Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land piratePitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
History
Life and bloody career of the executed criminal, James Copeland, the great Southern land pirate
Pitts, J. R. S. (James Robert Soda)
Copeland, James, 1823-1857; Criminals -- Gulf States -- Biography
Shoemake, before leaving Kemper county, made intimations as if disposed
to divulge the interesting historical part of his life; and, at the
same time, in reference to the tremendous disaster he sustained on the
trial of Dr. Pitts; made significant remarks of a double meaning, but
really of a nature to warrant the impression that the publisher of the
Life and Career of Copeland would pass off this stage of existence,
which would be certain to leave mystery behind for future contemplation.
Shoemake resided in and around Kemper county for a number of years. His
conduct was always suspicious, but his address, his ingenuity, and his
whole movements were so profoundly managed as to evade penal detection.
Years had to elapse to fully develop the man for anything like a common
consent as to his real Character. It but required time to satisfy the
judgment of all that he tainted everything he touched. And this is the
man who was so sensitive because Copeland confessed him to be “a big
dog among the clan.”
THE TWO HARDENS AND THE MURDER OF SHERIFF SMITH.
The names of the two Hardens were given by Copeland as forming a part
of the clan. More about them has since been collected, which will now
be read with interest.
About the year 1853 John Harden, from the State of Alabama, stole a
fine animal, buggy and negro man, and succeeded in getting them safely
to Marion county, Miss., where his mother resided. The Sheriff, Mr.
Smith, from the county in Alabama where said property was stolen from,
pursued Harden, and on reaching this State, Mississippi, he employed
the services of Philip James, of Greene county, to accompany him.
Finding Harden in the night at his mother’s, he was by them taken on
surprise, but made a desperate resistance, though being overpowered,
was compelled to surrender. The horse, buggy and negro man were all
found. Sheriff Smith had Harden confined within the buggy, and the
negro man ordered to ride the horse. On returning, and when they
reached the residence of Philip James, Sheriff Smith made no further
request on Mr. James, and thought he could then manage without any
further assistance. Accordingly they started, but shortly after they
had crossed Chickasahay river the Sheriff was killed—appearances
indicating that he had been beaten to death by a club. But whether by
Harden or the negro man, none ever were able to ascertain. The buggy
was rolled off under a hill. The horses and the two persons made
their escape for the time being. Nothing positively definite, but the
report followed that in some six or eight months afterward Harden was
apprehended by Smith’s friends, and by lynch operations finished his
career by being hung to the limb of a tree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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