Transcriber’s Note: Like the original book, this eBook encloses Bibliography references in square brackets. To avoid embiguity, this eBook encloses footnote references in angle quotes (e.g., «15»). THE OUTLAWS OF CAVE-IN-ROCK [Illustration: CAVE-IN-ROCK (From an original oil painting by J. Bernhard Alberts, made in 1916)] THE OUTLAWS OF CAVE-IN-ROCK Historical Accounts of the Famous Highwaymen and River Pirates who operated in Pioneer Days upon the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and over the old Natchez Trace by Otto A. Rothert _Secretary, The Filson Club_ [Illustration] The Arthur H. Clark Company Cleveland: 1924 COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY OTTO A. ROTHERT _All Rights Reserved_ TO MY FRIEND YOUNG E. ALLISON Contents THE PURPOSE OF THIS NARRATIVE 13 THE LAIR OF THE OUTLAWS 17 PIRACY AND ROUGH LIFE ON THE RIVER 37 THE HARPES--A TERRIBLE FRONTIER STORY 55 THE HARPES--RENEWAL OF THE TERROR 83 THE HARPES--BIG HARPE’S RIDE TO DEATH 107 THE HARPES--MYSTERIES AND FATE OF SURVIVORS 139 MASON--SOLDIER, PIRATE, HIGHWAYMAN 157 MASON--ON THE NATCHEZ TRACE 179 MASON--TRAPPED AND TRIED 207 MASON AND HARPE--DOUBLE-CROSS AND DOUBLE DEATH 241 COINERS AT THE CAVE 267 THE FORD’S FERRY MYSTERY 283 PAYING THE PENALTY 307 THE CAVE IN FICTION 321 BIBLIOGRAPHY--MANUSCRIPT SOURCES 335 BIBLIOGRAPHY--PRINTED SOURCES 336 INDEX 347 Illustrations CAVE-IN-ROCK _Frontispiece_ From an original oil painting by J. Bernhard Alberts, made in 1916 INTERIOR OF CAVE-IN-ROCK 21 From a drawing by J. Bernhard Alberts made in 1916 INTERIOR OF CAVE-IN-ROCK ABOUT 1825 33 From the original drawing by Charles Alexander Leseuer FACSIMILE OF NEWS ITEM REGARDING CAPTURE OF MICAJAH HARPE 123 Dated, Lexington, Kentucky, September 10, 1799, and published in the Carolina Gazette, Charleston, S. C., October 24, 1799 MAP SHOWING CAVE-IN-ROCK AND THE NATCHEZ TRACE, 1814 193 FACSIMILE OF PASSPORT ISSUED TO SAMUEL MASON 213 Written in French and issued by the Spanish Commandant of the District of New Madrid, March 29, 1800