CHAPTER XV.
BATTLE NEAR HENDERSON’S SPRINGS
On a cold November night in the year 1894 the people in the neighborhood of Henderson’s Springs were startled by the firing, in rapid succession, of perhaps one hundred shots. They were heard for several miles around and ceased as abruptly as they began. For a moment an oppressive stillness reigned, then the clatter of horses hoofs and the splashing of water could be heard in every direction. Marauding bands of White-caps were heading for home with the speed of fleet horses, regardless of fences, roads or fords. The nearest routes were taken and the river was crossed that night at points where it had never been crossed before. A detachment each of White-caps and a sheriff’s posse had met on the battle-field and the White-caps were routed. All within hearing distance knew a battle had been fought, but what was the result? No one knew. Imagine the aching hearts of mother and daughter waiting in suspense for the return of husband, father or brother, or for news from the battlefield. The particulars were not known until the following day when it was learned that Elijah Helton, of the sheriff’s posse, and Laban Latham and Isaac Keeble, of the White-cap band, were killed, and M. V. Lewellen, of the sheriff’s posse, was wounded. The causes leading up to this tragedy are as follows: Many outrages had been committed in the neighborhood. Among those who had been whipped were Benjamin Farr and Ruth Massey. Benjamin Farr was an old and inoffensive negro and far above the average of his race in point of intelligence. When the Houk and Gibson congressional contest was at fever heat, Uncle Ben, as he was familiarly known, took the stump for Houk. He was surprised one night to awake and find his bedside surrounded by a number of masked men. He was taken out and after a cruel beating they placed him on a stump, saying: Now, d__n you, make a speech for Gibson. Uncle Ben took in the situation. He was not like a man who could not make a speech. He proceeded with his argument to the satisfaction of all present. Ruth Massey, wife of James Massey and sister-in-law of Dr. Z. D. Massey, was a beautiful young woman, but, like other unfortunate young women, had strayed from the path of virtue. The White-caps battered down the door of the Massey home and both husband and wife were taken in their night apparel into the open air. Two men stood with cocked revolvers pointed in the husband’s face, two others held Ruth's arms locked around a tree, while two others, one on each side of the unfortunate woman, proceeded to lash her with buggy whips. They turned her night clothes over her head, commenced at her feet and took lash about, until they had whipped her from foot to head. The poor woman, in the clutches of the heartless band of hellish demons, said: Let me down till I die. They let her go and she fell to the ground in a swoon. Thinking she was dead they carried her into the house, and laying her on the bed, stayed with her until she regained consciousness. This was one of the most cruel whippings that had ever occurred in Sevier county, and the people, enraged almost beyond control, longed for an opportunity to avenge the cruel deed. It came at last. William Brown, a member of the band admitted to their councils, who had been present on some of their whipping expeditions, in an unguarded moment, took into his confidence Benjamin Farr and imparted to him all the secrets and signs of the organization. He also told of their future plans and of a plot to whip James Massey and blow up Pink Rauhuffs house with dynamite or burn him out with coal oil. Uncle Ben had no love for the midnight raiders and was not long in communicating this important information to the enemies of the outlaws. Relying on this information, early in the morning of this eventful day in November, Elijah Helton came to Sevierville and informed sheriff Maples of the proposed raid of the White-caps and asked his assistance in intercepting them. Chancery court was then in session and the sheriff had his hands full, but he deputized Mr. Helton and M. F. Nichols and instructed them to summon all the good citizens in the neighborhood and, if possible, to defeat this devilish plot. The citizens met at Henderson’s Springs soon after dark, their plans were agreed upon and they started at once in the direction of James Massey’s house. The conflict took place at a point only one half mile from the famous summer resort, Henderson’s Springs, where a narrow road runs around the craggy cliff overhanging the beautiful Pigeon River. The citizens on duty that night were Elijah Helton, M. F. Nichols, W. A. Henderson, A. W. Nichols, M. V. Lewellen, John Myers and Pink Rauhuff. They took the road to Massey’s house leading around the bluff. M. F. Nichols, Henderson and Myers were about thirty steps in front of Helton and Lewellen. The night was quite dark. Suddenly they met four unmasked men who pulled their hats over their faces and passed in single file on the upper side of the road. The men in front failed to recognize any of them, and while suspicious, were not certain that they belonged to the band of raiders. In a moment the four suspicious characters met Helton and Lewellen; some words were passed which could not be heard distinctly, but a volley of pistol shots were fired, followed immediately by a roar of shot guns. The first shot fired by the White-caps struck Lewellen square in the breast and knocked him off of the bluff. In the meantime, Helton had emptied both barrels of his shot gun and two of the White-caps fell to the ground. Helton threw out his two empty shells and was in the act of reloading when James Gibson, a White-cap, rushed up and fired two pistol shots at close range which went crushing through Heltons brain. A regular fusillade of shots from the three men in front compelled the two White-caps yet unhurt to beat a hasty retreat, one of them with two holes in his hat. This was an unexpected meeting and neither side had their full force present. The main body of the White-caps were assembled in a little grove near Henderson’s Springs, while A. W. Nichols and Pink Rauhuff were watching the road a few hundred yards down the river. The firing was distinctly heard by both sides and a stampede followed. Nichols and Rauhuff came running down the road to overtake their friends and suddenly stumbled upon the dead bodies of Helton and Keeble. They did not take time to see who it was, but wheeled around and retraced their steps in double quick time. Lewellen started for home, suffering excruciating pain from the wound in his breast. He died a year later of consumption, thought to have been caused by the wound he received that night, as the ball was never located. Mitchell Nichols and William Henderson left the main road and wound their way around the foot of the bluff and waded the river, up to their necks, at a point where they had never crossed before. All this time they could hear distinctly the pitiful groans of Laban Latham pleading: Oh, my God, I am shot and dying. Friends come to me. After crossing the river they stopped again to listen, and Nichols thought he recognized the voice of his brother Ash. They were almost frozen to death, but stealthily slipped up the river bank opposite to where Latham was lying. With only a narrow stream between them, the groans of Latham fell distinctly upon the ears of the anxious listeners as he cried out: Oh, Jim, where are you! I am shot and bleeding to death. They soon decided he was not one of their friends and departed for home. On arriving at home Nichols found that his brother Ash had not returned. All night long he walked the floor exclaiming: Oh, my God! The poor unfortunate man is dying all alone by the river side. Surely, it must be brother Ash. He could not stand it any longer, and returned that he might hear the voice once more. But a death-like silence reigned over the weird scene and not a sound could be heard save the doleful hooting of an owl that sat on the over-hanging cliff. His brother Ash was then at the house of Pink Rauhuff fearing that one of the dead bodies over which he had stumbled was his brother Mitchell. There was an old sack under the dead body of Keeble, containing three White-cap suits, which told plainly his business on that fateful night. Immediately following this occurrence, feeling ran high in the community. Each family sympathized with one side or the other, and life-time friendships were dissolved. William Brown, the informant, together with Jesse and Isaac Brown, the two latter having also joined the White-caps, became alarmed and decided to turn state's evidence, which they did, and then in quick succession followed the arrests of Dan Davis, captain of the band, and two of his boys, John Blair, William Wear, George Montgomery, Lon Carnes, John Norton, Henry McMahan and Arthur and John Seaton, all charged with the whipping of Ben Farr and Ruth Massey. They all waived a trial before a Justice of the Peace and gave bond for their appearance at court. When court convened, in the selection of the grand jury two White-caps were chosen, hence no true bills were found and the men were released. The White-caps were encouraged by this act and boasted that the court was in sympathy with them and that nothing could or would be done to punish them for their lawless acts. |