Since 1802, many robberies have been committed under circumstances which

strongly indicate that such a band existed. Public agents, and other

highly respectable citizens, have been robbed of funds which they held

in trust, and no trace of the robbers could be found, and no curiosity

seemed to be excited by the fact. Sometimes the person robbed shared in

the spoils, and sometimes they were innocent; and it has sometimes

happened that the innocent man was suspected. The honest citizens of

Lawrenceburgh have, for forty years, known what a curse it is to have

bad neighbours.

During the excitement occasioned by my lectures above mentioned, a

resident of Lawrenceburgh related the following incident, which is only

one among many which might be named to show the nature of the

transactions in which these men engaged, and their facilities for

carrying them out. I will give it as nearly as I can recollect in his

own words:

"During the year 1832, a stranger came into the town of Lawrenceburgh,

and for several days was noticed in the public places watching every one

who passed, as if looking for some one. At length he came to me, and

told me that he wished my assistance in the business on which he came,

but that it would be necessary to keep the matter secret. I answered,

that if it were proper, I had no objections to secrecy. He then related

the following facts as introductory to his business.

"He resided in Ohio; some eighteen months previous a friend had been

induced to purchase a large drove of hogs for the market; he made the

purchase on credit, with a promise to pay when he returned. While he was

preparing to start, Daniel and James Brown bargained and contracted for

them, to be delivered at a certain landing on Lake Erie, at a certain

day, at which place and time they promised to meet and pay him. He

gathered his drove, and proceeded to the landing, where he arrived

several days before the time appointed. He was there met by some men,

who told him that Brown had been there, and left word for him to drive

the hogs to a landing two or three days' journey further on, where he

had made arrangements to butcher and pack them. He went as directed; he

found neither of the Browns there, but found the men who had directed

him before; they informed him that they had orders to commence killing

and packing the hogs, and that Mr. Brown would be there that day, or

the next. He consented, and the hogs were killed and packed. A merchant

at the landing advanced money to pay the man, and also furnished salt,

and barrels on credit. On the day that all was finished, the two Browns

arrived, bringing with them another large drove. They pretended to be

very much surprised to find our friend there, and much more so to find

the hogs butchered. They declared that they had not bargained for the

slaughter of the hogs, and that they contracted for them in another

place, and would have nothing to do with them here; that he had broken

his contract, and they should demand heavy damages. He sought for the

men who had directed him hither, but they had dispersed as soon as paid,

and no trace of them was to be found. He told the Browns how he had been

deceived, but they denied all knowledge of the affair, and again talked

of damages. The merchant then presented his bill for supplies, and money

advanced to butchers and packers. Our friend not having the money, he

seized on the pork. What could he do? The case was desperate. He had

bought on credit; would his pitiful story satisfy his creditors? His

character was ruined. You may imagine the state of his mind. At this

crisis, the Messrs. Brown took him aside, and told him that since he was

in difficulty, they were willing to befriend him, and to show him how he

could soon make money enough to pay off his creditors. An oath of

secrecy was required and given. They then offered to settle the

merchant's bills, which were very extravagant, and pay him for the pork

in counterfeit money, at twenty per cent., with which he was to buy

stock through the country. In his despair, he consented; a few days

after he was detected, arrested, and tried, under a false name, and

condemned to the Ohio penitentiary. His friends, remaining entirely

ignorant of his fate, began to suspect foul play. The Messrs. Brown

effected his pardon, and hurried him away; but not before he had

contrived to make known his story, and the fact that he was under

restraint among a band of bad men, and that he could not escape without

assistance. He was never heard of more.

"The stranger gave me his address, and requested that I would keep an

eye upon the people who should come there, and if I should see the

Browns, or hear of his unfortunate friend, that I should let him know.

He had visited Lawrenceburgh, because that was the former residence of

these two men, and he hoped to see them; but being disappointed, he was

compelled to go back to the family of the lost neighbour without having

received any intelligence of his fate."

The reader will have seen by this time, that, probably, the whole

transaction was arranged before the man bought the first hoof of that

drove of hogs. Some emissary of the Browns advised him to speculate in

pork; to use his credit, which was good, and he did not see the Browns

till he was preparing to start. They make him liberal offers, because

they never intend to pay, and it matters little what they offer. He then

sends some of the meaner members of the gang to the landing, to order

him a few days' journey further, and there they meet him again, and

butcher, and pack the hogs. They are well paid for their villany by the

job, which they take care to make a fat one. The merchant was paid for

his part of the rascality by the profit on his stores, and perhaps by a

bonus out of the money advanced. They then thought that if they could

implicate him in any unlawful business, he would tell no tales about

them; accordingly, they entice him, or rather drive him to the

counterfeit trade. But conscience makes bad men cowards, and they felt

uneasy, so, by means of some of the band, they have him arrested; the

proof is so positive that he must be convicted, and the poor fellow was

thrown into the penitentiary. But even here they did not consider him

safe, although under a false name; so, through the influence of some of

the _aristocracy_, they get him pardoned; and then the moment he is

free, they meet him, tell him of all they have done for him, and propose

a new scene of action. Poor fellow, what can he do? He goes with them to

this new scene of action, but in all probability he finds it a state of

_rest_, for "dead men tell no tales."

Thus, for the paltry price of a drove of hogs, was an honest man ruined,

and, for fear of detection, murdered.

CHAPTER XII.

Probably in no era of the world, and certainly never among a Christian

people, was there formed a more bold, daring, and, at the same time,

secret association, than the one whose constitution and by-laws we now

present to the reader. Composed of men of all classes and grades in

society, from the priest at the altar, the judge on the bench, the

lawyer at the bar, down to the most common felon and street thief or

pickpocket, all bound together by a solemn oath, they laboured for the

general cause of secret plunder, to the enriching of themselves at the

expense of the mass. But having previously shown how I procured my

information regarding these desperadoes, I shall leave farther comment

on their acts, for the present, to the public, before whose tribunal

they must be arraigned, and proceed at once to present their

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS.

_Hanging Rock, Western District of Virginia,

July 12, 1798._

SECTION I.--_Art. 1._ This society shall be known by the name of the

SECRET BAND OF BROTHERS.

_Art. 2._ It shall be governed by brethren who have become prominent by

their many valiant deeds for the promotion of the society.

_Art. 3._ The officers of this society shall be known as Grand Masters,

and shall be duly authorized, by this constitution, to initiate, as

members of this society, any male or female, who comes well and duly

recommended by a brother, in good standing, as having served the

probation which this constitution requires.

_Art. 4._ It shall be the duty of a brother, before he gives the

applicant information who the Band of Brothers are, to take him on

probation three months, during which time he shall notify the Grand

Master, that at such a date he will introduce the person, on probation,

for initiation.

_Art. 5._ It shall be the duty of the Grand Master to notify all the

Brotherhood, so far as he has it in his power, that such an individual

will pray for the privilege of becoming a member of the Honourable

Brotherhood, at such a date; and to likewise apprize them of the duty

set apart, so far as in the power of each member, to carefully scan the

motives of the said candidate, and, if they can ascertain by word, deed

or action, that the candidate is not a fit person to become a member, to

convey the same to the brother who recommended him, and the same must,

in all cases, apprize the Worthy Grand what has been said against, and

in favour of the said candidate;--and it must be strictly observed, that

in no case shall the Worthy Grand condescend to be introduced without

proper notice; and the same must in all cases be strictly obeyed.

_Art. 6._ It shall be the duty of every member to make the candidate the

subject of trial, in every secret manner which he may think profitable

to test his qualities as a true believer in the virtue of the

Brotherhood; and likewise to throw every temptation in his way, which

may be likely to sour his disposition against the formalities of the

world, and thereby lead him into a closer commune with the Holy

Brotherhood, of which he is to become a member, and which he is to

believe to be true and honest in every sense of the word; and that all

other religions and creeds are base, and founded upon speculative

motives--that this is the only TRUE, by which he must stand through good

or ill, and never secede, on pain of death on earth, and punishment

eternal hereafter.

_Art. 7._ It shall be the duty of every brother to be strictly on his

guard, concerning this brave and generous band, and give no intimation

to any mortal being of its existence, unless he is fully persuaded that

he or they are worthy by thought and act of the high and honourable

character which the honourable body will ever confer upon them, by

receiving them as men and brethren, worthy of the protection of the only

true society under Heaven.

_Art. 8._ It shall be the duty of all, both members and Masters, to

guard against the influence of party spirit, either political or

religious, as termed by a certain class of people, who, from their weak

and shattered principles, have been led to suppose that the great and

overruling Bible, among certain classes, is the Divine inspiration of

the Deity, and was hewn from a solid rock, for the purpose of satisfying

all men of the power of God, whom this band hold sacred, as a being of

unchangeable character, who will, in the immortal state, prepare an

everlasting place of rest for all who do not by their oaths confirm the

total disapprobation of his supernatural power.

_Art. 9._ It shall be the duty of all brethren of this benevolent band,

in their becoming members of this Christian (!) fraternity, to deny the

principles of the book called the Bible, to be other than the work of

priestcraft, got up to delude the weaker portion of mankind, and whose

principles have been carried out to the uttermost parts of the earth,

until even the heathen have suffered by the base intrigue of

missionaries, of this rascally compilation of nonsense, by being made

subservient to their most outrageous and villanous transactions.

_Art. 10._ That we do deplore the perversion of the power of God, as men

and Christians, and believe it highly commendable to this, the only true

society of Christian principles, to associate and connect ourselves with

all churches, of every denomination, and with all societies, not for the

purpose of supporting them, but through these means to the furthering of

our own designs.

_Art. 11._ That we labour to make proselytes of all with whom we come in

contact, when it can be done without suspicion and danger to ourselves;

that we believe this a true principle--founded upon Nature herself, our

ruler--that policy dictates to us the necessity of keeping at peace with

the world, and often appearing humble and Godlike, that we may be taken

as pious and God-serving people: at the same time, that we keep our

"lights so shining," that all who wish, may be able to understand,

appreciate, and embrace our principles.

_Art. 12._ That we hold, as a duty to mankind, that the God of nature,

the only God, has made a benevolent donation to all his beings; and that

it is against the principles of true Christianity, to allow one man to

fare sumptuously day by day, while his neighbours, as good by nature,

and far better by practice, shall be made his servants;--and therefore,

we, the members of this honourable body, do pledge ourselves to try, by

every means in our power, to diffuse the necessaries of life throughout

the universe, that all may fare alike who live as Nature's Christians.

_Art. 13._ We pledge ourselves to take from the rich, and give to the

poor; and, as none of the honourable body wish for more than the God of

Nature has given--which is an abundance of this world's goods--we agree

to take from the one, and give to the other; and that the wealthy, or

the enemies of this society, shall be the ones we will strive to harass,

by disapprobation of their tyrannical course; and no respect will we pay

to persons, either politically or religiously, but swear to prove true

to all the bearings which we have laid down in this our Constitution.

_Art. 14._ We pledge ourselves to strive for the promotion of the true

principles as set apart by us, and to use every means in our power to

enlarge our institution, and to abhor--save when dictated by

policy--everything like priestcraft, (such as may be found in that book,

called the Bible, in the twentieth chapter of Exodus, and known as the

"ten commandments," which were said to have been written by the finger

of God, and which have since been the cause of nine-tenths of the crime

against the welfare of mankind,) and yet to take every means in our

power--knowing, as we do, that we are the only rightful Christians, and

few in number, in comparison with the other denominations--to carry out

our motives, as dictated by policy, by linking ourselves to them by

bonds of this same priestcraft; in other words, to be, if possible,

promoted to the charge of their flocks, as priests or ministers; and all

advancement of the like shall be duly appreciated by every worthy

member; and the industrious and honest brother, so succeeding, shall be

looked up to, and respected as one of more than ordinary talent.

_Art. 15._ We pledge ourselves to educate our children so as, if

possible, to prevent them from becoming members of any society save that

of the Holy Band,--known as the Secret Band of Brothers--the only

correct and Christian people that strive to place all men upon an equal

footing,--and, furthermore, to destroy all principles we may from time

to time see developing in favour of that class of people whom the world

calls Christians, and that we do sincerely feel it a duty we owe to

ourselves and the God of Nature, to try, by every means in our

power--and in this case all means shall be considered justifiable--to

overthrow all institutions which take the Bible as their standard--as we

hold that the God of Nature has set apart for us three principles and no

other.

First: That all men are made to live their time of probation on earth,

and are not answerable hereafter for any deed they may commit, so it be

sanctioned by the laws or constitution of this society.

Second: That the course mankind in general pursues, particularly the

so-styled religious class of community, is wholly contrary to our views,

and therefore wrong; and that the God of Nature, as our God, requires

that we put down the fabulous book called the Bible, to save mankind

from priestcraft and delusion, and bring them over to our principles.

Third: That there is but one unpardonable sin, which is, to allow

Christians, our tyrants, to progress when we can make them retard, by

leaguing ourselves with, and instilling into their minds, and more

particularly their offspring, all the noble sentiments which may tend to

overthrow former prejudice and eradicate the present false views of

moralists, until the Bible shall be looked upon by them in the light it

now is by the followers of Mahomet, and until all the present laws of

society be considered tyrannical and unjust.

_Art. 16._ The God of Nature, we hold as our God, has in no principle

required us, through his wise construction of our component parts, to be

in any manner driven by, or subject to man,--that He, as a wise,

intelligent being, created all mankind upon an equality, and that all

men should so stand in regard to each other--that no being was ever

placed upon this earth to rule as monarch over others,--and, therefore,

that all monarchies, all governments, which are headed by rulers, such

as kings, presidents, governors, &c., are unlawful in the sight of God,

and unjust--and that we, as men and Christians of the Holy Brotherhood,

do hereby pledge ourselves, aye, do swear by all we hold sacred, that we

will use all the cunning of our natures to put down all kingdoms, all

governments which are ruled by crowned heads, presidents, or governors,

or ruled by any principle of religion other than, nature--and that all

religion, priestcraft, &c., is unholy in the sight of the Most High God,

and that He requires of us, as a paramount duty, that we labour

zealously for its final extermination, to the glory of Him and the

benefit of mankind here and hereafter.

_Art. 17._ We hold that the foregoing articles are wholly correct, and

fully sanctioned by the God of Nature--that whoever of our fraternity

proves in anywise recreant to them is a traitor to us, to himself, and

his God;--that the candidate for membership, in view of this, does by

this article most solemnly declare and avow that all the foregoing are

according to his most unbiased views--that such, and only such, he will

ever support, nor shrink, nor waver from, nor expose the same, even in

the agonies of death, on flood, or field, in prison, on the rack,

scaffold, or feathered couch--that he understands this fully, and all

the bearings of it, with all of the foregoing, his name, which he

deliberately, without compulsion, sets to this constitution, stands as

lasting, undeniable proof--that he has come to this solemn determination

after calm, mature deliberation--that he is over twenty-two years of

age--and, finally, that he is willing to go through with all the oaths

and ceremonies which this band sees proper to impose; in proof whereof,

he now repeats the following

PRAYER.

Almighty and all-merciful God! the Great Author and Disposer of all

beings! I hereby pledge myself, in thy sight, to keep sacred the

holy principles, one and all, which I this day have had set before

and disclosed to me, by the Worthy Grand Master of the most ancient

order under heaven--known by the appellation of the Secret Band of

Brothers--and I pray thee, Almighty God! to watch the workings of

my cultivated nature; and, Heavenly Father! keep me sane in mind,

that I may always know the everlasting punishment which awaits me,

if I prove recreant to the vows which I herewith do take upon me,

with my own free will, in thy holy sight--and I pray thee, Almighty

God! should I prove false to the vow or vows I now make, in

becoming a member of this Holy Brotherhood, to shut from me the

light of thy countenance--to visit the wrath of thy indignation

upon me--to let my walks here on earth be paths of desolation, at

the end of which be famine and death, and, in the world to come,

torment and more tormenting pains racking my soul for ever! But,

Almighty God! should I keep and carry out these, the only true

principles, which thou in thy wisdom hast set aside for thy

children to follow, then mayest thou be pleased to grant me a

well-spent closing life on earth, and an undying existence with

thee in thy holy kingdom of heaven!--Amen.

_Art. 18._ The foregoing articles having been read and acceded to by the

candidate for membership, and the prayer having been repeated by him, he

shall be considered a member of this fraternity--known as the Secret

Band of Brothers--and the Grand Master shall then proceed with the

following:--

Most worthy Brother! You have now been initiated into some of the

secrets of the Holy Brotherhood, otherwise called the Secret Band of

Brothers; you have become a member of an Order which, I trust, you will

ever cherish--feeling it is worthy of any of God's children; and, if you

so consider it, and also consider yourself a true and lawful member, you

will now make the same manifest by an inclination of your head, in token

of assent,

_Art. 19._ The member having bowed in assent, the Grand Master shall

again proceed, as follows:--

Now, Brother, you, through choice, can take one degree, which will

entitle you to a benefit in sickness or in distress; and likewise

entitle you to the use of the SCALE, which will enable you to converse

with any Brother without any possible chance of detection, by paying the

trifling sum of twenty-five cents per month, to the Worthy Grand, who is

the proper person for you to apply to for assistance, which in all

cases must be done verbally:--in token of assent that you wish this

degree conferred upon you, you will now lay your hand upon your heart

and answer in the affirmative.

_Art. 20._ After conferring the foregoing degree, the Grand Master shall

again proceed, as follows:

Brother, it is now my pleasant duty to inform you that the degree just

taken entitles you to a full membership of the Holy Brotherhood, and

also entitles you to a benefit of thirty-three cents per day, if

imprisoned, or confined by sickness, caused by exposure or

otherwise,--which you, in all cases, must make known to the Worthy

Grand, if possible, through a Brother, but by no other process; and you

must be careful to observe one particular point, which is, NEVER, under

any circumstance, to approach the Worthy Grand as an intimate

acquaintance, for fear of being suspected as such, and thereby bringing

mistrust upon him through some person who may have had their eye upon

you, as a man not carrying out the principles which they approve of as

being the ones best calculated to promote their priestcraft.

_Art. 21._ The Grand Master shall thus continue:

You being now a member of this Holy Brotherhood, it falls to my lot to

apprize you of the position which you now occupy, and some of the duties

incumbent upon you. This society claims you as a Brother, and, should

you be sick, will prepare hospitable means for your comfort--should you

be in difficulty, through misfortune, you will ever find friends ready

and willing to assist you: should you for any offence be brought to

trial, your judges, jurors, witnesses, &c., you will find composed of

men selected from this Holy Brotherhood: you have the privilege at any

time to go and come as you please, to retire or live in public life; but

you are to make known every transaction whereby certain classes may be

considered as dishonest--and if the person offending is not committed by

a Brother, you are bound, if possible, to see that the offender is

brought before the tyrannical bar, and, likewise, if it lies in your

power, to have the said offender convicted; and, if convicted, it shall

furthermore be your duty to apprize the Grand Master the length of time

he is sentenced, to what prison, and what punishment--as we, as men and

Christians, hold it a duty for each member to throw every obstacle in

the way of the people CALLED Christians, for the purpose of bringing

them to the laws which Nature's God has set apart.

_Art. 22._ Having now informed you of some of the benefits and duties

falling upon you, as a Brother, I now come to an article of penalty,

which you will find requires your close attention, as follows:

If you betray a Brother, this Constitution allots to you but one

punishment, which is--#DEATH BY VIOLENT MEANS!#--AND THIS SENTENCE WILL

SURELY BE CARRIED INTO EFFECT--as sure as that there is a sun at

noonday, or stars at night; and the Brother, so terminating your career,

shall receive, in compensation, the sum of THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS, which

shall be paid to him by a Grand Master, for this society.

_Art. 23._ If you are ever true and faithful to the Brotherhood, you

shall be sustained by them, in all your undertakings, right or wrong;

and should you meet with danger, by reason of the Brotherhood, which

sometimes happens, by your making the same known to the Grand Master, he

will, if your quarterly and annual payments have been regularly made,

refund you the full amount. You will be charged, annually, five dollars

for your head, and a half cent per annum on all your common chattels and

freehold property,--which you will be required to pay in advance,

yearly, to ensure you the benefit and full privilege of the Secret Band

of Brothers' Mutual Insurance; the principle of which is adopted for the

special benefit of the Brotherhood, as we feel no interest in

befriending any, not even our own blood relations, unless with a motive

of sooner or later bringing to bear our Christian creed, and making them

true and faithful Brethren.

_Art. 24._ If at any time you think it would be policy for you to

withdraw--or, in other words, retire--you will find it beneficial for

you to watch for, and detect every species of fraud--done by any other

clan than the Brotherhood--and convey the same to your worthy Brethren;

and in all cases, do all you can to make war with what the self-styled

Christians call moral principles; and whenever you see or hear of an

imprudent act in a Brother, it shall be your duty to convey the fact to

the Brother--if not by your own tongue, by that of some Brother of the

band,--and if you see any manifestations made throughout the community

of a moral, or, what is termed of a religious nature, it shall be your

duty to oppose and oppress the leaders in every shape and manner

possible, as we hold all such calculated to keep in darkness many who

might, otherwise, be made true and faithful Brethren, and followers of

Nature's God: and the moral part of the community, so termed, who will

not give us an opportunity to enroll their names, watch; and if by aping

them you can make inroads upon their creeds, or false views, you will

add not only to the promotion of the society, but will sustain a

character throughout the Brotherhood, not to be forgotten; and,

furthermore, as there are many ways to find out the principles of men,

it is to be the constant duty of each member of this Brotherhood, to

take advantage of every opportunity of finding out the opinions of the

mass--by talking as much as possible about the villanous transactions

which happened at an early day, in the new settlements, and the active

part which he took in detecting the band, &c.--by which means he not

only learns who are friendly towards the promotion of this Brotherhood,

but also who are the ones for this society to watch as their most deadly

enemies;--and a Brother must, in no case, refuse to give money for the

construction of the most popular churches, and must always pay great

respect to the priests--for through them we hope to hide many of what

might be termed, by our enemies, deeds of darkness; but such as we, as

men and Christians, believe to be lawful and proper duties: and one who

does not comply with the rules and regulations of this band so far as in

his power, after having taken the solemn oath, shall be treated by all

honourable members as unworthy of their protection, and shall be

proscribed by the Brotherhood--WHICH PROSCRIPTION LEAVES HIM LIABLE TO

SUDDEN AND VIOLENT DEATH, AT ANY MOMENT!

_Art. 25._ Each member who has been duly sworn in, as Grand Master, can

have the privilege of withdrawing his name from the Holy Brotherhood, by

recommending one whom he considers worthy, and in whom he pledges

himself can be put unbounded confidence, and one who has never failed to

pay his quarterage and yearly dues in advance; (as such a failure

assuredly prohibits him from promotion;) and this office grants to the

holder his travelling expenses, and two dollars per day, while on

business of the society, and, likewise, secures him double the benefit

of a private, in sickness or difficulty. Now, therefore, Brother, you

have the full meaning of the foregoing, and the same chance of promotion

as either of the Brethren.

SECT. II. _Art. 1._ The Grand Masters of this society shall consist of

six, to every fifty mile square,--five of whom have no power, other than

to bear the annual returns, in case of absence or sickness of the

principal Grand--in which case they are entitled to his pay, for their

services and expenses--said pay to be deducted from the moneys in their

possession, at the meeting of the society; and in case of death or

resignation, the seat or seats of the former Grand or Grands must be

filled by the next Grand or Grands, in rank--said rank to be through the

official age of the subordinates; whose seats, as THEY rise, must again

be filled by some one of the private members, whose appointment must be

confirmed by a petition, signed by three-fourths of the Brethren; and,

in case of two or more candidates running for the same office, the one

having the most names shall be considered duly elected--whereupon he

must solemnly pledge himself to keep the funds intrusted to him,

belonging to the Brotherhood, secure; that should he, at any time, be

required to resign, by three-fourths of the Grands, he will make due

returns of all moneys in his possession; and that, in all cases, he will

be ready to render a correct account of all moneys received and paid out

by him, which account shall, also, be duly made out and handed in at

every annual meeting.

_Art. 2._ It shall be the duty of every Principal Grand to keep his

accounts, and the Constitution of this society, written on paper, with a

certain kind of acid, which cannot be read, unless held to the fire,

when the heat will bring to the face of the paper the desired

intelligence; and it shall, furthermore, be the duty of the Grand Master

to commit to memory this Constitution and By-laws,--that he may, at any

time, be able to give any passage verbatim, without the assistance of

referring to the article itself, as it endangers the Brotherhood to have

the documents on hand;--and it shall also be the duty of the Grand

Masters, in office, to supply the five, who are not matured officers,

with one article at a time, until they commit the same to memory; when

it shall be their duty to instruct them the manner in which the same is

written in acid; and then to demand a written Constitution from each,

which, if not written correctly, must be corrected and returned every

three months, until perfected.

_Art. 3._ It shall be the duty of the Grand Masters to examine their

five subordinate officers, four times each year, until they find each

capable of drafting a constitution, and of giving each article its

correct No. and proper place,--with full instructions as to secrecy, in

keeping all the six words, with their proper tables, from the ordinary

members--as the ordinary members are not entitled to the use of the six

words, which are termed Qualities;--and, furthermore, if any of the

Grand Masters know of a letter of importance, which one of the members

has written to a Grand Master or Subordinate Grand, it shall be the duty

of the said Grand Master, if possible, to QUALIFY the letter, either

upon the inside or outside, as the case may be--for the qualities are

highly essential,--and it shall still, furthermore, be the duty of all

Grand Masters, to teach their Brethren the necessity of their committing

as much of the language as shall be given them on their initiation; and,

likewise, the great importance, for the general safety, that all letters

shall contain as much of the secret language as can be made to answer

the purpose,--because it will be easily read by the Grand Masters, and

common members, but will be impossible for the worldly people to

unravel.

_Art. 4._ It shall be further observed, that no Grand, if known to

reveal to any common member more than the initiation prayer, and what

has been specified in the foregoing--with the exception of the meaning

of the figure 9, in the fourth column, to which all are entitled--can be

thought worthy of the honourable Grand's station; and in no case can

such an offence be forgiven--and that, as a punishment for such an

offence, he shall not only be discharged from the high and honourable

office of Grand Master, but shall have a vote of censure passed upon

him, which shall for ever disqualify him from holding office; and he

shall, thenceforth, be closely watched, and in case he shows, or in any

way manifests, any sign of malicious disapprobation, he shall be tried

in secret, by the Grands and members of his District; and upon

three-fourths giving their opinion that he is an enemy to the

Brotherhood, it shall be the duty of the Grand Master to take him on

probation, six months, and apprize him of the fact, that he is, in the

opinion of the Brotherhood, acting, or about to act, a treacherous

part,--and that he has been granted the state of probation, and the

privilege of leaving the District, or changing his treacherous

principles:--if he choose the former, his name must be sent to every

Grand Master in the Union; if he choose the latter, his after good works

must recommend him; but in case he should refuse either, it shall be the

duty of the Grand Master to put upon his head the usual reward--of a

traitor, which is three hundred dollars, to whoever takes his life, with

the highest approbation which can be placed upon the Brother, so doing,

by his honest Brethren.

[The following qualities are known and used by the Grand Masters alone,

the common members being wholly ignorant of their existence; and thus it

is, that these grandees can so completely foil their followers, without

the least risk of the latter being the wiser. The qualities are made for

the special purpose of designating each individual, and at the same time

be entirely safe from the least suspicion. When a Grand Master has had

the honour of promotion conferred, he is supplied with the table of

qualities; likewise the secret of correspondence is submitted to his

confidence, under an oath, the penalty of which is death, if he, by

word, deed, or action develop, or by any means expose, the principles of

his special charge. After he has taken the solemn oath, the chief Grand

gives him the secret for preparing the sympathetic ink, which is used

upon all occasions where one Grand is corresponding with another; and

where a Brother is about to travel, it is the duty of the Grand Master

presiding, in the district where he resides, to give him a plain letter

of recommendation, with the private qualities in cipher, in a definite

manner, that the Grand Master who receives the same may not be deceived;

and ofttimes has the poor ninny carried in his supposed letter his death

warrant. As the secret of the cipher is not known to any but those of

the fraternity who have been promoted above the ranks of the

subordinate, it leaves the latter completely in the hands of their Grand

Masters. But we would not have our readers to understand, by our

explanation, that it is our belief, that the private qualities are

always carried out to a letter, as laid down in their constitution and

by-laws; yet we have no hesitation in saying, that we believe that the

members live more closely to their profession than many of our Christian

institutions; and that there are many that walk as near the line of

their profession as they know how, we have every reason to believe from

the daily illustrations we have of depravity among us. We therefore give

you the correct qualities of the Grand Masters, which are held entirely

apart from the common Brotherhood, by the preceding restrictions set

forth in this note.]

_Art. 5._ The Grand Master shall be fully invested with power to give

out the following catalogue of useful flash words. The six words of

QUALITY are highly beneficial in conversation, and must, in all cases,

be used when one is present who is not known to be a member. By this

means can be found out the strange Brethren, who are ever ready for any

sound so familiar to their ears. The dualities, also, serve to advance

the Brethren, who are made acquainted with them, to the higher seats of

honour, and are as follows:

First: HUSKA--a flash word, signifying GOOD--is fully described by the

subjoined numbers, the signification of which is annexed:

No. 1 signifies Bold.

" 2 " Intrepid.

No. 3 signifies Artful.

" 4 " Undaunted.

" 5 " Cunning.

" 6 " Active.

" 7 " Assiduous.

" 8 " Temperate.

" 9 " A true Brother, without cultivation--meaning one who,

from infancy, has had sufficient strength of mind to carry out his

principles. This number is considered highly honourable to the Brother

bearing it, who is said to have the same conferred upon him by the God

of Nature.

Second: CAUGH--a flash word, signifying BAD--is also described as

follows:

No. 1 signifies Treacherous.

" 2 " Ungrateful.

" 3 " Presumptuous.

" 4 " Meddlesome.

" 5 " Quarrelsome.

" 6 " Impudent.

" 7 " Imprudent.

" 8 " Dilatory.

" 9 " Intemperate.

This last number is one which will prohibit whoever is entitled to it,

from holding the high and honourable office of Grand Master; and whoever

is known to sell or give intoxicating liquors to a Brother, for the

purpose of making him subserve to his avaricious purpose, shall be

highly censured, and made to pay over double the amount which the victim

has lost. If a Brother sees proper to distil, or vend intoxicating

spirits, and at the same time notifies the Brethren, when they call on

him, that he does not make and sell the same for any other purpose than

to prostrate the minds of the tyrannical priestcraft, and their victims,

he shall be sustained in his noble enterprise.

Third: NAUGH--a flash word, signifies SIZE AND COMPLEXION--and,

therefore, each number has a double meaning.

No. 1 signifies the person to be Large and Tall.

" 2 " " Low and Heavy.

" 3 " " Tall and Slender.

" 4 " " Medium.

" 5 " " Small.

" 6 " " Sandy Complexion.

" 7 " " Light Complexion.

" 8 " " Dark Complexion,

" 9 " " Coloured.

A person of the last-named colour is never to be admitted, unless as an

outlaw, who is to be used by the Worthy Grand, and who is to be so

educated that he will not dare to commit any daring act, without

permission from the Worthy Grand; and it shall be highly reprehensible

in any Brother to converse with any coloured Brother, upon any business

pertaining to the Brotherhood; and all such shall lay themselves liable

to a vote of censure--as the man of colour is not admitted for other

purpose, than to carry out deeds thought highly honourable, but which

many worthy Brethren dislike to execute, but for which the Worthy Grand

can always depend on his coloured Brother; and, furthermore, should he

be detected, the Brotherhood will be in no manner endangered, as the

coloured Brother's testimony cannot be used against them.

Fourth: MAUGH--a flash word, signifying PROFESSION--is designated thus:

No. 1 signifies a Brother of wealth and a Labourer.

" 2 " Seaman.

" 3 " Lawyer.

" 4 " Physician.

" 5 " Mechanic.

" 6 " Merchant.

" 7 " Sporting Man.

" 8 " Planter or Farmer.

+

" 9 " Felon.

This last number is considered in a different light from any of the

others. When a cross is placed over it, it signifies that the Brother

bearing it has been a martyr in the great and noble cause of Equal

Rights; or, in other words, that in performing his duty as a freeman, he

has been seized and cast into prison by the tyrants of the world: and it

shall be considered a deed worthy of censure, for any Brother to

mistreat, or throw any obstacle in the way of another, who may be

entitled to the cross over the figure 9, in the fourth line of

Quality;--and all members, both officers and privates, are entitled to

know the meaning of the mark over the figure 9; and if any Brother says

he is entitled to said mark, all Brethren are, in a measure, bound to

believe him--as it will be expected that no Brother will be base enough

to attempt a deception of this kind; for the truth can always be

ascertained by writing to the Worthy Grand of the District where he was

sentenced--whose duty it shall be to answer the epistle correctly and

promptly; and in case any Brother shall make a false statement in this

respect--or in fact in any other--he shall be branded as

dishonourable--shall be publicly exposed to all of the Brethren

present--and his name sent, by the Grand Master, to all other Grand

Masters of the several Districts, so that it may be marked on their

several books as a Brother who cannot be depended upon under any

circumstances.

Fifth: HAUGH--a flash word, signifying DISEASE--embracing under it,

imperfections, scars, marks, &c.--is described as follows:

No. 1 signifies Consumptive.

" 2 " Rheumatical.

" 3 " Gout.

" 4 " Dropsical.

" 5 " Hypochondriacal.

" 6 " Scrofulous.

" 7 " Stoppage in Speech, or Stuttering.

" 8 " Pox-marked, or Hair-lipped.

" 9 " Loss of an eye, tooth, or limb--a bald

head, or any noted scar exposed. This number will require close

inspection, in order to avoid being deceived; as the mechanical

construction of wigs, glass eyes, false teeth, wooden legs, false

whiskers, &c., has been brought to such perfection, that, without the

very closest scrutiny, they will, many times, escape our observation,

and pass as the real members created by the God of Nature.

Sixth: GAUGH--a flash word, signifying AGE AND MANNER OF SPEECH--is

described as follows:

No. 1 denotes the person to be 70.

" 2 " " from 50 to 60.

" 3 " " " 40 to 55.

" 4 " " " 30 to 40.

" 5 " " " 21 to 30.

No. 6 denotes the person to be Very Gray.

" 7 " " Dappled.

" 8 " " Quick Spoken.

" 9 " " Slow and Indistinct.

These private Qualities are not to be explained to any but Grand

Masters; and when a Brother becomes familiar with these private

dualities, he can correspond with other Masters, without any fear of

detection, as all of the Qualities, though apparently simple, are

impossible for any one to understand, unless he has the key; and he who

shall DARE to instruct another in this mystery, unless entitled to it by

the law of our constitution, will find it would have been better for him

had a mill-stone been tied about his neck, and he been cast in the bosom

of the deepest sea.

[The table of "flash" words contained in article sixth, section second,

are words used among the fraternity in general, and by the common

members believed to be the only secret language of the order. In this

they have been kept wholly ignorant, by the cunning of their leaders. We

have but little doubt in our mind that there may have been a great many

words added to the original vocabulary, since the adoption of the

constitution, as we find among the gamblers, and other dishonest men,

language entirely incomprehensible to all without a key. The gambler,

though not anywise connected, stands in his profession ready to

conciliate them in their works of death, under the horrible idea that

Nature, as their God, has plainly sanctioned the profession. And the

religion of Nature they aver to be the only true religion on earth.]

_Art. 6._ It shall be the duty of the Grand Master, upon the initiation

of a member, to supply him with a list of flash words used by the

Brethren of this society, and shall likewise inform them of the great

importance, for the safety of the Brotherhood, that they commit the few

words given them to memory,--which they will also find of great

importance in conversation and correspondence--as, in the few words

which are diffused in their respective places, no person, without a

complete key, can explain or interpret their true meaning. The words

adopted are but few, yet answer, with common language, to enable the

Brothers to converse with ease without being understood by others

concerning their business, or matters and things pertaining to the

Brotherhood. It likewise enables a Brother, in common conversation, to

designate another; or, in addressing thousands, he may be identified by,

as it were, accidentally using any one word of his discourse in

connection with the Brotherhood:--the latter, however, is never to be

done, unless in extreme cases. The most essential service is in

conveying the meaning, which, in all cases, must be done in its proper

place.

If you wish to ascertain if a Brother be present, you can easily do so

by SOUNDING. SOUNDING signifies FEELING, or ASCERTAINING; and if you

wish so to do, use the word CULLEY, which signifies Brother, Friend,

Partner.

The word CONEY means Counterfeit paper money.

" BOGUS " Spurious coin, &c.

" CRABBING " Robbing, Stealing, &c.

" DUMBY " Pocket-book, purse, &c.

" DROP " Pocket, &c.

" CADY " Highwayman, murderer, &c.

" GLIB, STRIKER " Incendiary.

" CRACK " Break. As crack a crib.

" CRIB " House, trunk, desk, &c.

The word THIMBLE means Watch, crome, clock.

" PRAGUE " Horse, mule, or ass.

" GLIM " Light.

" SIFTER " Burglar, house-breaker, &c.

" GEISTER " An extra thief.

" FEELER " Dirk, sword, knife, &c.

" REACHER " Gun, pistol, &c.

" PAD " Bed.

" BLOTTER " Writing--such as letters, &c.

As Nature, in every feature, dislikes a traitor, no provision has been

made for dissembling. This society is ruled by Nature, as our God!--and

it is the duty of each and every member to do all in his power to

promote the welfare of his Brethren, as, by so doing, he must in time

convince all observers that the Secret Brothers are the only true

Christian sect on earth; and this we, ourselves, individually and

collectively, believe; and we make this manifest, by placing our names

to this scroll, and thereby pledging our fortunes and our lives to

maintain and carry out these principles in all sincerity and truth; and

should we ever offer to take up another faith, and renounce this, may

our prayer-oath be fulfilled to the extent of all its agonies; aye, and

more: we now again doubly pray, that if we ever offer to secede from

this, our religion, that we may thereby seal our immortal state with an

undying existence in a world of torment, prepared for all priestcraft

and treacherous mortals.

* * * * *

The singular circumstances connected with my obtaining these papers, and

the awful obligations contained in the constitution, will prepare the

reader for some strange developments. The constitution, although not

elegantly worded, proves its author to have been a man of uncommon

shrewdness, and knowledge of human nature, and forethought. We may

therefore expect that the plan of operations should be so laid as to

baffle detection by ordinary means. I will try to give some idea of it.

It was necessary that letters should be transmitted from one member to

another, in a distant location, yet the person to whom the letter was

addressed might be miles from a government post-office, and it might not

be safe for him to present himself for a letter, lest he should be

recognised as a desperate man, and letters were liable to be opened and

their desperate projects exposed. To avoid this danger, they established

a line of communication, extending from Toronto, Canada, to New Orleans.

Not precisely direct, but lying through large towns.

On this route were post-offices; consisting of hollow trees, caves,

cavities in rocks, &c. Those who wished to send letters deposited them

here; with full directions. All the "brothers" knew these post-offices;

and when, in their travels, they came near one, were bound to stop, and

examine the letters. If they found letters directed to persons on their

route, they must carry them along. If the letter was directed to a

person beyond the extent of his journey, he must at least carry it to

the next post-office, if he was going so far; and from that, some other

Brother would pass it along. It was death, in all cases, for a member to

open a letter not directed to him.

As Brothers are constantly passing along the line, in both directions,

considerable despatch was secured. If a letter should chance to be lost,

it was written in such a manner that one not knowing the secret would

suppose it to be an ordinary business letter, and the persons alluded

to were so mentioned as that only the individual to whom the letter was

addressed, or some person interested in the same transaction, could

understand the allusion.

The person to whom the letter was addressed must return the letter, if

requested, but might keep a copy. Along this mail line lived many of the

Brotherhood, and as they knew each other by signs, and were able to

converse in a _flash language_, unintelligible to the community

generally; when we recollect that they were bound by solemn oaths to aid

and defend each other in every emergency, right or wrong--that both men

and women belonged to the order--the reader will see what security a

villain could enjoy when hunted by the police; how easily the

_respectable_ citizen, the country merchant, the lawyer, the captain of

a steamboat, could conceal the fugitive, and put the officer upon the

wrong scent.

In addition to this caution, any thing which must be so explicit that a

stranger to the order might understand, if he should see it, was written

with sympathetic ink, which would appear only when heated, and would

disappear again when cold; and even this was written in a perfectly

unintelligible cipher, to which, however, I very fortunately found the

key among the letters. I insert it for the benefit of the curious.

One of the most profitable branches of their business was that of

_trading in horses_. For this, as will be seen, their combination gave

them peculiar facilities.

One of the _common_ robbers steals a _horse_, rides it fifty or a

hundred miles, and offers it to a _respectable_ robber, called a

_trader_. If it do not appear a dangerous bargain, he makes the

transaction as public as possible; he takes a bill of sale, and enters

it on his books, and the common robber goes on his way rejoicing.

Presently the owner comes along, and _claims the horse_. The

_respectable_ trader is very much astonished at the discovery, but makes

no resistance. The owner, rejoiced to find his property again, gladly

pays the expenses of keeping and goes home. But the respectable trader

is very sure to have not the slightest clue to the whereabouts of the

man who sold him the horse, and although it was done so publicly that

the owner cannot have a doubt of the innocence of the trader, yet,

strange to say, nobody knows which direction the thief took, even when

he left the settlement.

Lest some member should get another into his power, it is provided in

the constitution, that for every transaction they shall "pass" or

exchange receipts. This gives to each the same power, provided they are

both of the lower grade. That is, whoever has bought a stolen horse of

some member of the band, can be proved to have done so by the thief,

from the receipt; and the thief in like manner is in the power of the

trader. Again, it is of importance to the poor robber to have a receipt

from some eminent trader, since it gives him character as a man of

business, and serves as a letter of introduction. They are written in

the usual form of an ordinary business transaction.

The Grand Masters, who, alone, it will be recollected, have the secret

of using sympathetic ink, and the cipher, always add to the receipt,

with invisible writing, the description and character of the individual

who bears it, thus holding the poor fellow completely in his power.

But should a poor scamp get caught, and lie in prison a year or two, he

is entitled, by the constitution, to thirty-three cents per day for the

whole time. By the same constitution, also, he is directed how he must

proceed to get it. He proceeds, therefore, in due form, as follows:

Going to the Grand Master of the district in which he was convicted, he

addresses him thus:--"Most worthy Grand Master, I have this day come

before you, to place my hand upon the seal and swear that upon ---- day

of ----, in the year ----, I was confined in prison, (or _by sickness_)

for ---- months and ---- days; during which time I have contracted the

following expenses; I therefore make my petition that such money as may

be my due may be given me for my assistance."

The Grand Master, or Grand as he is called, then asks the following

questions:

"How long have you been a member?

"Where were you initiated?

"To whom have you paid your dues?

"What evidence have you that such are the facts?"

If, then, the poor brother have not receipts proving the transactions

for which he was imprisoned, and further, proof of his actual

imprisonment, (or evidence of his sickness,) no further notice is taken

of him. But if he have such regular proofs as are required, the Grand

declares that they have but a small amount of funds in the treasury. But

that the Brother may get his dues, he gives him drafts upon the various

Grands in the country, to the amount of his dues. If the amount were

five hundred dollars, he would receive fifty ten dollar drafts upon

fifty Grands, scattered over the country, from Canada to Alabama, and of

whom, in all probability, he will never see three; and they are payable

to none but the person in whose favour they are drawn. And "to make

assurance doubly sure," with sympathetic ink, the cunning officer

writes a full description on each draft, of the age, size, complexion,

profession, peculiarities, &c., of the bearer, so that if he should

undertake to send by another, he would have his labour for his pains.

We have now submitted the constitution to the judgment of our readers,

as we found it, having only added a few explanatory remarks, which we

are enabled to do from knowledge acquired in various ways; and we now

select from those letters which came into our possession a few, written

by some of the individuals noticed in this work, which will throw

additional light on the character of the Band. The note to each letter

is explanatory of the language contained in the ciphers.

No. 1.

Lawrenceburgh, September 24, 1825.

_Most Worthy and Respected Brother_,--Let me introduce the bearer of

this, who visits you for the purpose of promoting our benevolent

institution and his operations. I have not the least doubt you will find

his visit not of importance to him alone, but to you and all the friends

of humanity and kind feeling which belong to our benevolent society.

Yours, in great haste,

101000

000000

000300

000004

500000

000000

000000

800088

+

000900

[This letter bears upon its face the following ciphers, which

interpreted read as follows:--The bearer is BOLD, CUNNING, TEMPERATE,

LARGE, and TALL; by profession a LAWYER, and has been a CONVICT, he is

marked upon the face; his age is from THIRTY to FORTY, and QUICK in

speech. The cross (+) upon the number 9 designates the bearer to have

been a convict, and that he is entitled to much respect among the

Brotherhood. This, however, the Grand Masters teach their subordinates

to acknowledge, for the purpose of finding out among them such as they

can have confidence in in carrying out any desperate scheme; and

likewise to prevent them from exposing others, through their

associations; and thus it is that they, as brethren, feel no delicacy in

acknowledging to a brother, the honour of having been a martyr.]

No. 2.

Lawrenceburgh, October 13, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--According to our agreement, I was at the place

appointed, where I remained until three o'clock, much distressed on

account of your absence; and my situation was very little better when I

learned you had been detained through the negligence of our friend in

Boon county. I have no confidence in him, nor ever will have, so long as

he makes use of so much whisky. I exchanged the coney I had for four

hundred pounds of feathers, and left them subject to your order at

friend ---- ----, grocery store, Lower Market street. I called and took

breakfast with the judge, and he tells me times have never been so close

upon the coney trade since he resided in the city. I likewise called

upon the Irish friend, and the first word he spoke was an oath that

Cincinnati was bankrupted; that constant calls were continually made by

the boys, and not one dollar to accommodate them with. I hope you will

be at home before I leave for Indianapolis, as I cannot remain long upon

the way, and I have many calls to make, and be there by the 20th, as

that is the day appointed. Raise all the funds you can, and I have no

doubt every thing will come out right. This will be handed you by one

whom I recommend strictly honest, as I have had recommended. Though he

has lived in the burgh ten years, I never knew him until our old friend

told me that he was a member. He knows you only by sight.

Yours, ---- ----,

000110

000000

003000

000000

000005

600000

000000

888000

000009

[The figures of this letter describe the bearer as follows: ACTIVE,

TEMPERATE, DILATORY, TALL, AND SLENDER, DARK-COMPLEXIONED, WEALTHY,

without any particular occupation. That he is CONSUMPTIVE; his age is

between TWENTY-ONE and THIRTY; his speech SLOW and INDISTINCT.]

No. 3.

Greensburgh, October 20, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--I have, as you see by this letter, arrived at

Greensburgh, having travelled several nights over some of the roughest

roads I ever placed foot upon; my journey, otherwise, has not been so

disagreeable; but night-travelling always disagrees with me. I was

joined by our friend, the doctor, and his intimate friend from

Brookville. They tell me they have been absent from Brookville

twenty-one days. We met at our good old friend's house, near York ridge.

He is as pleasant as ever, and full as religious, and paid me one

hundred and twenty-five dollars--squaring accounts--and traded me two

notes on our Madison merchant, amounting to one hundred and thirty-five

dollars, which are as good as gold, as he endorses them, and I believe

and know the principal to be as good as any man in Madison.

The doctor tells me some of the boys have had a flare-up in Buffalo; but

that is nothing new, as our Canada friends act very imprudent. He tells

me since he left us, that several cabs have been traced out, and no

traces of the workmen left which can injure any one party. He came

through Columbus, Ohio! He says they are hard at work, but scarce of

material, and no means to procure it. I have not the least doubt but you

might find it profitable to go or send some one to supply their wants,

so we can make it very profitable. Our friends, ---- ----, ---- ----,

_take_ Fort Meggs, and at Manhattan (I have reference to our judge and

the lawyer we met in Manhattan, Ohio) have made out well with the

horses, taken them in the summer, and say they wish the boys would

bring them one hundred head before the lake closes. The doctor brought

me a letter to that effect. I leave this place to-morrow evening for the

Forks of the road, where I shall expect a letter from you. Let my friend

---- ---- know I am well.

Yours, ---- ----,

000000

002200

000003

400000

000000

600600

077000

800008

000000

[This describes the bearer to be UNDAUNTED, ACTIVE, TEMPERATE,

IMPRUDENT, LOW, and HEAVY, LIGHT-COMPLEXIONED, by profession a LAWYER

and MERCHANT; age from FORTY to FIFTY-FIVE, QUICK-SPOKEN.]

No. 4.

Four Corners, October 24, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--I have arrived at the Four Corners, where I was pleased

to receive your favour of the 17th, and having the good luck to learn

that five of the brethren of Virginia are in the neighbourhood, and

would leave to-morrow evening for their homes by the way of

Lawrenceburgh, I make ready this and forward it by them for the purpose

to inform you that our friend ---- ----, the cooper, cannot, without my

consent, have any more stock, unless he pays for it in advance, as I am

satisfied he does not wish to act out the correct principles. He tried,

the day before I left, to make me agree to take cooperage for the last

stock he got; and though he made it answer to the whole face, two

hundred, yet he did not wish to pay me thirty in cash, and said you

promised to supply him at fifteen cents per hundred, and take it out in

cooperage; if so, your contracts must be for your own private benefit,

not mine; he has gulled me enough, and I cannot stand his slabbering

discourse any more. I am satisfied he has no moral honesty. Our friend,

the grocery-keeper, must pay for his last, as he has bartered it all

off. I met an intimate friend of his from Burlington, Kentucky, on

Clifty, in company with our light-complexioned friend, who lives not far

in the county back of the burgh. Two who accompany this are crossed (+)

9's, immediately from Tennessee, and have been travelling fifteen

nights. They are accompanied by a brother from Charleston, Virginia,

another from Parkersburg, Virginia, and a third from Marietta, Ohio; all

wealthy, the bearer and all, worthy brethren. The bearer is a Grand.

Yours, ---- ----.

100000

002000

300000

000004

000000

606600

000000

800008

000000

[This describes the bearer as being BOLD, ARTFUL, ACTIVE, TEMPERATE,

LOW, and HEAVY, SANDY-COMPLEXIONED, by profession a MERCHANT; age from

THIRTY to FORTY, QUICK-SPOKEN.]

No. 5.

Sugar Creek, October 24, 1825.

_Esteemed Brown_,--After two nights' hard travelling, I find myself well

provided for, in company with our old "Bogus Friend," who informs me he

has just returned from Toronto, Canada; and has brought some of the most

splendid bogus I ever have seen, and sells it, in trade at 33-1/3, 28 in

cash. I purchased two thousand of him, part trade, part cash; and he is

to deliver it to you. He has sent a large quantity to Brookville,

Indiana, and he will send your two thousand from Brookville. I let him

have four horses, which I purchased from our Rising-sun Brethren. He

sent them immediately to his lawyer, in or near Sandusky, who will

forward them immediately to Michigan. I believe the horse trade is

better, and a great deal more safe than the slave. There are many

brethren living here, and of the best order, and live up to the

principles of the Brotherhood; and of the many which live here, and in

fact all through these parts, very few are considered other than men of

the highest respectability. But I hear many making inquiry about our

Lawrenceburgh Aurora, and Rising-sun brethren, and say the brethren have

acted in many respects badly, and our friend ---- ----, in the burgh,

who purchased the pork he shipped from some of them; they say that he

has deceived them. I feel mortified to think he has no more principle: I

want you to call and tell him he must settle, and I think he ought to

know the same without advice. They are the wrong men for him to try to

gull; I have every right to suspect him of dishonesty, when I think how

much the Brotherhood has done for him, you and I in particular, and

know how he treated us; and though we have given him all of the start he

has, he would sacrifice us both, with our families, for a hundred

dollars. I have found out that Sulivan did not make his escape, as he

assured us he did, but was sold for seven hundred and fifty dollars. So

you can depend he has swindled you and I; do not trust him farther than

you can see him, and recommend him in the right numbers. This will be

handed you by a brother living near the islands Sixty-two and

Sixty-three, on the Mississippi; he is about to make a permanent

location, and wishes to purchase six or eight blacks. If the lot we have

an interest in have not left the burgh, he is the man: he says there are

large bands of the brethren settled near him; I hope you can please him.

Yours in haste, ---- ----.

101000

000000

300000

000004

000000

000000

007007

800800

000000

[This describes the bearer as follows: BOLD, ARTFUL, TEMPERATE, LARGE

and TALL, LIGHT-COMPLEXIONED, PLANTER by profession, HEAD DAPPLED GRAY;

age from THIRTY to FORTY, QUICK SPOKEN.]

No. 6.

Indianopolis, November 5, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--I have been waiting four days for your answer to mine

of the 24th, and this day have the pleasure of receiving it. I am glad

to hear that your friends in the east have not forgotten you; I had a

letter forwarded me to this place, speaking of your liberality to the

people in Pittsburg, when you visited there last spring, and our friends

---- & Co., the iron traders, are very anxious for another trade. I

think they have made better use of their trade than our two Marietta

merchants ---- ----; the latter, I believe, some of the boys got hold

on, as he was going east, and he returned, one thousand minus, in clear

dust, and his twelve hundred in coney. The Steubenville merchant is

here, and has contracted with me for two hundred dollars' worth of

coney, assorted; he tells me that a brother in a flat boat has been put

aside for his plunder, which, sad to relate, was but little; and that he

saw the wife of the deceased was trying to make up the amount at this

time in Cincinnati; if she has not effected it, I think some attention

had better be given her before it is too late, as she is satisfied it

was done through mistake. You had better go or send some one to see her;

you will find her on Sixth street, at the widow ----, or if you inquire

at, ---- ----, cabinet-maker, on Sycamore. I will give ten; you will

give the same: tell ---- ----, on Lower Market, he must do the same; it

is a pity she should suffer through mistake. She is a fine woman, and

all of the Brotherhood should befriend her. I hope you have, from your

letter, become satisfied with the friendship of ---- ----. I told you

they would not do--I have known them from boys, and the day they got

that bogus from you so cheap, I would sooner have thrown it in the

river. The airs they put on about that negro, satisfied me that they had

forfeited all principles of honesty, which is the way with such men

after they become able to live--never think they are beholding. I will

write you again in a few days. The bearer of this I have learned is a

good brother.

Yours, ---- ----.

110000

002000

300000

040004

000000

006660

070000

800000

+

000900

[This describes the bearer to have been BOLD, ARTFUL, TEMPERATE,

TREACHEROUS, MEDDLESOME, IMPRUDENT, LOW and HEAVY, SANDY-COMPLEXIONED, a

MERCHANT by profession, and that he had been a convict; his age between

THIRTY and FORTY, disease SCROFULOUS.]

No. 7.

Indianopolis, November 9, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--The town is full of our warm friends, and I am happy to

say that there is a fine spirit existing. To-morrow night I will leave

for Fayetteville; I have received your package of coney, and disposed of

three thousand to the old doctor we met while we were in Canandaigua; he

is the man we sold the flour to at Buffalo. He resides in St. Louis,

Missouri, I hope he may do well, as he is a great man, and has more

knowledge of mankind than any man of his age in America, and will trade

from a pin to a steamboat. He tells me he purchased the lot of negroes

which were in Madison, and he says that he heard, since he left, that

three more had been deposited for sale by the same man; if so, he

wishes you to write him a few lines to Terrehaute, and a copy of the

same to Vincennes. He tells me he will be able to get rid of every

dollar at these two places, and that he can purchase one hundred head of

horses if he wished, all which have come from other states, and some

fine blooded stock. I learn through friend ---- ----, of Bairdstown,

Kentucky, that there has been some hard talk about Judge ----, at

Lexington. I have no confidence in a man who drinks and gambles, as he

does; I do not care how wealthy he is, nor how great a title he wears;

for my part I intend to keep clear of him, with all of his wealth and

title; and your friend in Maysville is another. I write in haste, and

send it by our brother.

Yours, ---- ----.

101000

000020

300000

000004

000000

000600

070007

808000

000000

[This number describes the bearer to be BOLD, ARTFUL, TEMPERATE,

IMPRUDENT, LARGE and TALL, of DARK COMPLEXION, by profession a MERCHANT;

he is diseased with RHEUMATISM; his age from THIRTY to FORTY, hair

DAPPLED.]

No. 8.

Lexington, June 3, 1827.

_Dear Brown_,--I have at last arrived in this wealthy part of Kentucky,

which I assure you is a treat for a man that has been so much exposed to

the fatigues of travelling over cliffs, and swimming creeks, and all

other inconveniences that man could imagine. I arrived at Winchester,

Kentucky, where our old friend resides. It was two o'clock when I

arrived, but I found him in his shop playing cards with a black

journeyman old sledge, at twenty-five cents a game, and you ought to

have seen him scrabble for the cards when I rapped upon the window. I

left Winchester for Maysville, where I remained four days with our

friend, the same old block of sociability; yet he tells me he does well

in the stock trade. He says he sold forty odd horses in one year. Since

he has lived in Kentucky, over two hundred, which you know is over fifty

per year. From Maysville I crossed the river through the Sciota region,

by the way of Portsmouth, then to Chillicothe; from there on to

Zanesville, from there to Wheeling, and then to Washington,

Pennsylvania; returned to Wheeling, then to Parkersburgh. I did not call

at Marietta; there has some difficulty taken place in that region. From

Parkersburgh to Charleston, Kanhaway, with but little delay. Our saline

friends are great dealers in "coney." I met twenty-six in one day at the

old "Col." He is doing his work clean, without any risk. There are, he

tells me, upon an average, five horses sold per week from Sandy among

the friends of the trade. I left Charleston; had a tedious journey to

this city. Lexington is a humane place, but dangerous to move, unless

you do it through some of the old wealthy friends of the trade. I must

now say to you that I have done well in my small way. I have cleared

over two hundred per month. I found our friend, of the Blue Lick region,

who tells me the house trade is good along the road; that the coloured

boys do it all, and are not suspected. (_In speaking of the house trade,

he had reference to the entering of houses by the slaves, pillaging,

&c., which would be laid to white men._) Well, now, I am through with my

travels for the present. Let me give you some little of the history of

our Dearborn brother, which I assure you is novel. I told you he would

never do, and I suppose, ere this, you have found I was right. I cannot

be fooled easy. You thought that from the simple fact that he traded in

horses well, (_meaning that he stole horses well_,) that he would not

fail to be useful anywhere I wished to place him; but he returned home,

I suppose you discover, without a dollar, and made sixty the first night

we arrived in Cincinnati, off of a cheese trader that slept in the

adjoining room. He wanted to return the next day to the burgh, but I

prevailed upon him to stop, as suspicion rested not upon us. He remained

according to my request, and I never have come across such an

industrious man; but he had not much courage, less than any man of his

age I ever met, and not one particle of judgment in human nature. When

we arrived, I cautioned him about trading with any of the brethren of

the city without my consent, knowing, as I did, the city brethren were

"celish;" however, he assured me his trade was "bogus;" that you had

supplied him with cut quarters, which no other person dare offer, and

that he had done well even with them. (Cut money was, at an early date,

used as change; one dollar cut in four pieces answered as twenty-five

cents each.) I found he was bent on the "bogus" trade, and I told him to

hold on a few days, and that I would assist him to some; that I had not

the first dollar, but would find out through the brethren when I

returned from our friend's in the country--nine miles. I then left him

at the boarding-house, and promised to return the next day. I returned

according to promise; called at our boarding-house, and upon inquiry

learned he was out in the city. I took a stroll up to our friend's, the

coffee-house keeper, in Market street. While I was passing through the

market-house, I passed by a man with a large load upon his back. I could

not discover what the bulk was. I passed on to the coffee-house, where

three of the boys were dividing one hundred and sixty-five dollars, the

proceeds of the day's work, which, they informed me, they had obtained

from one of the soft-shell brethren. That in the course of the day they

had met a countryman, and seeing he was apparently upon the look-out for

speculation, they had finally entered into conversation with him, and

had accidentally shown him some bright half dollars, and told him they

were counterfeit. "What," said he, "bogus?" "Bogus, indeed," said one.

"And do you know what, bogus is?" He said he ought to, and they then

tried him, and found him one of the right kind of brethren to skin; and

that they did in the following manner: Finding that he had money and

wanted "bogus," they set upon a plan to deceive him; which they did by

showing him the new half dollars, and telling him they were good coin;

and that if he wished he could have them at fifteen dollars for a

hundred dollars of "bogus." He agreed to purchase one hundred and

sixty-five dollars' worth, which they were to supply that evening. That

they were to meet him in the Fifth street market-house, and deliver his

bogus in a tobacco keg headed up. He of course took it for granted that

all was honest. They separated from him, purchased a tobacco keg, filled

it with stone-coal cinders, within an inch of the top, packing them very

hard to make them weigh heavy. They then put a false head one inch from

the top, upon which they put two hundred copper cents. They then placed

another head upon that, confining it tight with a hoop. After preparing

it, they rolled it into the market-house where they had met. He had paid

them the one hundred and sixty-five dollars for the cinders, which he

supposed to be the most beautiful bogus, and when he lifted the keg he

was satisfied all was right; _and how could he doubt it, they were

brethren!_ and they were then dividing the spoils. I suspected, from

description, it was our Lawrenceburgh friend, but remained silent, and

returned to my room where I knew I could ascertain. When I went, I

discovered my friend just ascending the stairs, with a large keg upon

his shoulder. "Halloo," said I, "what upon earth have you here?" He

dropped the keg, as though he had been shot, making a crash to be heard

a half mile distant, but fortunately no person about the house appeared

much disturbed. The old lady came to the door, and wanted to know what

was the matter. I told her my friend had fallen, but that no damage was

done. She retired. As soon as he discovered it was me, he raised his

burden once more, and carried it to the room. "Come in, sir," said he.

"What have you here?" said I. "That I will show you, in a few minutes."

I knew all the time, and though I was vexed, I could not refrain from

laughter. "You laugh," said he, "and well you might, if you knew the

speculation I had been making to-day." He soon got a hatchet to show me

his treasure. I never saw a man so perfectly carried away at the

prospect he had in store. He was nearly exhausted by carrying such a

burden so far. The perspiration drops were oozing out of his forehead,

and he effected the opening of the keg with no little trouble. "Now,

sir," said he, "you may laugh, if you please; raise that head and see if

there is not something in store to laugh at." I did as he bade. I lifted

up the head which covered his treasure, when to his surprise a few black

copper cents made their appearance. "Copper bogus," said I. "I believe

in my soul they have mistaken; let's examine further." He soon

discovered the false head, which he raised, and in a double surprise

cried out, "My conscience, I won't trade. No, I will have my money back!

I will sue them." "Who will you sue?" said I. He came to a stand, then

remarked, "Really, I can't tell who they were. They gave me no name, but

I will take them for swindling if they don't give it up. I will swear,"

said he--then he paused and I took the word from his mouth, and told him

that I would swear that he was a fool, and had better return to Dearborn

county and plough corn. He laid the coppers one side, being about two

hundred, then carefully headed the keg up. We went to bed. During the

night he arose. I heard him going downstairs. The next morning I

discovered that both him and the keg were missing. I never heard from

him afterwards, but hope, if he is at home, that you will hereafter keep

him there.

Yours, in haste,

P.S. I hope you will answer this immediately. Direct to Nashville,

Tennessee. This Brother is a true blue.

100000

002020

000003

000400

500000

000600

070000

800088

000000

[This describes the bearer to be CUNNING, TEMPERATE, TREACHEROUS,

IMPRUDENT; size LOW and HEAVY; by profession a PHYSICIAN and a MERCHANT;

disease RHEUMATISM and FACE DISFIGURED; age from FORTY to FORTY-FIVE;

QUICK-SPOKEN.]

No. 9.

Lawrenceburgh, April 9, 1827.

_Friend Brown_,--I am happy to have the extreme pleasure of introducing

to your acquaintance one of my most intimate friends. He visits the city

on business, which may require assistance; if so, you can confer no

greater favour on your humble servant, than by serving him.

Yours, in haste,

The following was taken from the same sheet, having been interlined in

fine hand in sympathetic ink, which was entirely a secret to the

bearer, and read when warm, as follows:

_In a side pocket made upon the inside of an old black velvet vest, you

will find eighteen hundred dollars in United States money. In an old

hair trunk, tied around with a rope, he carries twelve hundred dollars

in silver. He is fond of spirits, and occasionally gets drunk, and when

drunk, has no memory, and would not acknowledge the fact of being drunk

for twice the amount. He is a man of wealth and of honour. Destroy this

immediately._

The history connected with the above letters may be considered of great

importance to explain the villanies of this band; and from the

circumstances connected with this history, I have every reason to have

full confidence that the same letters this note refers to, were the

occasion of the bearer being robbed of some thirty-one hundred dollars.

We will now give the foundation for our belief. During the examination

of my original package of letters, I discovered a very familiar name

attached to one of those apparent business letters, which caused me to

examine the import, and upon so doing, I found that it contained the

same which I have given, with a few omissions which I considered of

importance to my personal safety, viz., the names of the parties, the

place of residence of the man robbed, &c. When I found that I had a

familiar name to so base an article, to satisfy myself that it was not a

forgery, I examined the same person's signatures which had been written

in the year 1827, and found they compared satisfactorily to my mind. I

then set upon a plan to ascertain from the man who lost the money,

without his having an idea of my intention, which I did as follows. I

wrote to a responsible man living in the same place, to know of him if

such a man of his village had ever lost any money, and if so, what

amount, the date he lost it, &c.; to which I received the following

brief note: "Sir,--You have written me upon a subject which I was not

familiar with at the time I received your letter, but have made inquiry,

and found that in the spring of 1827, the person alluded to in your

letter was robbed while in Wheeling, on his way to Philadelphia, out of

rising three thousand dollars: which money he has never heard of. He is

a man in good circumstances, and was at that time, in fact he has always

been, considered wealthy. I conversed with him one time upon the

subject, but he dislikes to have it mentioned to him. You likewise

wished me to inquire if he received any letters of introduction or

recommendation previous to his departure, on the date mentioned. He had

several, and with one exception, they were all from his best friends.

One he had given him by a man residing in Lawrenceburgh, Indiana, was

for the purpose of introducing him to Daniel Brown, a merchant of

Dearborn county, whom he met in Cincinnati, on his (Brown's) return, and

had but a few moments' time to converse with him, after he gave him the

letter. You, therefore, know all I can ascertain about your request." I

could then see through the whole lead of his misfortunes, and it is

about in this way. The letter which he bore to Brown, having the

particulars concerning his temperament, likewise the amount of money,

&c., enabled Brown to set the band upon him, who robbed him, and then

divided with Brown and his Lawrenceburgh friend. These letters I had

transcribed and put them up and lectured to the citizens of

Lawrenceburgh concerning the horrible fact of their existence; and

these are the letters spoken of, that made the pigeon's flutter, and

likewise caused so many threats of my assassination; and all that

prevented them was, that they feared whoever might have the handling of

the papers hereafter might handle them with less mercy.

CHAPTER XIII.

I have frequently, in the course of this work, had to notice the very

intimate connection which those concerned in the administration of

justice, or ostensibly in the suppression of crime, had with those who

perpetrate it. In all of our large cities, this occasionally forces

itself into public notice. Anxious as the authorities always are to

conceal any thing of this kind, it accidentally leaks out. The

opportunity for concealment, and the advantages afforded by official

station, have not been overlooked by the Brothers, and the police of

every city contains several of the fraternity. In all fairness, however,

the great mass of crime connected with such establishments ought not to

be laid to their charge. The very wish to be connected with the police,

indicates a morbid disposition of the mind--a desire to be familiar with

crime; for it is necessary to detect it successfully, to come in contact

frequently with the criminal. In consequence, by familiarity, crime

loses its enormity: the police officer sees how seldom the perpetrator

is detected; how often, when detected, he escapes unwhipped of justice;

he connives at some petty offence, in the hope of entrapping the

criminal in some more flagrant act, and tampers with crime, till the

little moral sensibility he had when he entered the service is

destroyed. This is obviously a true picture of human nature; but I must

proceed with the story, which suggested these remarks.

In no city of the Union has the depredations of the Band of Brothers

been more extensive than in Cincinnati, Ohio, yet there seems to be a

prevailing wish, entertained even by those who have witnessed their

ravages, to doubt the existence of any such organization. Nor am I

surprised at this incredulity--the thought that we are surrounded by

hundreds of individuals, sworn to protect and assist one another in

their ravages upon our lives and property, is no very pleasant prospect

for contemplation. Sincerely I wish it were merely a dream of the night,

but the unaccountable and sudden downfall of some of the most

respectable and talented families of that city convince that it yet

exists in all its awful realities. In confirmation of this I will

introduce the history of one family, guarding myself as much as possible

from saying any thing that might hurt the feelings of any of the

relatives yet living. It consisted of five boys--at least that number is

all that has come under my notice; the eldest, at the age of sixteen,

connected himself with bad associates, was committed to the jail on a

charge of theft, and convicted. In a short time the next brother

followed in the same course, and shared the same fate. The remaining

children were yet young, and to preserve them from the vicious habits of

the elder ones, the father kept them at hard labour every day. We are

not intimately acquainted with the character of the father, but we never

heard any thing laid to his charge but that he was a dissipated, and so

far an immoral man. He at least gave his children an example of

industry, and could not be suspected of training them in dishonest

practices. The eldest son was pardoned, or served his time out, we

forget which, and came home to his father's house; but was soon taken

in another misdemeanour, and sentenced to ten years' confinement in the

Kentucky State Prison. At the expiration of his term the second also

returned, but fearfully depraved and abandoned. He seemed to take a

delight in all manner of wickedness, and bore evidence that he came from

a good school. After a few months of dissipation, supported by robbery,

he was again taken, convicted the second time, and sent to the State

Prison. From it he made his escape, and found his way to Vicksburg, but

on attempting a robbery, he was detected, and shot through his left

shoulder, the ball fracturing the bone very badly. One day while he was

under arrest, several men visited him; he was alarmed when they first

entered, but soon regained his self-possession. One of the party

inquired why he seemed so much affrighted at their entrance; to which he

replied, that at first sight he had taken one of them for a man of the

name of Phelps. [A robber who was afterwards taken, and attempted to

break from jail, but was shot down in the streets of Vicksburg. For

particulars see "Gambling Unmasked."] A very friendly feeling was soon

established between the robber and his visitors; in a few days he was

taken from jail, and bent his way for New Orleans, where he was again

detected in the very act of robbery, but in attempting to make his

escape was shot down by the captain of the guard.

This same year of his death the third brother got into difficulty, and

was sentenced to the Penitentiary for three years. Before the expiration

of his sentence, the fourth was convicted. The fifth boy at this time

was about seventeen, and he too was caught stealing, convicted, and

received his sentence about the time the fourth regained his liberty.

The third brother, after serving the specified period in what is called

the _Penitentiary_, took his way south, where he was again committed for

robbery, and sentenced to five years' confinement in the Louisiana State

Prison. At the expiration of that period he started for home, but when

near the island of Sixty-six, on the Mississippi, he concluded to take a

trunk and jump overboard. This feat he accomplished successfully; but

unluckily for him, it was in the same year in which so many outlaws were

put to death by the citizens, and having connected himself with a band

who were at that time flooding the river with counterfeit coin,

negro-stealing, and indulging in all manner of villany, he was taken by

a company, and with about forty others put to death, some being shot,

and others tied up in sacks and thrown into the Mississippi.

The fifth brother was now in the Ohio Penitentiary, the fourth in the

Indiana State Prison, but the eldest brother was released from

confinement, and returned to Cincinnati. His long confinement, however,

seems to have had no very beneficial effect, for in a few months he was

again convicted of petit larceny, and sentenced to serve in the chain

gang. Here he conducted himself so well as to gain the unqualified

commendation of one of the drivers, who in consequence treated him

indulgently. About this period, there was much excitement, caused by the

frequency of night robberies, and no trace of the thieves could be

found, by which they could be detected. The most vigilant means were

used, and many were sent to the jails and penitentiary, but still the

robberies went on. Among those committed at this period, was the fifth

brother, who for a short period had enjoyed his liberty. The eldest

brother served out his time in the chain gang, and after being

liberated, suddenly disappeared; and, which surprised many, the driver

of the chain gang disappeared at the same time. A day or two after their

disappearance, a drover from Kentucky, who had been at Cincinnati, and

was on his way home, was taken from his horse, robbed, his throat cut,

and left for dead upon the road side. They had, however, merely severed

the windpipe, and on being discovered, he was able to give such

information as led to the detection of the driver and his friend, the

convict. They were arrested, and identified by the mangled drover; and

the citizens, knowing the desperate character of the elder brother, who

had served an apprenticeship in their own State Prison, gave them a

trial according to "Lynch" custom, and hung them both. Thus ended the

life of the eldest of the brothers--the third who had suffered the

penalty of death for their crimes.

The suspicions of the people were excited by this occurrence, and a

train of investigation set on foot which left no doubt but that the

recent robberies were committed by the chain driver and his gang. At

night they were freed from their chains, allowed to prowl about and

plunder, and brought their spoils to the prison, where it could easily

be stowed away without suspicion. We believe that we are quite within

the mark, if we attribute one-eighth of the robberies committed in large

cities, to the police, or perpetrated with their connivance. Many, we

hesitate not to say, are done by men whom the public believe to be in

prison. It has become a proverb, "Set a thief to catch a thief," and

the public seem to have acquiesced that thus it shall ever be. There is

an allowed and constant connection between the criminal and the officer

engaged in suppressing crime, but whether it be necessary and

unavoidable, or the best disposition possible, deserves some

consideration. The hangman is in general only a little more fortunate

than his culprit. The leader of a band of Regulators is commonly more

ferocious, and as lawless as the victim against whom his fury is

directed. The lawyer unscrupulously pockets a fee, which he knows has

been obtained by the plunder of the citizen. Not a few of them hang

about our jails, prying into the means of the prisoners, and divide with

them the spoil, sheltering themselves from communicating any disclosures

they make under their judicial privileges. But if justice be the end of

the law, why should the communications of a prisoner to his counsel be

held sacred? If the case be undefensible otherwise, why should it be

defended, unless it be to give a fee to the lawyer, at the expense of

justice? With all deference to the legislators of our country, and to

the gentlemen of the legal profession, this seems a privilege not to be

envied: to _know_ that you are assisting to defraud, but debarred by

custom from disclosing it; to know that the culprit is guilty, and

deserves punishment or restraint, but to send him forth again upon

society to commit further crime.

Our readers may be anxious to know what became of the other two

brothers, the fourth and fifth. At this moment we believe they are both

in the State Prison. Now how was the ruin of this once respectable

family accomplished? Why did the fate of the elder not deter the

younger from crime? Were they merely drawn along by the contagion of

ill-example, or were there more potent influences at work in their

destruction? And why did punishment and penitentiaries do so little in

their reformation? The greater part of their lives were passed within

their walls, cut off from the influence of evil, but we see no sanitory

effect. We will not answer these questions directly, but in the course

of this work will supply the reader with materials to answer them for

himself. We have every reason to believe that the eldest and the second

were entangled in the meshes of The Secret Band of Brothers, in a manner

from which there was no escape. They are ever on the look-out for any

individual who has forfeited his character, and who promises by his

ingenuity or dexterity to be a fit tool for their purposes. Their agents

are to be found in all the professions, in the magistracy, and in the

prisons and penitentiaries; sometimes, under the vail of hypocrisy,

assuming a fair exterior at the time they are engaged in all manner of

villany; at other times, when their influence in any place is in the

ascendency, openly showing their real character. Men can be found in

many of our towns so notoriously profligate, that not one individual in

the place could be found that would say they were honest men, yet

through solicitation, party spirit, and sometimes through fear, they are

elected to official stations. It is one of the leading objects of the

Secret Band, to have as many of the brotherhood in the magistracy as

possible, and neither money nor importunity are spared to effect their

object. They know what they are about: they are too sagacious to suppose

that a thief will catch a thief; that a gambler will suppress gambling,

or a drunkard promote temperance; and it would be well that those who

really desire any of these objects, were equally "wise in their

generation."

CHAPTER XIV.

The spring of 1833 found me travelling through the Choctaw nation,

which, at that time, with the exception of the government posts, was a

wilderness. Fort Towson, Duxborough, Jonesborough, Lost Prairie, Horse

Prairie, Pecan Point, and several other places throughout this wild and

newly settled country, were crowded with every kind and description of

people from the states, from, the government agents and contractors to

the wild and mysterious refugee--the latter being very numerous, and

having settled upon the south side of Red river, to evade the pursuit of

the United States' officer of justice, that portion then being

considered within the boundaries of Texas. The whole region was one of

peculiar debasement in all respects. As might be suspected, seasoned as

it was with such a population, drunkenness, debauchery, and murder

walked abroad, hand in hand, day and night. Human life was valued no

higher than the life of an ox or a hog, and the heart of the settlement

was cold, and palsied to the most remote touch of feeling, and hardened

to the recital of brutalities and crimes of the most indescribable

enormity. Men talked of their evil doings, their deep, revolting guilt,

with the most impudent freedom, and laughed and chuckled over them as

though they were the best jokes in the world!

It was in one of the Texan settlements, in this rude, wicked tract of

country, that an incident came to my knowledge, quite by accident,

which I will relate. The settlement contained some seventy to eighty

people, men, women, and children, white and black. I was taking a stroll

with one of the settlers among the cabins and huts, he being familiar

with the occupants of each, their habits and history. When we passed a

spot worth notice, he gave me the character of the owner, his wealth,

&c., and although all about the settlement wore an appearance of the

most abject poverty, I was surprised to find the wealth which many of

the inhabitants of so desolate, dreary, and forbidding a place

possessed. We finally came to a small log cabin, at the extreme end of

the settlement, apparently about twenty feet in length by eighteen deep,

a story and a half high.

"Who lives here?" said I.

"The widow ----," replied my guide, whose name was Edmonds--"the widow

of ----, but--yes--the widow of Dr ----, who was killed a few days ago."

I was struck with my companion's pauses, and thought there was something

singular in them, especially as his countenance at the time seemed to

change slightly. I soon mustered resolution to ask him who were the

murderers of Doctor ----, but his reply was simply that he did not know.

"I should like to see the widow," said I; "will you introduce me?"

He declined, stating that he must then leave me, and go along some half

a mile further, where some men were at work, chopping down a bee-tree.

"Very well," said I; "I will step in and introduce myself. You have

awakened some little curiosity in my mind to know more about the murder

of this man."

He left me without making any reply, and I entered the cabin, the door

of which was standing ajar. I found, seated near the fire on a rude

bench, a female, perhaps thirty years old, whose countenance wore a look

of deep dejection, but at the same time betrayed strong evidence of

having been once quite attractive. A little girl sat in her lap--two

boys of the ages of perhaps seven and eleven occupied a bench at her

right--an infant of, I should think, three months old, slept in the

cradle, which a little girl apparently about five years old stood

rocking. The group was a very imposing one. As I entered, I gave a tap

upon the door, which caused the mother to turn towards me; but she did

not speak, waiting, it would seem, for me to introduce my business. I

apologized for my unceremonious entrance, saying, that I had learned she

was formerly a resident in the states; and that I being also from

thence, felt some interest in her and her family. She beckoned me to a

seat, and after some time, told me she was born in Philadelphia, but

that, having married a Kentuckian, she moved there, and lived some eight

or nine years in that state--that her husband, at the expiration of that

time, had taken his family to Little Rock, Arkansas, where they resided

one year, and that from thence they had come to the place where I found

them.

Here there was a pause; in fact, I discovered that the poor woman's

voice faltered the moment she approached the subject of her arrival at

her present residence. The silence was broken by the child, who stood

rocking the cradle, and who said, "This is a bad place, ain't it, Ma?

Here the bad men live that killed Pa." At this the mother burst into

tears. As she did so, she kindly told the child to hush.

After the mother's tears had partially subsided, I told her to talk to

me without restraint; that I had visited the settlement on the other

side of the river on government business, which I expected to transact,

and leave in a very few days. I here was guilty of falsehood. I had not

visited the settlement for government, of course, but to pursue my

iniquitous course of gambling with the refugees.

The woman implored me to be watchful; that I was in the midst of the

most abandoned description of men that could possibly be conceived of;

and that they would make a victim of me the more readily, on account of

my extreme youth. I told her that they could want nothing of me, for the

simple reason that I had nothing valuable about me. She assured me that

it was not always avarice which tempted these men to deeds of blood.

They had butchered her poor husband in the very house where we were,

within hearing of herself and children, and when all were imploring that

his life might be spared. And yet money was not the temptation. She then

gave me a history of the cruel murder of her husband, which was as

follows:--

Doctor ---- was educated a physician in the city of Philadelphia, though

a native of Kentucky. He married his wife in that city; after which he

went back to Kentucky, where he settled down in the practice of his

profession. It was not many years after he took up his abode in his

native place before he became involved, and subsequently being accused

of committing a forgery, he concluded it was best to leave his native

state. His first stopping-place, after leaving Kentucky, was Little

Rock, Arkansas, where he remained until his brother-in-law joined him

with his family. Becoming uneasy and unhappy there, he finally removed

to the settlement, where an end was put to his earthly career by the

band of assassins.

His wife, when she came to this portion of her husband's career, was

again deeply affected; but she soon mustered composure enough to

continue the story.

After my husband came here, he proceeded to build this house, and we all

moved into it in a very short period after the first log was laid. He

was a changed man, and my health had become impaired by the exposures

which it was necessary to encounter, in travelling through this

wilderness. Doctor ---- was a changed man; most painfully was this the

case. He was not only moody and sullen in his temperament, and at times

unhappy to the last degree; but he did not seem to take that pleasure

which he once did in the society of his wife and children. Now and then

he would drink hard, and become intoxicated, in which case he abused me

most shamefully, and I bore all for the sake of the children. Some few

days before his death, he entered into a speculation with some bad

fellows here, to smuggle spirits through the nation, which they

succeeded in doing, and with great profit. About this time, or just

after, when in a calm and subdued mood, he confessed to me, that he was

not an honest man; that he was a refugee from justice, and a doomed man;

that a trap had been laid for him a short time after he was married;

that he fell into it; that he was a sworn member of a band of

desperadoes and villains, and that he was doomed to be a guilty wretch

so long as he lived. I thought he was crazy, but his assurance was in a

few days fully verified.

Not long after my husband made this confession to me, he ran a partition

across the cabin--making two rooms. In the other department he put two

beds, and whenever any of his cronies called to see him, he would order

myself and the children into the room. Here we remained while he and his

companions drank and played cards--making sometimes such a noise that it

seemed as if the very roof would be raised. They often kept it up all

night long.

One morning, after one of these frolics, he said to me he wished I was

at home with my father; that he never intended to return to Philadelphia

himself; but he would see that I was safely taken there. I asked why he

was so much inclined to part from me. He stated that that was his

business; I must leave him. Only the night before, he had been accused

of divulging secrets to me in regard to his companions; that he had

promised them to send me home. He added, that I might take all the

children but the two eldest boys. I protested against separating me and

my children. His only reply was, that his determination on the point was

fixed.

That night he ordered myself and the children into the room, in a more

angry tone than ever, and barred us in. It was not long after this

before his wicked companions arrived and planted themselves down at the

table. I listened at the door, and while my husband had gone out of the

cabin for some purpose, I heard them whispering busily together. As he

entered the apartment, however, the whispering ceased, and one of them

said, "Let's play for the liquor first, and decide that point

afterwards."

After this, they played and swore, and one would have supposed the room

to have been occupied by fiends incarnate rather than by men. At about

twelve o'clock, one of the company said, "Well, boys, now is the time;

what are we here for?" "Out with the light," said another. My husband

now asked what they proposed doing, when, without giving him the

slightest notice, the light was put out, and a heavy blow descended. I

heard my husband cry out, "Do not murder me;" but the strokes fell heavy

and fast, and spite of my screams and the screams of my children--spite

of our efforts to beat the door in, the bloody work was kept up until I

heard my husband's body fall upon the floor. In a short time his

murderers left. I tried to burst the door open, but without success. At

last, I raised my eldest boy to the window, and he crawled outside, and

ran round, entering the door which led to the room containing his

father's corpse. As the child moved towards the door of the room, for

the purpose of unbarring it, he fell over the dead body of his father.

The door was finally unbarred, and I rushed into the room where my

murdered husband lay. Oh, sir, I cannot tell you what were then my

feelings. The lights which the children brought into the room exposed

the whole scene, and it was one which I could not describe if I

would--my husband's body lying upon the floor, weltering in blood. I

tried to lift it up to the bed, but could not. I then, with the

assistance of the children, rolled it up in a counterpane, and we sat

down and watched it till morning--fearing that, if we did not, it might

be carried off by wolves--a large number of which howled about the house

until day dawned. Oh, sir, it was a sorrowful night! The next morning

several of the neighbours called in, and after expressing their horror

at the deed of blood, assured me that they would aid in bringing the

murderers to justice. That they knew them, and that they resided on the

Sabine river. Would you believe it, sir? Two of the very sympathizers I

knew to have been concerned in the murder of my husband.

A coffin was made, into which my poor husband's body was laid, and then

the neighbours buried him, but in such a manner that he lay but a foot

or two below the earth's surface. I have been afraid the beasts of prey

which infest this region would get possession of his corpse; so, with my

children, I build every night a fire near his grave.

"Now, sir," added the woman, "I have told you the painful story, and you

will see in what a dreadful situation I am. I am here in this dreadful

place, with perhaps one hundred dollars in money, and five children,

nearly all of whom constantly require my watchful care. Can you not

assist me in my wretchedness?"

I told the poor thing I would endeavour to do something for her. I had

hardly done so, when Edmonds passed the door of the cabin on his way

back from the choppers. Seeing me, he turned back and said, as I passed

out to meet him, "Well, Green, what do you think of the widow?" My reply

was, that she was so shy and distant that I could not learn much about

her, one way or the other; that she appeared unwilling, or afraid to

converse.

"It is well enough that she did," was Edmond's reply, "she does not know

what she talks about. When she does choose to speak, I believe her to be

either crazy or foolish, and d----n me if I know which."

Edmonds invited me to go with him to his home. So I went along. I found

there a man, named Scoggins, with whom Edmonds got into a very free

conversation. I heard him say, "We must send that woman away; she talks

to somebody every day; she must be taken care of in one way or the

other. She must, Scoggins, she must."

It was not long after this, before Scoggins took me aside, and in a

friendly manner advised me not to go to the widow's again; that she was

a bad and a meddlesome person withal. I did not visit her afterwards;

indeed, I had no opportunity to do so, for the day following the

incidents I here related, in company with Edmonds and Scoggins, I left

the settlement for Fort Towson--about one hundred and fifty miles east.

Our object was to play cards with the officers at the fort, and lighten

them of some of their change. We also expected to fall in with some of

the half-bred Choctaws, who are not inexpert in the shuffle. Edmonds and

Scoggins were ordinary players, and depended on my skill. The former was

a shrewd fellow, a Georgian by birth--aged about forty-five; the latter,

a Canadian, was about the same age. They had served together during the

war of 1812, and in the same company. Two more peculiar men could not be

found. Like a pair of well-trained horses, I saw very soon, after we

joined company, they pulled together. They had a negro with them, who

was deaf and dumb; and he was one of the best servants I ever saw. He

had been Edmonds' attendant for fifteen years, and was, I should think,

about fifty years old. This old negro knew every route from Canada to

Texas. He would stand and sleep, like a horse, for hours, and seemed to

care much more for horses than he did for himself. I thought there was

something more than at first appeared about the old darkey. While at the

fort, he would, in our company, stand for hours, it seemed to me

listening attentively to all that was said, and appearing to understand

it. He was very submissive and polite to any one who noticed him, and,

from the beginning, appeared to take a wonderful liking to me. At Fort

Towson I tried to get rid of Edmonds and Scoggins, telling them I had

resolved to leave them, and that I was going to cross the Nation to Fort

Smith, about one hundred and fifty miles distant. They appeared to like

the route I had chosen, and said they would accompany me. While at Fort

Towson, I discovered that both of my companions had a large number of

acquaintances there, mixed in among the Indians; and, likewise, that

many of the slaves appeared to know them.

We finally left the fort, in company with ten Choctaws. I had purchased,

while in the nation, twelve head of horses, two of which were quarter

horses, that is, intended to run a quarter of a mile in singularly quick

time. I obtained them of a half-bred Choctaw, and they were valued at

five hundred dollars each.

We encamped, the first night after our departure, about thirty miles

distant from Fort Towson. The next morning I found that my two valuable

quarter horses, with six others of the drove, were missing. I said

something about my chance of finding them again, but soon had every hope

of the kind destroyed, by being informed that the Pawnee Indians were

very numerous in the neighbourhood; that they were great horse thieves;

and had undoubtedly appropriated to themselves my valuable beasts. We

went fifty miles further, when we again encamped. Here the horses of

the dumb negro and Scoggins were missing. They appeared to think their

animals might be recovered, and turned back for that purpose, promising

to overtake us, if possible, at Fort Smith.

When we arrived at the fort, I disposed of the horses I had left, and

took passage on the steamboat Reindeer, for the mouth of White River.

Edmonds insisted on accompanying me. I made no objection, of course, but

was anxious to get rid of him. It was about the twentieth of May, when

we arrived at Montgomery's Point, on the Mississippi. Edmonds, daring

the passage, frequently sympathized with me on the loss of my horses. He

also, now and then, spoke to me about the widow of Doctor ----,

commiserated her forlorn situation, and stated that he had a strong

desire, and in fact determination, to communicate intelligence of her

deplorable condition to her friends in Philadelphia. He asked me, if I

did not, myself, think of doing something of the kind. I told him that I

had forgotten her name, and had I remembered it, I hardly thought that I

should trouble myself about her or her affairs. He said, he, too, had

forgotten the name, but he could procure it of Scoggins when he

returned.

We remained at the Point several days, awaiting the arrival of a

steamboat. Finally, the Chester came along, bound for St. Louis. I took

passage in her, and left Edmonds behind, not a little to my

gratification. We had not proceeded far from the Point, when the Chester

broke down, and I was obliged to get on board of a down boat, and return

to the Point. On arriving there, the first person I encountered was the

dumb negro, who told me that Edmonds had died suddenly, since my

departure, of the cholera, which was raging at that time on the

Mississippi, and which cut men down almost without warning. On inquiry,

I found the negro had told me the truth, and must confess I was not a

little astonished at it. But a few hours previously, I had left Edmonds,

apparently well; now he was a corpse! The thought gave me a shade of

melancholy, especially as I knew and felt that he had been cut down in

guilt; for that he was both a robber and a murderer I could not for a

moment doubt.

I made some inquiry about the amount of money left by Edmonds, and

discovered that after paying all the expenses of his funeral, the amount

of nine hundred dollars would be left, which, according to his request

just before his death, was to be sent to his friends in Savanna,

Georgia.

Not long after I got back to the Point, when walking out alone, the dumb

negro joined me, and motioned me to follow him: I did so, without

hesitation. We had not gone far out of the way, before he placed himself

near me, and, to my surprise, spoke to me as plainly and distinctly as

any one could. He said he knew he would surprise me when he talked like

other folks; but he would give me a good reason for having seemed to be

dumb. He then gave me a sketch of his chequered career. He was once a

slave, but had been a free man between thirty and forty years. At the

age of twenty, he was purchased from his master, at Petersburg,

Virginia, to save his life, by a band of outlaws of which he became a

member, in a servile capacity. These men had freed him, soon after they

purchased him from his master, and in consideration he had taken the

oath as one of their gang, and had sworn, with other things, to appear

to be deaf and dumb, so long as he should live--the penalty for any

forgetfulness, or otherwise, that should betray that he could either

speak or hear, being death! That he had been educated to this end; that

the band had men who could converse with him readily by signs, and that

he had been so much accustomed to communicate his thoughts in that

manner, that it had become second nature. He told me he was now

determined to go to Canada, where he proposed remaining for the balance

of his life. I asked him how he meant to go? His reply was, that he

should make the journey by land; that he knew every foot of the route,

and had hundreds of warm friends all the way along. He further said that

he could communicate to me a secret, which he thought it would be better

for me to keep--and this is the first time I have ever publicly revealed

it.

The secret was, that he and Scoggins, after leaving Edmonds and myself,

had retraced their steps to the skirts of Texas; that my horses had not

been taken, as I supposed, by the Indians, but that hired tools of

Edmonds and Scoggins had stolen them. That it was well for me I laid my

money out in horses: had I not done so, they would have murdered me, to

possess themselves of it. He further assured me, that I had been for

three months in the most heartless and desperate region which the

country affords, and among my worst enemies. The negro added, that he

had heard hard letters read concerning me since I was in the country.

That they were written a year before, by certain men belonging to the

same band, whom I knew, but least suspected. One of them lived near

Lawrenceburgh, Indiana; another was Goodrich, the notorious villain to

whom I have alluded in the preceding part of the work.

This negro also told me that Dr. ----, who had been murdered on the

Texan frontier, was himself a member of the Secret Band, and that he was

killed to save many a better man. That he and Scoggins had gone back to

see that the widow and her family were removed; but they found, on

reaching the settlement, she had left. We had learned, moreover, that

when seventy or eighty miles on her journey to her friends', she was

taken sick and died, and that she had lost her youngest child before she

left the settlement. It was further stated that the remainder of her

family were at Little Rock, with a friend of her husband's, who would

provide for them till her family could either send for them, or give

some directions in regard to their disposition.

The negro advised me never to divulge my opinions in relation to the

doctor's death, nor to the history of his family out west. I told him I

did not recollect their names, and therefore could not do so if I would.

He assured me that it was well for me, perhaps, that it was so; and that

it could do me no good if I did. I spoke to the negro about the lively

sympathy which Edmonds had expressed for the family, a few days before I

parted with him; that he had told me, in case he could procure the name

and residence of their friends at the east, he would write them; and

that he had asked me if I remembered them. I told him I did not.

The negro assured me that it was well for me I had been so ignorant on

the subject; Edmonds was only trying me. Had I appeared to have known

any thing, and betrayed any disposition to give publicity to what I

knew, he would have prevented me, even if he had taken my life.