custody.
Champion and some of his friends
came at Stewart’s call and with Par
son Henning, his son, and half a dozen
trusty spirits, all armed to the teeth,
serving as posse, a warrant was duly
sworn out and Murrell taken. When
the robber marked one face among
his captors he spat on the ground and
growled out between his teeth with
a sort of frozen rage:
“It's well for you that I was such a
business isn't done yet, I reckon!"
Stewart half confesses that for a
moment, demoniac like villain as he
knew the other to be, he felt a pang
of shame that it had fallen to him,
for whom a wretch like this had
shown his one human weakness, to bo
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
desperado escaped by connivance, but
was retaken and lodged in a Memphis
prison, where he could be more effect
ively guarded. There he remained
for several months before trial, as the
indictment being for negro-stealing, as
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 slander of the most en
venomed sort had been at once open
ed against Stewart, and numerous
journals throughout the south hearti
ly espoused Murrell'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 a prodigy of guilt. He
w’rote and disseminated at his own
expense a printed pamphlet, with a
detailed account of his experiences
with Murrell, scattering the document
broadcast. One thing he did not do.
however. He did not make procla
mation of the names and residences
of Murrell's associates of the Grand
Council. He held It in reserve, mak
ing it public that the list was in such
hands as would publish it if anything
untoward happened to him.
Such is the irony of fate. A male
factor superlative in evil and steeped
In every conceivable crime, who mer
ited the scaffold a hundred times over,
for whom no long-drawn torture
would have been excessive, died in a
Tennessee prison after three years
of incarceration for a minor offense,
passing away almost in the odor of
sanctity
Virgil Stewart, who brought him
within the meshes of the law and foil
ed his satanic aims, was almost os
tricized by a large section of the
southern public and was defamed by
many of its newspapers as one who
had unjustly stigmatized Murrell anr
created a nightmare o"t of hi« own
imagination.
Time, however, wrought its com pen
sation. Old members o? the Murrell
army of criminals were arrested and
punished from time to time for new
offenses, some condemned by Judge
Lynch, others by judicial process.
Their confessions before execution
fully confirmed the terrible story told
by Stewart, from ordinary murder
and robbery up to the baleful conspir
acy to drown the whole south In a sea
of blood, rapine, lust and devastation.
GOOD S\SF
JOKES } W;
MUFFLED KNOCKS.
"I m sure you will be glad to learn,
doctor, that my husband has improved
a great deal since you quit coming."
*‘lt’s too bad. old fellow, that they
shut off your speech at that banquet
the other evening just as it was begin
ning to be interesting.”
"Nobody can make me believe you
were drunk on New Year's eve, Tom
iH*Jess somebody else set up the
beverages.”
"Dear sir—Although you failed to
inclose stamps for return postage we
are sending your manuscript back to
you as a matter of courtesy."
Exception to the Rule.
“Yes, we always called him a sissy
In school and when he got to college
everybody there regarded him as a
poor slick. He used to go around
alone, with his mouth open and a far
away look in his eyes, and it became
one of the regular customs to make
him the victim of practical jokes.”
"And I suppose that he is now the
most famous member of his class."
"No. When I heard of him last he
was third assistant disher-up in a
vegetarian restaurant."
Epigram.
"That wasn’t a bad epigram on the
magistrate's part,” said the somewhat
educated tramp, who had been convict
ed for vagrancy.
"What did he say?" asked the
tramp's pal.
“Seven days," came the reply.
"That ain’t no epigram, is it?”
“i'm sure it is. i asked a parson
once what an epigram was, and he
says: 'lt’s a short sentence that sounds
light, but gives you plenty to think
about.’ "—London Opinion.
Oh, That's Different.
"I thought I told you not to eat any
porterhouse steak without my j>ermis
sion?”
"So you did, doc; so you did.”
"Then why are you disobeying my
order?"
"This won't delay the paying of
your bill, doc; this steak is being paid
for by my friend here."
AND GOT WET.
* v yjj
n l -
“Willie, have you seen Mr. Sweet
thing today?"
“Yes. He just fell in with a pretty
goil down below here."
One of the Reveler*.
He had a gay
Old time, you bet ’
His head, they say.
Is throbbing yet!
Paw Knows Everything.
Willie—Paw, wliat is the difference
between a political job and any other
job?
Paw—You have to work hard to get
a political job, my son, and you have
hard to hold the other kind.
A Practical Idea.
"Plimson brought back from abroad
a Thibetan prayer wheel.”
"How is it operated?"
"The pious Thibetan whirls it
around in his hand."
"Do you think a contrivance like
that would be efficacious?"
"Yes. I should think it would be
highly efficacious in fly time."
First Steps.
"Every woman should try to en
hance her good looks as much as pos
sible."
"Still, her appearance sometimes
during the process of enhancement is
positively hideous."
"What do you mean?"
“I was thinking of cold cream and
curl papers."
Unprecedented.
"There’s a remarkable story about
a cub reporter in this magazine," said
the Old Fogy.
"What's remarkable about it?"
asked the Grouch.
“He fails to show up the rest of
the staff and doesn't scoop the other
papers," replied the Old Fogy.
Appropriate Names.
"Instead of numbers, the English
houses have names. For Instance, in
stead of 311 Park lane, they will call
the abode ‘Sunset Cottage,' and so
on.”
“I get you. I think I'll name my
domicile 'Easy Payments Villa.' ”
Its Title.
“What,” asked the professional
prize fighter, "shall I call this history
of my battles?"
“Why not,” replied his adviser,
"call it your Scrap Book?"
SHIPWRECK UP TO DATE. •
"Is there much danger, captain?"
“Not a particle. A moving picture
outfit will soon be along and res
cue us after they have taken a few
films."
Poor Outlook.
Although the play is shady.
Its vogue will hardly last.
Because the leading lady
Has never had a past.
These Times.
Ex-Governor Pennypacker, discuss
ing the divorce evil in Pennsylvania,
said, with a smile:
"In these times one never, as the
saying goes, knows where one is at.
An acquaintance of mine extended his
hand to me at the Historical society
the other day and cried:
"‘Congratulate me! I am the hap
piest man alive!’
"I looked at him doubtfully.
"‘Engaged, married or divorced?’ I
asked."
Breaking It Gently.
Mrs. Bukkit—Gude marnin', Mrs.
Flintle. Feelin’ well today?
Mrs. Flintle—Yes, very well, thanks.
Mrs. Bukkit—An' strong?
Mrs. Flintle —Oh. yes, Mrs. Bukkit,
quite strong.
Mrs. Bukkit—Then p'raps you'd be
able to bring back the two washtube
you borrowed last week!—London
Opinion.
History of the Harp.
Mary—l've Just found out what was
the origin of the harp.
John (looking up from his newspa
per)—Yes?
Mary—lt was in the Oardon of
Eden. Eve ate the apple—and men
have been harping about it ever since.
—Judge.
Amicable Agreement.
"Some family in this building,” ob
served the stranger, sniffling, "is cook
ing cabbage today."
"All of 'em, sir," said the janitor.
“It's the understanding among all
the renters that Monday is the reg’lar
cabbage day.”
Where He Gets Them.
Frost —Where do you get your hats,
old man?
Snow—At cafes usually. But once
or twice I've been lucky enough to
exchange at church.—Judge.
Cured.
“You don't seem to be troubled by
rheumatism any more?"
“Nope. I'm cured.”
"Bee stings?"
"Nope, auto horn."
They All Do It.
Mrs. Minks —Mrs. Leadem is aging
rapidly.
Mrs. Blinks —Yes: poor thing She
is worrying herself gray trying to look
young.
HE WAB IT.
"Smothers, the new congressman
makes an awful clever speech. He
may be smart, but he doesn’t look
it" i
“You want to take a squint at his
secretary.”
Generosity.
“But, George." protested the lovely
girl, "your salary is only S2O a week,
and we can't live on that!”
"Darling,” exclaimed George, "you
don’t suppose I’d be mean enough to
ask you to throw up your $lO a week
job, do you?"
Double Chance.
Willis—My son wants to go to war.
Gillis —That so?
Willis—Yes, in the aeroplane corps,
Gillis —Great Bcott, why does he
want to get killed twice?—Puck.