CHAPTER XXIX.
THE ROBBERY OF ANDREW HENDERSON.
This robbery occurred in the latter part of November, 1896, following closely the robbery of old man John Burnett. Old Uncle Andy, as he was familiarly known, lived in the Henderson Spring neighborhood and was one of the oldest and best citizens in Sevier county. Besides owning one of the best river farms in the county, it was a well known fact that he always kept on hand a large sum of ready cash. He was an out-spoken old man, and did not hesitate to speak his sentiments. He never occupied neutral ground on any grave question, but took one side or the other, and was always able to defend his position. Like all the other Hendersons of Sevier county, he took a bold stand against the White-caps. Hence the motive for the commission of this grave crime may have been two-fold. These midnight raiders, no doubt, reasoned with themselves in this way: that they would not only enhance the sum of their ill-gotten gains, but at the same time would get even with a relentless enemy for his bold denunciation of their cowardly crimes. It has always been believed by Sevier county people that at least some of the men committing this crime were his near neighbors who were perfectly familiar with all the surroundings. Uncle Andy was suddenly aroused that night in November from his midnight slumbers by a heavy crash at his window. He opened his eyes and found the muzzle of a shot gun staring him in the face, and at the same time came the command: Hold up your hands. The robbers, evidently, were acquainted with the situation and well knew that Uncle Andy’s shot gun was always near his bedside, and although old and feeble, he knew how to handle it, and they did not care to take equal chances with him. So one of them thrust a shot gun through the window pane and kept him covered while the others battered down the door. Once on the inside it was an easy matter to accomplish their purpose. They dragged the old man from his bed and shoved him around the room in a rough manner, and with a man at each arm they led him to his safe and demanded him to open it at once. He obeyed the command but it was some little time before he could get it open. He had forgotten the combination and had begun to grow uneasy for fear he could not open it at all. He turned the knob with great care, for he knew full well that his life depended on his success in opening the safe. At last the safe was opened and the shining gold, amounting to a little over two thousand dollars, was turned over to the robbers. Yet they were not satisfied; they knew that Uncle Andy always kept on hand for his morning dram some of the finest liquor that could be had, and making their way to his closet they found a two-gallon demijohn upon which the seal had not yet been broken. Satisfied at last, if indeed it is possible to satisfy the ravenous greed of a midnight robber, they bade him good night and departed. Soon the loud clatter of horse’s hoofs was heard going down the road in the direction of Sevierville, and three or four reckless riders reeling in their saddles and yelling at the top of their voices: White-caps! White-caps! Hurrah for the White-caps! On they went as fast as their fiery steeds could carry them, passing the farm houses one by one in quick succession, still yelling: White-caps! White-caps! Clear the way - the White-caps are coming! On approaching the town of Sevierville they tightened their reins and came suddenly to a halt, and nothing more was heard of them. Before leaving old man Henderson, they waved a pistol in his face, saying: Old man, if you ever cheep this, your life instead of your gold will pay the penalty. The old man and his aged companion lay in bed talking in subdued tones until ten o’clock the next day. They imagined they could hear the robbers walking around the house and thought they had returned to carry out the threat that they had made the night before. It was, therefore, late in the day before the neighbors knew that a robbery had been committed. He finally sent for his nephew, William A. Henderson. When he came, the old man burst in tears, saying: Bill, I am ruined, I am ruined! What on earth is the matter, Uncle Andy? queried his nephew. They have robbed me of all my gold, and left me without a cent, replied the heart-broken old man. It would have been better had they murdered him in cold blood, for the shock that he received that night with the loss of the earnings of a life-time no doubt caused his death. Up to this time his mind had been as clear and bright as it had ever been in his younger days, but now it became unbalanced from meditating and brooding over his sad misfortune. He lingered along for two or three months and died, his mind gradually giving away. There is still an outstanding reward of three hundred dollars for the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of this midnight robbery. We close this chapter without giving the general public all the facts known in regard to the parties committing the crime, as officers are now working hard on this case with a fair chance of success. |