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‘ Then
CHICAGO
LEDGER
Continuing a Story of the Drarndtic Days of Slavery
in thae‘Dell oi the liackais
CHAPTER IV.
H-A-T-E. '
TEWART felt his senses reel. It
S w s a moment before he gained.
control of himself. He knew that
this man beside him-if he were indeed
John Murrell, and he had no reason to
doubt the fact. was capable ol any-
thing. Stewart's pockets were stuffed
with the gold and greenbacks that this
very creature had paid to him. e had
heard of lllurreil's committing murder
on,the high road for a much smaller
s .
But Stewart did not hesitate to take
the hand that was offered him.
“I am John Murrell,” repeated the
other. “But you see for yourself that I
am not the creature that my enemies
paint me. u see I have treated you
well. Those slaves I sold you had run
away from cruel masters, and I sold
them to you because I believed you
were a good man and would take them
to Georgia where they could be happy.
when you brought them up the
river I saw what trouble it would cause
you and them and I followed. Oh, I
admit my action was not altogether un-
selnsh. You had made a good impres-
sion on Talliaferro and me. e saw
that you were a young man of pluck
and enterprise and wanted you in our
clan. Stewart; it's hardly ever I feel
drawn toward a. man. but I did toward
you from the very first." ‘
As a matter of fact it had been noised
about New Orleans that this oung
Georgian had a world f ready cash
that he had just inherited. It was this .
more than anything else that caused
Murrell to “drawn" towardhl-ll; al-
lho lllurrell wasactually attracted to
young Stewart, explain it how you w .
“ u are leaving the neighborhood?"
asked Murrell after 3., ause.
“Yes, probably lor good. I directed
Jeems to sell my ex teams, wagons and
other plunder-‘some days ago, and he
turned me in the money yesterday. I
-will nrobably return to Georgia."
"Well, I'm leaving, too," said Iilurrell.
resses, where it was already night,
Stewart felt in quaim of real fear. lie
new that
straw should he happen to anger this
creature.
"I'm a lonely man," said Murrell. “I
have many followers bu few bosom
friends-in tact, none. Instantly I saw
you was drawn to you. I'm not 9.
good men, I never had a chance to be.
When I was a. mere boy I was put in
Jail for a. crime I didn't commit. Vvhlle
you were in college I was in the peni-
tentiary. There I studied in my cell and
arned a uni of law medicine and
N;
While liiurreli talked on in his whin-
ing, self-pitying tone. Stewart was con-
sidering how he mig
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took advantage of the blackness to‘slip
small tlerringer into his right coat
Docket where he could easily put his
hands on .
32
But Murrcll had no evil designs what-.
ever against his young companion. lie
was telling the truth when he said he
helped numerous slaves to escape. They
'reached the tavern in time; for it late
supper of wild turkey, honey nnd john-
nycake, and sat long at the table with
at jug of fiery apple brandy between
them. As the liquor loosened )Iurrell's
tongue he presently began to boast of
the crimes committed. and
bragged that he could produce aservile
uprising in six states on a lorty-eight-
hours’ notice. He stated to Stewart that
h
e was in need of a first lieutenant and’
wanted to honor him with the place.
"Talliaferro is a right," he hic-
coughed-he pronounced ,it , Tollver-
"but he's.too d-n tender-hearted. e
wants the blncks to have their freedom,
but he don't want them to kill any of
. “ Se’
r’-:-.-.--
-S‘
If Tnlllnferro Had Not struck Down
- Plunges! the Kn
"I told-Ilcmmenwaywhat I was going‘
to look for lucxaughton. but you know
McNaughton is merely a name. Come
h me to Finley‘s Tavern. It's only
about twelve miles north of here. Fin-
ley‘s 3 good fellow. In fact. he's one
of us. on know how many organ-
ized followers I have? More than three
thousand. n six months I will have
twenty thousand white followers. Then
we’ll' see who's boss in this country’-"
A3 they rode on under the dark cy-
lllu Arm. He “'oul<l Certainly Have
in into wruun, >
the Whites to get it. As far as I'm
concerned I'll be glad to see old Pompey
drive an ax into the‘ back of such an
old arlstocrnt as Colonel ilemmenwn)’.
nn ' I
"Time you was turnln in. Caun Mur-
“Mr. Stewart.
We ain't noways plcayunlsh with mem-
bers o’ the clan, an‘ I onderstand Y0“ '9
n new-made member. ‘
y Augustin Breeden
................................................................................,.
m....................
3' The First Itstallment Cleverly‘Condensed
Away back in the '30s. nearly three decades before the Civil War. when
the abolitionist was begirln
and slaves ol the South were flndln
North-and Canada.
nu; to make
himself heard lhruout (Ills land.
g ways and means to escape to the
IIOIIACE s'rr:u'An'r. an aristocratic young Georgian, bought a wilder-
the idea. of setting up a “barony"-n
plantation-of his own. a
fathers had done before him in his native state. His even dozen of slaves
were bought at a bargain. of a Scrip
ture-quoting gentleman nam
e .
ALLISON. wholunderstood from Stewart that the blacks, who had been
previously sold “down-river," were 1
western Tennessee. Upon his arrival
his other chattels. Stewart was ama
o be taken to Georgia, instead of to
in the latter State with his slaves and
red to learn that all of the negroes
who had not escaped during the river trip north. had previously escaped
from the plantation o
LOSIJL l.IlJ!l)lE.V“'AT, who
to a quarrel between the two hot-b
shot in an attempt to drag the Colone
immediately claimed them. This led
looded Southerners and Stewart was
i from his horse. The young Georgian
was carried into llemmenway Hall and nursed back to health b
ELIZA IIETII HEM“ I-IN l"A Y, the
Colonel's beautiful daughter. In due
time the Colonel apologized for his hasty.act and was promptly forgiven
by the chivalrous Georgian. But whe
he was treated very coldly by lather
for their strange and sudden disoou
n Stewart came to take his departure.
and daughter. with no reasons given
rtesy. Allison, the slave dealer, had
turned up at Hemmenu'ay's on the day of the quarrel. and on learning of‘
the Colonel's claim to Stewart’: slaves had refunded the $5.000 the young .
‘ man had paid for them. The slave dealer assured Stewart that
SSAINT TALLLIFEHILO. 3
who had vouched for Allison in the
man who had a sister name
young Creole of priestly appearance
slave deal, was an honorable gentle-
.VIAYliuY, also a Creole and a girl of wonderful beauty. On their way
thru the wilderness trails, alter lesvi
brought up the name of
JOHN NIIJIIRELL, known to Ste
dealer. abolitionist, clansman chief.
ng Ilemrnenway llail together. Allison
wart us 8. bold “slave-runner." slave
continuous law-breaker and brulal
slayer of men-white and block. with $5.000 on his person Stewart had '
hislqualms about traveling in Allison's company. As they rode along
‘son assured Stewart that John Iliurr
been grossly maligned by his arislo
Alli-‘
ell was a respectable citizen who had
cratic enemies, the slave-holders. At
a dark spot in the woods Allison suddenly checked his horse and invited.
Stewart to Join lllurrell's clan, a. s
ecret organization set on freeing all
slaves. tinisl-ling by saying, "I am John Murrell!"
As Stewart lay on his bed. lully
dressed, wide-‘eyed and alert. he re-
wed the affairs of the day. It was
plain to him now that John Murrell had
caused the trouble at lIemmenwsy's.
There was no telling what an unspeak-
able lie he had told. It made his heart
bleed now to think of poor. sweet Eliz-
abeth: lor,no doubt she was suHering
as muchxfrom their sudden separation
as he was.‘ it made the gallant young
Georgian shudder to think of the mis-
chief Murrell was planning. He thought
of the fate of such as Elizabeth should‘
any risk in order to learn their secrets
and at the right moment
whole murderous band to Justice. .
e lay there musing he did
not know, but finally he heard the sound
of galloping horses. and. peeping thru
the slats of the window shutter he saw
two men rise up in the light of a newly
risen moon.
"Ahoy. thar, Finley!" called one of the
two. whom Stewart thought he recog-
nize as Tom lvrenn, the villainous
steamboat mate. ,
‘l’ at‘s- wanted?" called Finley in a
cautious tone.
"lllt‘s Torn Wrenn an’ Joe Copeland."
called the mate. “Per'aps you've l-learn
tell of us? We're two of John lilurrell's
right-hand men."
“The ll‘ you sa " said Finley.
"A-men to that.’ spoke up Copeland
apropos of nothing at all,- He length-
ened out the A and cut the syllable
short. '
“W ll, come in and have something to
drink," said Finley. "We 1: offer you
r en."
Again
all the stress on the nrst syllable and
slurred the secon
while they were going thru with this
Jargon Finley was advdncln to meet
the night riders. They met well out in
front of the tavern and Stewart saw
that Finley was telling them something’
confidential, And saw the two of them
glance up at the shutter thru which he
was peeping. lie tiploed back and by a
ray of moonlight examined the priming
on both his derringer and his horse pistol.
Ills mind was busy figuring out the sig-
nificance of the Jargon they had uttered.
It was plainly their countcrsign.
in a flash it came to him. No back-
woodsman would say I! when he meant
hell, therefore the letter was Ii.
‘Copeland had fairly shouted the A and
the E. He thought for a moment. The
third letter of the word was . H A T
Such was the password. Wcli, he would
remember it. lt might save his life
some time. .
Stewart had little time to meditate
the meaning of this fateful word, for he
had hardly looked to is firearms when
Dered. '
the earnestness of a prayer. The stealthy
stcp came nearer and nearer and entered
‘Editor’: NolerCnmlnnd wmn banged
for murder in lllluiulppl your-I ulter-
Iur . ’ .
Copeland put’
the upper hallway and approached his
door 2. loot or two at a Finally it
ceased its advance belore his door.
Stewart stood so close to the door that
he could hear a man's suppressed breath-
ing on the other side. no thought of
his five thousand in gold and bills an
breathed a fervent prayer for life. Thu
step finally retreated. however: but. after
what seemed an interminable timc. Stew-
art was conscious that two people In-
‘ stead of one had approached his door.
This time he felt their presence rather
than heard their approach. Had these
men come at last to dispatch and rob
him?” And where was )lurreil'! Stewart
felt sure that the leader of the clan was
0 longer under this roof. lvhere could
he be? n as used to strong drin
as he would have soon slept off the el-
lect of ma brandy. Had be gone
and sent lllese villains here?
not. as they had seemed surprised when
Finley had told them of his presence.
Stewart resolved upon I bold course.
He. too. would pose as Murrelrs right-
hnnd man. llnd not hiurrell himself in-
vited him to become his first lieutenant?
lie would give them the am letter of the
mystic word-HATE-and see how the!
accepted it.
"What the H are you doing out there?"
he demanded suddenly. grasping his wea-
pon c little more firm .
"A man has a right to stand In a hell
i he wants to. don’t he?" came back
Copeland's answer after some hesitation.
k npplt-Jack
n
"E-nouzh said," cried Wrenn. "You're
right. Open
the door, Stewart, nnd let's have 3. little
0 kn w me: I'm Tom “Freon,
that was first mate on the Cairo."
"Yes. I know you." replied Stewart.
"Come round in the morning and I'll
I'm sleepy now and I'm
going to bed."
"Well. that’: cool from la. fellow claps-
’man," complained Wrenn. " e c
even open your door.
ace Stewart, open this door In the name
of the clan. I‘m one of Murreil's lieu-
tenants. and I comman .
“I am Captnin'Murrcll's first lieuten-
ant." replicd Stewart. ‘'1 aka no orders
except from the captain himself.
"ll ell, then, coward, keep your door
closed." sneered Copeland. "Quit trem-
bling now and uncock your pistol and
say your little llhnyers and go to sleep.
“'2 ain't going to hurt you. “'e just
wanted to give you a , little scare-
Tallia-Tnllia "
"Ferro." shouted Stewart upon an in-
spirnlion. .
They had both pronounced the name
just as it is spelled.
"lie e's .to Toussnint Tnllialorro.“
shouted the young Georgian. "the great-
est man in the world after Captain John
blurrell. You all may drink his success
in nvplejnck when you get your own
pistols uncoc e . , ‘ ,
llcre then was another password, or
so Stewart guessed it to be. He heard
wmm chuckling wickedly as he and
(Continued on Page 20.)