ANOTHER OF THE FISHER
GANG SNUFFED OUT
Major Anderson, the
sheriff of Crawford county, Arkansas has just returned from McDonald
county, Mo., where he has been in pursuit of Fisher gang of outlaws,
with what success the following account will show. The Major
with a party of resolute men set out for south west Missouri, having
received information that the Fishers were about to hibernate for the
winter in that vicinity. In wondering their way through a dense
wilderness, which seemed never to have been traveled, the pursuing
party suddenly came upon the outlaws just as they were about to sit
down to dinner. The Major quietly posted his men at proper distances
from the camp, with a view of preventing escape, and then demanded the
party to surrender.
There were but five of the gang, yet they fired upwards of one hundred
shots. It is supposed that all the gang were more or less wounded, and
one, Jim Reed, is known to have received wounds that must prove fatal.
His horse, riderless, was soon after captured, his back covered with
human gore. Reed is accounted the oldest and most desperate of the
tribe, and without the benefits of his counsel and experience the gang
cannot flourish but a short time longer.
Major Anderson is determined that the last one of this gang shall into
the dust as his own life is in constant peril so long as they are
permitted to live. The Major is again on the war path.
--Source - October 22, 1869 - Morning Republic; transcribed by Tina
Easley.
THE DANIELS OUTLAWS
A Newspaper Man
Visits Jack Daniels in His Hiding Place
Learns the
Thrilling Story of Their Arkansas Crimes
Sixteen years ago Russell J. Daniel the "Jack" of our story married
Miss Lucinda Potts, a lady of excellent family and widely connected.
Their courtship was romantic and their marriage was an event of note.
Two years later they decided to emigrate to Arkansas, settling in
Saline county, where they soon established a good reputation and made
hosts of friends. Five years ago they heard wonderful stories of Cedar
Suck Valley, a land which surpassed in fertility any that had yet been
discovered in Arkansas. Jack decided to move there and sold out his
possessions in Saline county.
When Jack Daniel looked upon this rich mountain valley he stood
enchanted. It was goverment land, subject to pre-emption by actual
settlers. Jack selected a spot on the south side of Cedar Suck creek,
just within the mountain chain and was the first man to lay claim to
any part of it. Jim Daniel selected a site just outside of the valley
at the intersection of Cedar Suck and Ion's creek, while next to him on
Ion's creek lived R______ . This was the beginning of the bitter
struggle between the men over the land, that resulted in so much
bloodshed, which Daniel detailed to the correspondent . The Daniels
brothers were from this time forward prescribed men, hunted by the
authorities and dealing death wherever they could. The incident of
their capturing a church while service was going on is still fresh in
the memory of many and the battle of Pine Log ,where being hunted with
bloodhounds, they stood at bay and several officers and citizens were
killed. The outlaws finally got out of the state, floating down the
Arkansas and Mississippi rivers in a skiff to New Orleans . They
finally returned to Georgia where they now are securely hidden away.
His wife was murdered or committed suicide, Daniel believes was
murdered, but the children got back to Georgia and are now with their
father Jack Daniel.
--Source - December 24 , 1885 - Arkansas Gazette; transcribed by Tina
Easley.
THE
HOLD UP OF PASSENGER TRAIN NO. 51
A Fast Train Held Up, Conductor
Killed
Little Rock , Ark. Nov 1- The Cannon Ball express train of the Iron
Mountain road was held up by seven masked men at Ohphant, seven miles
north of Newport, at 1 o'clock this morning and after killing Conductor
J.P. McNalley, who fired on the outlaws, the men robbed the express car
and the passengers.
When the train stopped at Ohphant, a small lumber town of 300 people in
White county, two men jumped on the engine and firemen, warned them to
keep still, threatening to blow their brains out if they moved a
muscle. Five other men at the same time surrounded the express car,
which was open, and began firing from their revolvers.
Conductor S.P. McNalley rushed to the platform revolver in hand and
returned the robbers' fire, but before he had succeded in wounding any
of them he was shot and killed. The robbers then entered the express
car, overpowered the messenger and looted the car. Then leaving two men
to guard the train the others entered the coaches and sleepers, and at
the muzzles of revolvers relieved the passengers of their valuables.
They then left with a parting volley, taking a northerly direction.
A telegram was at once sent to the sheriff at Newport, who formed a
posse and started a pursuit . An engine was dispatched to Augusta for
blood hounds and telegrams were sent here for assistance. A special
train left at 1:05 carrying a posse and a pack of blood hounds. No
ideas of the amount of money secured by the robbers can be given.
It is thought the robbers boarded the train here and kept concealed
until Ohphant was reached. While going through the passengers one of
the robbers made the remark that they wanted no laboring man's money .
Nevertheless they took from a cotton picker, the reap of nearly a
season's work.
--Source - November 4 , 1893 - Kansas City Star; Submitted and Written
by Laveral Rogers; transcribed by Tina Easley
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