The daily phoenix. (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, March 21, 1872, Image 4
- ..JHUBDEBS:,Am> .OVE?. THREE IIUNOREn
. . i . BOBBKBiBS-rONOLiEi 8AM. ?iOWEBIJESS., i
. til ii?;era| were s? many humatr bo
lhgs possessed witii devils, ?or BO few
cist out' Their.name is legion who
four (Othersr-two brothex-in-Jaws
he haw' 'been' aU?wed W'^?nly wage
Ih? most ? ^famous ? o|?^wry, |pr;: ih?
past nine years, twithin a region of
?welve'o^fif^en)^
he County, State, : Confederate and
United States authorities; alternate?
ly! or, n^itedlyj., ! his' lown fien d
iah .hand, ho, is known io have mur?
der a cl: fifteen .jberoOhB'. " Ko Congres?
sional ^j?iic?iitQ^ J?i^'l^??.' pe?t' ta "in?
vestigate''him; i'Let us have peace."
In view of the pdss?biHt??s of an ap1 -
propriation , .to some mud-mason
artist tai his boat to adorn the Capi?
tol collection, and to afford outlines
for the dialectic poets, we append a
pen-picture of this piece by nature's
journoynjan-'^he. imitates humanity
so abominably/'i He is a concrete
sp?cimen of the "Civil Jtights" dogma
-a compound of lowrdo.wn white,
Tuscarora Indian, and tlie *'mafe-aT?d
a7br<pjbUer'j , breded, . 'twenty-six 0 years
old. : A -correspondent of the New
York/jficf?W,'writing from Sh?.eH?elJ
??. C., gives the rf piloting lengthy ao
oount of the doings of these loyal Ku
Klux: ..>?.*
The bandit of North Carolina,
Henry' Berry. Lowrey, standing in
perfect disdain of the authorities of
the State, as well as of tho Federal
troops, it was deemed necessary to
Send a Herold correspondent to study
tho situation. I. left. Washington
City Thursday night, and reported
myself next day at noon in the office
of GoV. Walker, of Virginia. The
handsomest man in the South was
seated at a tablo, signing bills, in the
old Confederate Supreme Court room.
His beautiful grayish black mous?
tache, healthy , gray, hair, clear skin
and smiling expression,- every inch a
lord lieutenant in tho oldest of oui
shires, grew soberer as he said:
''Lowrey? i Why, a captain of the
Virginia militia ' applied to me yes?
terday, to obtain permission for him?
self and his men to hunt that fellow
in the swamps of North Carolina
Lowrey must.be'a good deal of c
character." . -, .
As I looked over the files of the
Richmond newspapers, and . their in
tim ate exchanges of the tobacco, riot
and tar region, I found the buestioi
of the day to be-Lowrey. He wa)
at once the Nat. Turner, the Osceoli
and Rob Roy Mac-Gregor of th<
South. With mingled ardor anc
anxiety, desire and trepidation, !
pushed on- by the Weldon road U
Wilmington, the largest town of th?
State, where Lowrey had once beei
confined in prison. There was ther
but a single question-Lowrey. Th
Wilmington papers called the Robe
son County people cowards, for no
cleaning him out. Tho Kobesoi
County paper hurled back the insinu
ations, but hurled nothing else a
Lowrey. The State government go
its share of the blame, and the Stat
Adjutant-General replied in a card
that the militia and volunteers ha
no pluck on the occasion when h
had tried them. Five men ha
mastered a commonwealth.
Ans instance of the deep sense c
apprehension created by these bar
dits in all South eastern Carolina, i
afforded by a dream which Col. "VI
H. Barnard, editor of tho Wilminf.
toil Star, related to me. His paper i
eighty miles from tho aceno of oui
lawry :
"I dreamed the other night," sai
he, "that I was riding up tho Ruthe:
ford ?Railroad, and carno to Mos
Neck Station, where tho outlaws fri
?ruently appear. I thought a yello
ellow, Indian-looking, came to tl:
car door and said: 'Everybody cn
pass but Barnard; I want him.' Th
was Henry Berry Lowrey. Then
dreamed that they took mo into soir
kind of torture place, and poked gin
at me, and tantalized mo."
Tho newspapers were, howeve
making political capital out of tl
Lawrey gang, instead of calling upc
an Honorable and united State sent
ment to suppress the scandal. Tl
Democratic papers cried, "Black li
Kluxl" and the Republican *pape
retorted, by asking whore was tl
valor of the white Ku Klux, wi
could flog a thousand peaceful me
brit diired not meet fivo outlaws
arms.
"Tho Democrats," said ono Rob
son County man, in my room, "
soon as they upset tho Rep?blica
in Robeson County, started in to a
nihilatc Scuflietown and its voto 1
terror. Thoy have been beaten in
That chap Lowroy has mado them
laughing-stock; he ought to bo killc
but they skulk out of his reach."
. Maypi**Mi*rttnr~^
Prosidont of tho lluthjerford Railway,
which" basses" ^p^,^^S^^n
and the lana of the outlaws, relates an
irieid?nt, pitiful at Ifenstf ttf Northern
ears', c-f th? ^o^e?'pf^? robers,
and th?' hWel$& fjih'^ \th.jt? ?hey aro
m?>kin? ^^^v^e.linwte.of ?hat
ia available to thora., Adjutant-Gen?
eral Gorham, Who > directed the late
ignominious campaign * against the
Lowrey band-where, 'by Current re?
ports^ the main' victories gui ned
we're over the mulatto women) the
soldiery driving tho husbands forth
to insult and debauch their wives
said'that Henry Berry Lowrey, when
asked to withdraw' from 'tho Stato,
replied: '
"Robeson County ia the only land
I know. I can hardly read, and do
not know where to go if I leave these
woods and ewa-mps? where I was
raised. If I can iget safe > cpu du ot
and pardon, I will go anywhere. I
will join the United States army and
fight the Indians. But these people
will not let me leave alive, and I do
not mean to enter any jail again. I
will never give up my gun."
Mayor Martin's solution of the
difficulty, is for'the United States to
declare martial law ovor the whole
Congressional , District in which
Robeson County standB, and make
a systematic .search.' with., regular
troops for these outlaws*- ;' Ho says
that when they first >tpok; io their ex?
cursions they, werie* oohip?rativciy
sober, but of late have taken to drink?
ing, dnd' about four weeta ago they
all, except their leader, got drunk at
Ed: Smith's-store, Moss Neck, and
lay there all night! "Ii^hiskey," said
Mayor Marlin,, f'will reduce them in.
time; but they aro very careful whose
liquor they > drink in these, days.
Henry Berry Lowrey le/t his flask
hanging oh a fence a few weeks ago,
and when ho returned to get it, ho
made everybody at tho station drink
with him." !,
Early in the morning, Monday,
February 26, I took tho train for
Lumberton, and froi? the forward
car to tho tail the freight was Low?
rey. In tho second class car, escorted
by the. two sheriffs, MacMillan aud
Brown, of Robeson County, was Pop
Oxondine-tho previous, said, to be
his literal name-brother of Hender?
son Oxondineythe only- o?e of the
outlaws who was ever brought to
trial and hanged. Ho was . chained
to a Tegular army soldier, who had
recently .r?urder?d a negro at Scuflle
town, and he was a remarkable look?
ing mulatto, with a yellowish olive
skin, good features, and a handsome,
appealing, unreliable, uninterpreta?
ble pair of black eyes. So good look?
ing a mulatto man, with such com?
plexion, I had not seen. Like the
rest, he had Tuscarora Indian blood
in him, with tho duplicity of the
mixed races where the white blood
?iredominatcs. Ho was ironed fast
o the scat, and looked at me with s
look inquisitive, pitiful, evasive and
ingenious by turns. ?If I should dc
1 scribe the man by tho words nearesl
my idea, I shoifld. call him a negro
Indian gipsy.
The passengers were approhensivi
and inquisitive . togothcr, wanting tc
know all about Lowrey nnd dreading
to encounter him. Tho fullest ant
often very intelligent explanation,
were made to me, and overy facility
was tendered to assist me to form ac
curate conclusions as to the character!
in the baud.
Col. S. L. Fremont, General Super
intendent of tho Rutherford Railway
will permit no passenger to carn
arms for tho purpose of shooting
Lowrey to rido on his train, PS hi
fears that such permission will cn
danger tho safety of tho railway
Lowrey could toss u train off almos
any dry, but ho scorns to hold super
stitiou.s respect for the United State
mails.
A few weeks ago, a man by tk<
name of Marsden, announced that h
meant to travel up and down tin
road as a detective and kill Lowie;
on sight. To put him to tho tesl
Lowrey and his band appeared wit]
cocked shot-guns at Moss Neck sta
tion, and stood at a rospoctablo ye
furtive "present arms," whilo th
braggart, for such ho was, crawlei
under the car seat. Lowrey, oiYerei
$100 reward to anybody wno worth
tell him whether Mardon or Marsdo:
was on tho train, as he meant to fol
low tho follow up tho road, but woul
not cross tho platform himself. Th
conductors and engineers say there i
perfect safety on tho trains, although
none know when tho outlaw lowie
may take, offence against tho com
pany or its officers.
Tho Rutherford Railway traverse
the Counties of the Southern tier c
North Carolina, passing few towns r.
magnitude, but - built generali
through tho pitch-pine woods, WIIOH
white bolos, stripped a few fed froi
the ground and notched to provok
the flow of tho sa}? and to catch i
rcscmblo the iutormiiiablo tomi
stones of a woodland burial grouin
Swamps intorscet tho woods, and tl)
resinous-looking waters of man
sprtpd rice fi elds,, tho, .skoletons of pld
turpentine (distilleries, tho.iBtubblo. ?f
rugged cotton! plantation's, BO rae ?oo
t?aeional tieatlfcbia?k?mea shantis
?nd nbW' and toen a' saW-toM 'orH
pil? .fifMjwVji^ tin^?rV . #%,,buT
mid, idmu.st uninhabited,. is ' tilo
traveler; s. first irnpxQf?i'?h Q? . tho
country. But thor o ia a speck . of
light and lifo at Abbott a vi Ile,' tho
hobie of ox^United Statos S?flntor
Abbott, \vhb 'has built 'up the "Capo
Fear Building Company," to supply
roady-mado' houses to the peopje pf
his adopted State, and whoso private
residence, of yellow frame, is next bp
tho large nai^l and-branch railway of
the enterprise. ' r'
Aftor liv? i hours' ride wo carno to
the Weather-blackened, unpainted
town of, Lumbcrton, on tho flowing
Luinbor river, a branch of tho Pedoo.
Lumbj?rto? is tho scat, of Robeson
County, tho stamping ground of
Lowroy's band. With ono exception
-and that disputable as tho net of
tho band-no murder has been com?
mitted by tho Lowreys beyond the
lines of tbis County. It contains, by
tho census of 1870, 3,042 men above
tho age of twenty-one. By tho cou?
sus pf 1850, the last preceding cen?
sus ayailable at this poiut of .view, it
contained 639 whites uuablo to read,
and bad nt that timo 1,171 free
negroes,-or more than even the popu?
lous' County in which Wilmington
stands, enid quintuple tho free negro
population of tho adjacent Counties.
Scuffletown, ii few miles distant from
Luinberton, wus ono of tho largest
freo negro settlements tn the United
States before tho 'war against slave?
ry, hnd it was, besides, an almost im?
memorial free negro settlement. This
being court week, the town of Lum?
bcrton was full of Scufllotuwners, and
I saw and talked with Sinclair Lowroy
and Patrick Lowrey, elder brothers
of the outlnws, and also with "Dick"
Oxcndino, who married the only
sister of Henry Berry Lowrey, and
who keeps a bar room in tho court
house village. Besides, I visited the
scene of the latest exploits of the
Lowreys, the capture of thc most val?
uable safe in the town, as well as tho
County official safe, which they con?
temptuously rejected on tho road.
I also visited tho jail where Hender?
son Oxemline's gallows stood, and
the court room; whero a noisy crier
made proclamation from an open
windpw, and , the , garrulous Judge
Clarke was delivering n charge upon
tho enormities of those banditti, cry?
ing meantime into his pocket handker?
chief. Besides^ I talked with a great
number of tho leading citizens, who,
to a man, w?re of Scotch descent; and
at noon next day, resuming tho train,
I visited Scuffletown and slept with
courteous entertainers at Shoo Heel,
in tho heart of tho pine forest.
The incidents of theso excursione
will appear hereafter. Let me now
address .myself to describe tho out?
laws.
Henry Berry Lowrey, tho leadei
of the most formidable band of out
laws, considering tho smallness of it.'
numbers, that has been known ir
this country, is of mixed Tuscarora
mulatto and white blood, twenty-si:
years of age, five feet ten inches higl
and weighing about lfiO pounds
Ho has straight black hair, like ai
Indian, a dark goatee and 'beard
graceful in shape, but too thin t<
look very black. His face slope
from the cheek bones to tho tip o
his goatee, so as to give him tin
Southern American contour of physi
ognoiny; but it is lighted with eye
of a different color-eyes of a gray
ish hazel-at times appearing a ligh
blue, with a drop of brown in them
but in agitation dilating, darkening
and, although never quite losiiij
tho appearance of a smile, yet ii
action it is a smile of devilish nature
His forehead is good and his faa
and expression refined-romarkabl;
so, considering his mixed raee, wan
of education and long career of law
lessness. A scar of crescent sha])
and black color lies below his Inf
oye, said to have been made by a
iron pot falling upon him when
child. His voico is sweet and pleti
saut, and in his manner (hero i
nothing solf-important or swaggei
ing. Ho is not talkative, lisien
quietly, and searches out whoever i
speaking to him like a man illiterat
in all books save tho two great book
of nature, and human nature ubov
all. The color of his skin is of
whitish yellow sort, with an admix
turo of copper-'-such a skin as, fi;
tho nature of its components, is i
color indescribable, thoro being n
negro blood in it except of a far rc
moto generation of mulatto, and th
Indian still apparent. It is enoug
to say of this skin, that it seems t
suffer little change by boat or cob
exposure or sickness, good housin
or wild weather. Tho very relative
of white men killed Ivy Henry Ben
Lowroy admitted to mo that "he
ono ol* tho handsomest mulattoes yu
ever uaw."
To match this faco tho outlaw
bi dy is of mixed strength and beat
tyt*-It*,^?h"kTiit?'wti,y;,Btraight te'
tho shoulders and lirnbsj.' without a
physical di owip it, and a a-o ne finid to
me who had^ known* < him1 ' well ?in?e
ch?dhd?di' ''He ie; like ? tra? balli
elastic ah oye**' Ho'ht? feef^i?H
would be, notmeaplo/?ny^i?re, point?
ed and with arching ?nstop, so j that
be can wear ft very shapely, boot, and
his extremities, liko his features, in?
dicate nothing of the negro. A good
cheat, long 'bones,'suppleness, pto
portion, mako his walk/ and form
pleabirijg to s??. Hq iq. negligent
about) his dress, but his clothes bo?
cearle kim and'.never disparage him:
People have told me that ho wore
lino clothes; but, when questioned
to thc -point of re-examination, ad?
mitted that ho had nothing on but a
Woolen blouse and trousers and a
black, wide-brimmed, stilt woolen hat.
To seo this trim youth, ns bu ap?
pears whenever Been on the high roads
or the piney forost by-path, or ns'often
at railway stations of Moss Neck,
Eureka, Bole's store or Ked Hank, is
to seo young?Mars bearing about an
arsenal. His equipment might ap?
pear preposterous, if wo do not con?
sider tho peculiar circumstances of
his Warfare-outlawed by the State
of North Carolina, without a reliable
base of supplies, compelled to carry
arms' and charges in them enough
to encounter a large body of men, or
stand a long campaign. A belt
around his waist accommodates fivo
six-barreled revolvers-long shoot?
ers. From thiR belt a shoulder strap
pusses \ip and supports behind, sling,
ing fashion, a Spencer rifle, which
carries eight cartridges, and it is now
goherajly alleged that he lias replaced
this with a Henry rifle, carrying
double the former number of car?
tridges, while, successively,man after
man of tho band, by some mysteri?
ous agency, becomes possessed of a
Spencer rifle. In addition to these
forty or forty-eight charges, Lowrey
carries a l'ong-bladed knife and a
large flask of whiskey-tho latter be
cause he fears to bo poisoned by pro?
miscuous neighborhood drinking.
He can run like a deer, swim, stands
weeks of exposure in the swamps and
forest, walk day and night,:'nud take
sleep by little snatches, which, in a
few days, would tiro out white or ne?
gro. Although a tippler, ho was
never known to bo drunk, a fact not
to bc justly assented bf hts confede?
rates. Brought suddenly, at bay, ho
is observed to wear that light, fiend?
ish, enjoyable smile, which shows a
nature to it? depth a savage, preda?
tory and fond of blood. The war he
has waged for the past nine years,
within a "region of twelve or fifteen
miles sqtiare, against County, State,
Confederate and United States
authorities, alternately or unitedly, ip
justification for tho terror apparent
in tho faces of all the white poople
within thoso limits. Lowroy's band
gives moro concern to tho Carolinae
than did Carlton's Legion ninetj
yoars ago.
"What is the meaning of that?" said
I to "Parson" Sinelair-tho fighting
parson of Lumberton; "how can thil
fellow, with a handful of boys anc
illiterate men, put to flight a society
only recently used to warfare ant
full of accomplished soldiers? Ex
plain it."
"Lowrey," answered Sinclair, "i?
really one of those remarkable oxeen
tivo spirits that arise now and tbei
in a raw community, without advan
tages other than naturo give him
Ho has passions, but no weaknesses
and his ?yo is on every point at once
He has impressed tho whole negr<
! society with his power and influence
They fear and admiro him. He as
j serta his superiority over all thesi
whites just as well. No mau win
stands face to face with him can re
sist his quiet will and assurance am
his searching eye. Without fear
without hope, defying society, bo i
tho only man we have an}' knowledg
of down here who can piny bis part
Upon my word, I believe if ho ha<
lived ages ago, ho would have been ?
William the Conquerer. He remind
me of nobody but Hob Boy."
Thc three natures of white, Indiai
and negro are, however, seen at in
tervals to come forward in this ont
law's nature. The negro trace is ii
Ins lo ve of rudo music. Ho is
banjo player, and when the periodic!1
hunt for bim is done, ho repairs t
some ono of tho huts in Scuuletow
and plays to the dancing of the mu
kitto girls and his companions by lb
hour, his belt of arms unslung an
? thrown at bis feet, tho peaceable pai
of the audienco taking part wit
? mixed wonder, delight and approhei
I sion. Several times his banjo ba
[ nearly betrayed him to his pursuer:
Sheriff MacMillan described bimse
and posse once lying out all night i
' tho swamp and timber around Lou
rey's cabin, to wait for him lo com
forth at daylight. "And," said In
I "that banjo was just everlasting]
I thrumming, ami we could hear iii
laughter and Juba-beatiug nearly Hi
I whole night long."
The licentiousness o? Lowrey
suflicient to bo noticeable, but whi
it-TOver ongugeirhim to the ?r?tatreltm
af Vigilancei and activity, it ids? shown
what may !be traced an some 'degrey
tr>hi?! 'Indian riat?r?^the l&nf?'?f
Wcrn^r?'jls ari nrii?liary' td w?t /.ah#
tiluiyd?}r! Ho biak debauched a hum?
per ?ft his prisoners with the mulatto
girla/oi.ScufSetpwn, and the charma
of these yellow-tinted syrens broke
up tho moraie Of tho late campaign in
force against tho outlaws; while, os
some allege, tlie discovery of the De?
tect! yV landers' plan to cant?re
Low?ey was made by a girl in Low
rey's '.interost, with whom LanderB
spent hia time. Low roy bas said,
and laughed over it, that he devised,
at a critical point in a truco between
tho contending parties, that a bevy
of tho prettiest and frailest beauties
in Scuflletown should como up and bo
introduced to ono of the officers high
in command. After that the Marc
Antony in question had laid down
his sword and gave practical evidence
that thc hostility of races is not so
groat as thc slavery statesmen alleged.
Tho indifference of tho Indian to the
loan of his squaws finds some paral?
lel in Lowrey's tactics. Ho himself
is tho Don Juan of Scuflletown; but
be sloops on his arms, and will go
into tho swamps for weeks Vithout
repining. Women have been em?
ployed to give bini up, but they
either repent, or ho discovors their
purpose by intuitivo sagacity.
Tho white society around him gave
Henry Berry Lowrey a lesson in
self-schooling and sacrifice, so far os
women aro concerned. After thc
murders of Barnes and Harris-of?
fences which some think ought tc
have bron included in tho proclama?
tion of oblivion for offences commit?
ted by both sides befoiro tho wnr-r
Lowroy stood up by tho side oi
Rhody Strong, the most beautiful
mulatto of Scuflletown, to be married
Aware of tho engagement and th(
occasion, the sheriff's posse, wit!
cruel deliberation, surrounded th<
house till the ceremony was over, anc
then rushed in and took the outlawec
husband from the side of his wife
He was removed to Luraberton jail
and then scut still further away t<
Columbus County jail; but he brok
through tho bars, escaped to th<
woods with the irons on bis wrists
and made his way to bis bride
They havo throe children, the frui
of their stolen and rudely-interrupte?
interviews.
As I rode down on the train fron
Shoe Heel to Lumboi t-on, on tho 28tl
of Februar}', tho conductor, Colone
Morrison, came to mo and said: **i
you want to see Henry Berry Low
rey's wife, you can find her in th
forward second class car." She ha*
taken tho train at Bed Banks fo
Moss Neck-points between whic
the whole band of outlaws frequent!
ride on tho freight* trains-and ?
tho latter notable station I saw he
descend with her baby and walk o
down tho road in tho woods and sto
among tho tall pitch-piiies, as if wait
ing for somebody. The baby-th
last heir of outlawry-began to cr
as sho left tho train, and. sho sai<
mother-fashion: "No, no, no,
wouldn't cry, when I had been ?
Rood all day." This woman is tl]
sister of two of the iivo remainir
outlaws, and wife of tho third. Tl
whites call hor, satirically, "tho quee
of Scuflletown ;'' but sho appeared 1
bo a meek, pretty-eyed, rather shrin!
ing girl, of a light color, poorl
dressed. Sho wore many small bra
rings, with cheap red stones in thor
on her small hand, and a dark gre?
plain dress of delaine, which just r
vealed her now black morocco "stor
shoop. A yellowish muslin or cali
hood, with ft long cape, covered h
bead, and thero was nothing bcsii
that I remember, except a shawl
bright colors, much worn. It w
sad enough and prosaic enough to s
this ?imill woman, with her baby
bor arma, currying it along, while t
husband and father, covered with t
blood of fifteen murders, roamed tl
woods and swamps like a Semino
Rhody Lowrey is said to be a co
staut wife, but to follow tho curre
example of Scuflletown. Other p<
sons, thc negroes notably, deny th
A more persevering newspaper cc
respondent might settle the issue.
Mr. Hayes, a Republican, of Sh
Heel, whose knowledge of the Scull
town settlement is very good, a
whoso practical Northern mind is i
likely to bc deceived, told mo tl
Lowrey, among his numerous wai
ings served upon people, stopped o
white man upon the road and sa
"You aro taking advantage of i
circumstances and absence lo
familiar with my family. Now, y
better pack np and get out of t
County." Thc man lost no limo
doing as requested, for Henry Bc:
Lowrey generally warns boforo
kills. In tho mutter of honesty
tho observance of a promiso 01
treaty, tho people most robbed fi
outraged by thin bandit acknowlet
his indian scrupulousness. "I
MncNnir," he said to ono of
white neighbors, whom ho hadrobl
Iwonty time;?, "I waut you to gear
tf?t<T g?" 'to^tir?r???r'^S?r? they
have put my wifjfij J5ai* forno crime
btit behanae she ie'-^fv Wife; tlMt ain't
her1 fault, and they Jctfii't Mfee ?i'???
You people won't WM wWW^S
toy ??ying) abd I h?ke i jgot, Jp:faka it
frora .you; bul) Godfknowft sjie'djike
to soe mo make my :oWn- bread: 'Yon
! go to Lunib?rt on ami tell tbo i sheriff
and County Com^Missioners ?that if
I they don't lot her/ out of that, jail; JU
I retaliate on tho wrtut?, vpmen, of
? Burnt .^womp Towrj^?'p. Scim^- ojt
'thom'shall como lo t?ie swamp with
mo if she is kept in the jail.'becauso
j they can't get mfy" i' xdi
L?wrey then named a point on tho
?rood where he ifould'meet'. MacNair,
and he met him/ instead three miles
nearer Lumber on. Tho feeling, of
terror in tho O mn ty may be under?
stood when, 1 ithout more delay.
Rhody Low rey was set free.
While in th( region sovcr?l per?
sons urged mejto go ottt nnd talk to
Lowrey. Sherrff MacMillan nnd Mr.
Brown, tho soil-in-Iaw of tho mur?
dered Sheriff King-strange as it may
appear for County officers, and 1
mention it to show tho superstition
inspired by thfs brigand-offered to
obtain an interview for me with tho
whole gang, liy sending ont some
member of the Lowrey family to no
gotiate willi .0icm. ' My .' faith' . was,
not equal to theirB, and i declined....
"Do you suppose that fellow would
give ruo a talk?'?' I ?aid ' to Calvin
Black, ? merchant of Shoe Heel.1 "
"Yes, if h? rtmld ^?nltt^ io ?hder
stauct that J#nt. i^teViti?h^:' W<?ro
EAcific; the l?rgt? reward no jv out'fpif
im amounting, for himsolf andipa^y,
tb ,44^?O0O, .taken dead or alive,
makos him apprehensive of assassins-:
tion.i But iffiowerot? promise hot
to injure you, *rou could1 go anywhere .
to seo him -iith perfect impunity';*'
This was g?rerai testimony.
Rev. Mr. MncDiermid, editor of
tho Rote?oman, tho County organ?
who does ilia duty by ubintimidated
denunciation of this outlaw, said:
"Henry Berry Lowrey lins sent mo
word that'I had better be cautious
how I write about him, but I beliovo
that I could go and see him to-day,
for he appr?ci?tes his consequence in
the role bo has assumed." I noticed;
however) that nobody did go to see
him, and I followed that high and
general example.'
Sincie Jefferson Davis' flight and
tho reward put upon his head, there
has $cen no American-probably
none 'previously in all the history of
tho country for Offences at common
hvw-i-who ?has been dignified with the
amount of money offered for Lowrey'a
overtaking. If it should appear in
tho North that this sketch is too
strong, I point to this reward, and to
thje fact that this outlaw has already
m ade a personal and bloody campaign
against society longer than the whole
Revolutionary war. Osceola, or Pow?
ell, (who was an irhmediato mixture of
?Indian and negfo blood, and who
'/fought over a large region,) gave out
after a much shorter space of resist?
ance.
Two things are to bo chronicled in
this man's favor, nnd I make them on
the universal testimony of everybody
in this region. Ho has never com?
mitted arsen or mpe, or offered in?
sults to femalei While entering
private houses nearly every day, his
worst act is to drive tho family into
some one apartment and bar them
there, while the house is coolly and
leisurely ransacked. A few weeks
ago an aged lady, Mrs. MacNeill, and
her daughter, weie shot with duck
shot by somebody taking tho name
of Lowrey's band, doubtless the party
accused; but tho wounding of the
women was not foreseen by tho bri?
gands, and they fired at old MacNeill,
whose family of sins and sons-in-law
had become particularly offensive to
thora. MacNeill ..old rae the circum?
stance?" asfollowi: Ho had been re?
peatedly robbed, his son-in-law, Tay?
lor, killed, his sons ordered to leavo
the country, and now, almost entirely
alone, ho was compelled to do a good
deal of his own catching and to wait
upon himself. Standing by his
smoke-house ono moonlight night, he
saw two men ester tho yard, and one
of them walked straight up to tho
sraokc-houso ebor and bogan to pry
ii open. Parfiy concealed in the
shadow of tho fence, MacNeill cried:
"Who is tba:?"
No answer. Ho repeated tho in?
terrogation, aid the reply was:
"What in tte hell is that of your
business?"
Thc Scotch blood of tho old mon
mounted to Lis face, notwithstanding
his long and not wholly undeserved
misfortunes, and ho went into his
dwelling for his gun. His wife and
daughter besought him not to ven?
turo out, and, on his refusal, followed
him to tho doer. Ho called again:
"Who's that at my smoke-house?"
the answer wai:
"Lowroy's bind, Clod damn you!"
And in ai minite a ehargo of bucjsji
i shot poured h nt tho door, pntti'bg,
as NncN??.l soh, sixteen buckshot in
a place Mo Vigjer than his hat from
tho spcS vlioi! ho was expected to