History of Henderson County, Kentucky, Part 50

Author: Starling, Edmund Lyne, 1864- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Henderson, Ky.
Number of Pages: 892

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.

gens broke and ran, but was overtaken by the Harpes and put to death. These things were stated by the women after Big Harpe's death.

News of these murders spread through the scattered population with rapidity. Stigall returned to find no wife to welcome him, no home to receive him. Distracted with grief and rage he turned his horse's head from the smouldering ruins and repaired to the house of Captain John Leeper, who was one of the most powerful men of his day, and as fearless as powerful. Alarm and excitement pervaded every heart, men assembled at the call of Stigall and Leeper to con- sult and to act. The conclusion was universal that these crimes were the deeds of the Harpes. Large rewards for their heads, dead or alive, had been publicly offered, and the pioneers of the wilderness were determined upon their capture. A company was formed, con- sisting of John Leeper, James Tompkins, Silas Magby, Neville Lind- sey, Matthew Christian, Robert Robertson and the infuriated Moses Stigall. If there were any others, their names have been forgotten. These men, armed with rifles, got on the the trail of the Harpes and overtook them at their camp upon the waters of Pond River.

About a quarter of a mile from camp, the pursuing party saw Little Harpe and a man named Smith, who had been hunting horses in the range, conversing near a branch of water. Little Harpe charged Smith with being a horse thief, and blew in his charger, (a small instrument with which the hunter measures his powder in load- ing his gun). The shrill sound, their usual signal for danger, soon brought Big Harpe to see what was the matter. The pursuing party and Big Harpe arrived at the branch in opposite directions, at nearly the same time. Big Harpe came mounted on a fine gray mare, the property of the murdered Love, which he had appropriated. The pursuers, not doubting the guilt of those whom they had overtaken, without warning fired upon them, badly wounding Smith, but not hit- ting either of the Harpes. Big Harpe was in the act of shooting Smith as those in front among the pursuers fired. He had already cocked his gun and told Smith he must die. But surprised by the volley and by the rushing up of the persons, he reserved his fire, whirled Love's mare around and galloped off to his camp. Little Harpe ran off on foot to a thicket and was not seen afterwards.

On reaching Smith, the pursuers were detained listening to his explanation. He was regarded as an accomplice of the Harpes, but soon demonstrated his innocence and his life was spared. The pur- suers hastened towards the camp and saw Big Harpe hastily saddling

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.

the horses and preparing to take the women off with him. Seeing their rapid approach, he mounted Love's mare, armed with rifle and pistols, and darted off, leaving the women and children to provide for themselves. They were made prisoners, and Magby, a large, fat man, unfitted for the chase, and one other were left to guard them. Love's mare was large and strong and carried the two-hundred weight of her rider, Big Harpe, with much ease, and he seemed to call on her to ex- pend all her strength in his behalf. Tompkins, rather a small man, rode a thorough-bred, full-blooded bay mare of the best Virginia stock, and led in the pursuit. He had chased thieves before, and the only ac- count he gave of one of them was " that he would never steal another horse." Nance, his mare, exhibited both speed and bottom in this race of life or death. The other horses were nothing like equal to Nance or to the Love mare, and their riders being large men, Big Harpe might entertain hopes of escape.

In the first two or three miles, he kept far ahead, no one trailing in sight except Tompkins. There was no difficulty in following through the rich, mellow soil of the wilderness, the tracks made by the horses of Harpe and Tompkins. Leeper was second in the chase and the others followed as rapidly as possible. As the race pro- gressed, Big Harpe drove into a thick forest of large trees upon a creek bottom. Here he was overhauled by Tompkins. Each reined up his foaming steed and stopped. Neither attempted to fire. Tomp- kins told Harpe that escape was impossible and he had better surrender. "Never !" was the quick reply. At that moment Leeper was in sight. Harpe again dashed off at full speed, while Tompkins tarried for Leeper. As soon as he came up he said, "Why didn't you shoot ?" Tompkins replied that his mare was so fiery he could not make a safe shot upon her and he would not fire unless he was sure of execution. Leeper had fired upon the Harpes and Smith at the branch, and finding that his ramrod could not be withdrawn in conse- quence of its having got wet, told Tompkins he could not reload, that his horse was fast failing, and that Harpe would escape unless " Nance " could catch him. Tompkins replied, " that she could run over Harpe's mare on any part of the ground." Leeper said, "Let's exchange horses and give me your gun and shot pouch and I'll bring him down if I can overtake him." They dismounted and exchanged horses and arms and Leeper dashed forward after Big Harpe. The noble mare proved her ability to " run over him upon any part of the ground."

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY KY.

Leeper crossed the creek and after passing through the thick, tall trees in the bottom, came in sight of the fleeing Harpe as he reached higher ground with its prairie grass and scattered trees. The gray mare (not) the better horse, Nance gradually gained upon her. When Leeper got up within thirty yards, Harpe warned him " to stand off or he would kill him." Leeper replied, " One of us has to die, and the hardest fend off."

As the woods became more open and interposed fewer obstruc- tions, Leeper thought he had a good chance. Suddenly putting " Nance " to her full speed, he rushed up within ten steps of Harpe, threw his leg over the mane, and the bridle over Nance's head and jumped to the ground, took aim and fired. Harpe reined up, turned, presented his gun, and it snapped-all without dismounting. Leeper afterwards said : " If Harpes' gun had not snapped, the ball would not have passed within twenty yards of me, so badly was it aimed." Harpe then threw the gun down, wheeled the gray mare and pushed on his course. From these circumstances Leeper knew he had hit him. He caught and remounted Nance and soon overtook Harpe, who told him to keep off or he would shoot him with a pistol. In a few seconds Harpe ceased to urge the gray mare forward and put both his hands to the pommel of the saddle to hold on. Leeper rushed alongside and threw him to the ground. Two balls had entered near the back bone and came out near the breast bone, Harpe begged that he might be taken to justice and not be put to instant death. Leeper told him that his request was useless ; that his wound was fatal and he must soon die.

He then asked for a drink of water. Leeper walked away to a branch close by, and, taking off one of his shoes, filled it with water and started on his return to the wounded outlaw. At this time James Tompkins, Stigall, and others, dashed up, and, without ceremony, Stigall dismounted, drew his knife, and severed Big Harpe's head from the body; and thus perished the most brutal of all brutal mon- sters. A tall young tree, growing by the side of the trail, or road, was selected, and trimmed of its lateral branches to the top, and then pointed. On this point the head was fastened, the skull and jaw bones remaining there for many years, after all else had mingled with the dust. Near by stood a large tree in which was plainly cut the initials of the dead outlaw, "U. H.," which were plainly visible up to a few years since. The place where this tree grew is in the present_County of Webster, at the intersection of the Henderson and Morganfield and Madisonville roads.

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.

It will be remembered that the three Harpe women were left at the camp, prisoners, in charge of two of the Leeper party. Immedi- ately after the killing of Big Harpe the women, with their children (each woman had a young child), were brought to the town of Hen- derson and confined in the little log dungeon, then located on the river bank, near the present bridge.

On the fourth day of September, 1799, a Court of Quarter Ses- sions was called for the examination of Susanna and Sally Harpe and Betsey Roberts, committed as parties to the murder of Mrs. Stigall, James Stigall, an infant, and William Love, a school teacher, on the twentieth day of August. The trial was held by Justices Samuel Hop- kins and Abram Landers. They were found guilty and remanded to jail. Subsequently the women were taken, under order of the Court, by Andrew Rowan, Sheriff, and Amos Kuykendall, John Standley, Green Massey, Nevil Lindsay and Gibson Harden, to Russellville, Ky., there to await the action of the Grand Jury. They were tried at Russellville and cleared.

Nothing is known of the after life of Big Harpe's two wives, but the wife of Little Harpe, who was represented as being a young wo- man of great beauty, married a highly respectable man in Tennessee, and raised a large family of children, all esteemed for sobriety, hon- esty and industry. The name of the gentleman has ever been with- held, because a silly world might take occasion to reflect upon the children, in consequence of the mother's connection with the Harpes. Little Harpe escaped to Mississippi and was there hung for his devil- ment.

Moses Stigall, whose wife was killed by the Harpes, turned out to be himself a bad man. In less than one year after the murder of his wife and child he was married to Ellen Vane, and a short time after was himself killed for aiding Joshua Fleehart in running away with a Miss Maddox. Peak Fletcher and a brother of the young woman pur- sued the runaways and overtook them in the Territory of Illinois. They were found at night in a log cabin, which was cautiously and si- lently approached, and at a given signal Fletcher and Maddox fired through the chinks of the cabin and killed both Fleehart and Stigall. Miss Maddox was sitting at the time in the lap of her lover, with an arm around his neck.

On December 16th, 1799, by an Act of the Legislature of Ken- tucky, the reward of $300, offered by the Governor for the capture of the Harpes, was allowed to John Leeper, and thus ends the brief his- tory of two of the boldest and most noted freebooters who have ever cursed America.

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.

HENDERSON'S STEAMBOAT INTERESTS.

THE LOUISVILLE AND HENDERSON PACKET COMPANY was organ- ized in 1843 by the Lodwick Brothers. The Gallant, a medium sized side-wheeler, with single engines, one hundred and fifty feet long, being the first boat in the trade, It was in the employ of this company, and on this boat Captain W. W. Huston, of this city, commenced his river life. This steamer was soon followed by the Fawn, a very fast, single engine boat. Captain Huston served in the office of this boat. The Fawn burned a short time after. The Mayflower was then placed in the trade, Capt. George W. Wick, now a large tobacco dealer of Louisville, Commander. She was followed by the James Pitcher, a small, double engined side-wheeler. The Pitcher was burned. In 1846, Capt. Paxton placed the Meteor in the trade, and she was followed in 1847 by the Hibernia. He then purchased the Atlantis and ran her in connection with the Hibernia. These boats were taken out of the trade and the Clipper, a side-wheel, double-en- gine steamer, substituted. She was commanded by Capt. Joe Bunce, of Henderson, with Captain Huston in the office. She was followed by the Swallow, then the Cornelia, until 1848, when the Atlantis was brought back again. This boat was withdrawn and the Mary Stevens took her place until 1850, when another Clipper took her place. The Herman took the place of the Clipper, and on one of her trips was run into by the Ironton just around the upper bend, and was badly crippled. Hon. John C. Atkinson, Wm. T. Barret and James Wilson were passengers on the Herman at that time. The Van Leer took the place of the Herman and sunk in her second trip at the mouth of Salt River, proving a total loss. The Farmer was then chartered until the New Fawn was completed. She took her place in the Henderson trade and continued for some time. In 1854, the owners of the Fawn contracted for the building of the Rainbow. This steamer was noted for her speed. She measured horns with the largest and best boats and was. never defeated. She entered

the trade in the fall of 1854. In 1856 she entered the New Orleans trade and was burned on the twenty-second day of November, 1857, at Alexander's woodyard, ten miles above Na- poleon, Arkansas, with great loss of life and property. She made the run from Henderson to Evansville in fifty-two minutes, the fastest, perhaps, on record, with the exception of the famous Robt. E. Lee. Since that time the Little Grey Eagle, Big Grey Eagle, Tishomingo, Sciota and Eugene have run in the Henderson trade. During the

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early part of the war, the Tarascon and Morning Star were built. The present James Guthrie took the place of the Tarascon, then the Grey Eagle. There are three boats in the line at this time : James Guthrie, Rainbow and City of Owensboro.

HENDERSON AND EVANSVILLE .- During the year 1868, Captains C. G. Perkins and S. H. Lambert purchased the little steamboat Newsboy, a speedy, little stern-wheeler, and ran her between this city and Evansville, making daily trips. Prior to that time there had been other boats, and during the days of the Newsboy there was opposition, but it finally succumbed to the inevitable. Cap- tain Perkins soon became sole owner, and finding the trade increas- ing and demanding a larger and better boat, he purchased the side- wheel steamer, Mollie Norton. A short time after her purchase, a partnership was formed between Captains A. O. Durland and C. G. Perkins, under the name of Durland & Perkins. A short time subse- quent to this partnership a contract was entered into by and between Durland & Perkins and the St. Louis and Southeastern Railroad for transferring freight and passenger cars by water from Henderson to Evansville and vice versa. The Norton was then sold, and the towboat Leclaire No. 2 and one or two railway barges were purchased, and by this means the cars were transferred. Notwithstanding the pecuniary success attending this enterprise, Durland & Perkins seemed singularly fated. In 1869 the LeClaire was cut down by the ice and proved a loss. The Maggie Smith was then purchased and was employed in the line until the winter of 1882, when she was lost in the ice. The Belmont was purchased and ran until that ill- fated day in August, 1884, a day that cast more gloom over Hender- son than had ever been known before, or has been known since. It was on Thursday, the 29th day of August, a terrific hurricane swept over Henderson, unroofing houses and tearing up by their roots trees as though they were tinder wood. At the head of the Upper Island, and in view of the city, the storm was even greater, and when at its full height, caught the Belmont with barge in tow, capsizing her near mid- river. There were a number of passengers in the cabin of the boat, as well as in the cars on the barge. All of the passengers, with perhaps one or two exceptions, who were in the cabin became victims to the merciless waters, Mrs. Lyon and two daughters, of Evansville, Mrs. Murray and infant child, and her sister, and Captain John Smith among the number. The railway barge drifted to the Kentucky shore and the passengers were all soon ashore. The Jennie Camp- bell and Iron Cliff were purchased and both ran in the trade up to the

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY KY.

completion of the bridge, when the contract with Durland & Per kins expired. The Jennie Campbell since that time has continued to make tri-daily trips between the two cities and is a great convenience. Notwithstanding the heavy losses sustained by the packet firm, they have amassed a handsome fortune.

SINKING OF THE MAJOR BARBOUR .- The Barbour was a small but very fast side-wheel boat running in the Louisville, Henderson & Bowling Green Packet trade. The greater part of her stock was owned in Henderson, and three Henderson gentlemen, namely Cap- tain Harry I Spotts, Commander, Henry Lyne, First Clerk, and Alney M. Allison, Second Clerk, were the officers in charge. In going up the river before daylight on the third day of February, 1848, she was run into by the steamer Paul Jones and sunk. There were no whistles in those days, and the signals for passing were given by a certain number of bell taps. On this fated morning the Barbour in rounding out from Cannelton, through a mistake in the signals was struck broadside by the Jones. The Barbour had coaled at Cannel- ton and this great weight was piled on the forecastle of the boat. When struck, the water rushed in and the weight caused the boat to careen. Mr. George Lyne and Miss Lucie Allison, of Henderson, were passengers en route to Louisville. Alney Allison, when the shock came, rushed to his sister's room and with her ran to the front of the boat and jumped to the lower deck, and swam with his sister to the Jones, assisted by Henry Lyne, He returned to the Barbour and was drawn by the current through the hatch into the hull of the boat and was lost. Capt. Spotts and George Lyne swam through the cold water to the nearest shore. When it was discovered that young Alney Allison was lost, the distress manifested was truly painful. He was a son of William D. Allison and one of the most promising young men of his day. His death cast a gloom over the town never equaled prior to that time. His remains were recovered and buried in the Henderson Cemetery. The heroic gallantry of Henry Lyne was the subject of comment for many years after the sad occurrence.

SUICIDES.

The year 1852, it seems, was fraught with suicides. Reuben Denton hung himself, June 9th. On the seventeenth day of August, the Misses Harriet Ann and Martha Carson Mintner, suicided by drowning in the Ohio River, near the foot of Fifth Street. This was one of the saddest determinations ever known to the town.

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.

These young ladies were sisters, devotedly attached to each other, and lived in a log house, near the present residence of Colonel Jackson McClain. The story, as told at the time, was about as fol- lows : One of the girls was desperately in love with a young man of the town, and believed that her love was reciprocated. Time passed on, and she found, to her sorrow, that the one in whom she had con- fided was no more than a volatile deceiver. With a broken heart she determined upon the destruction of her life. She persuaded her sis- ter to accompany her to the river, ostensibly for amusement, but, in fact, to commit suicide. Out from the shore several feet was a stump, whose surface protruded above the water some six inches, and near the water's edge was a long plank. At the suggestion of the desper- ate girl, the plank was extended from the shore to the stump, and the two walked out to the stump. While standing there, the crazed girl · suggested to her sister that they tie their hands together and then plunge into the water. To this proposition the sister readily assented, and in a few moments more the hands of the two were safely bound by a handkerchief. After being tied, the awful reality became mani- fest, and the silly young girl who had submitted to the entreaties of a crazed sister, begged piteously to be released; but no, the suicide leaped, taking her sister with her, and in but a moment more both lay at the river's bottom, dead, dead. Parties on the bank witnessed this, but never once dreamed of its being a reality until too late. Messrs. John C. Stapp and John McBride, who were expert swim- mers, hearing of the sad catastrophe, ran to the place, and, by div- ing. soon recovered the bodies.

On the twenty-first day of August, Miss Cynthia Majers suicided by hanging herself.

Dr. A. J. Morrison suicided on June 19th, 1859, while a prisoner in the county jail. This was a most distressing instance of the de- pravity of man. Dr. Morrison, for a number of years, was highly esteemed as a gentleman and practitioner, his practice aggregating, perhaps, double that of. any of his compeers. In addition to this, he had married into one of the leading and influential families of the town. In social life, as in professional, he was everywhere welcomed. He was more of a leader than otherwise, and his credit and veracity stood unimpeached. Now, then, we come to the downfall and sui- cide of one who, prior to his unfortunate step, was regarded in every way the equal of any citizen of the place. It is a horrible story to be told, and I shall be as brief as possible. Eight months or more prior to his death, Mr. Barak Brashear caused the indictment and arrest of

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HISTORY OF HENDERSON COUNTY, KY.

Dr. Morrison upon the charge of having fraudulently raised a note due him by Morrison. The two had had a settlement, leaving a bal- ance due Morrison for which Brashear gave his note. This note was raised to a higher sum, and, when presented for payment, the fraud was quickly and easily detected. Morrison was arrested and gave bond. At the meeting of the next Circuit Court, John E. Arnold, of Madisonville, then Commonwealths Attorney, came to Henderson and put up at the Hancock House. Morrison, in a fit of insanity, as very many believed at the time, imagined that if he could make away with Arnold his liberty would be assured. To this end, therefore, he con- cocted a plan to poison Arnold. He employed, as he thought, a ser-

vant waiter at the hotel to carry out his hellish work, but, un- fortunately for Morrison, the servant formerly belonged to Arnold, and was devotedly attached to him. Relying upon this boy, Mor- rison gave him a poisonous powder, with directions to drop it into Arnold's cup of coffee. The boy consented and Morrison watched with keen eyes the hoped for fatal result. Arnold drank his coffee, and, having been posted by the servant, feigned sick- ness, but was not enough so 'to satisfy his would-be slayer. On the afternoon of the same day he determined to administer a double dose and to bring to his service a more deadly poison. He procured the ingredients and went to his room in the hotel to pre- pare a dose for his victim. During this time the matter was kept a profound secret by Arnold, no one knowing anything of it save him- self, the negro boy, and Captain William Quinn, who had been em- ployed as a detective.

When Morrison had gone for the medicine, Quinn took an ad- joining room, and, cutting a hole through the ceiling, was soon over Morrison's room ; he then, by means of a sharp instrument, pierced a small opening through which he could see into Morrison's room. In the meantime, the negro boy had been notified to attend the doctor and do as bid by him. This the negro did to perfection. Soon after Quinn had secreted himself the doctor entered his room, and upon the bottom of a wash bowl mixed his powders, which he gave to the negro with instructions how to use them. Quinn not only witnessed his movements but heard his conversation. He then returned from his hiding place to his room and awaited the coming of the negro. Soon he arrived and was arrested-as it was understood-his body searched, and the powders found. Upon this, then, there were no more secrets, and Morrison's bondsmen surrendered him to the au- thorities. He was immediately arrested and placed in the county

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jail. Finding his plot discovered, and that the evidence was positive against him, he seemed to go raving mad. He became violent and very offensive in the use of his language. His trial was to have taken place on the following Monday, but it did not. On Sunday morning, June 19th, 1859, a bright, beautiful morning, when Jailer Brown en- tered the room in which he slept the night before, there lay the un- fortunate man, apparently lifeless, his face pale and eyes sunken. Underneath his cot was a great pool of blood, and, upon examination, it was discovered that, by the use of a piece of glass broken from a small mirror in the room, he had severed the main artery of his leg and had bled beyond recovery. He soon after died. Harrison, the negro boy, who had proven faithful to his former master, was handsomely rewarded, and thus terminated a tragedy which at the time almost paralyzed the town.

J. Elmus Denton .- During the official term as Jailer of Mr. Den- ton, in December, 1875, the inmates of the jail effected their escape, and this so preyed upon his mind that he shot himself. A sketch of this suicide will be found in the County History.

There have been other, in fact, many suicides in this county, but none of them, of which I know, were attended by such exciting sur- roundings as to entitle them to historical mention.

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History of Henderson County, Kentucky, Part 50

Author: Starling, Edmund Lyne, 1864- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1887 Publisher: Henderson, Ky. Number of Pages: 892

Author: Starling, Edmund Lyne, 1864- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Henderson, Ky.
Number of Pages: 892