Secret Band of Brothers Part 8

" FEELER " Dirk, sword, knife, &c.

" REACHER " Gun, pistol, &c.

" PAD " Bed.

" BLOTTER " Writing--such as letters, &c.

As Nature, in every feature, dislikes a traitor, no provision has been made for dissembling. This society is ruled by Nature, as our G.o.d!--and it is the duty of each and every member to do all in his power to promote the welfare of his Brethren, as, by so doing, he must in time convince all observers that the Secret Brothers are the only true Christian sect on earth; and this we, ourselves, individually and collectively, believe; and we make this manifest, by placing our names to this scroll, and thereby pledging our fortunes and our lives to maintain and carry out these principles in all sincerity and truth; and should we ever offer to take up another faith, and renounce this, may our prayer-oath be fulfilled to the extent of all its agonies; aye, and more: we now again doubly pray, that if we ever offer to secede from this, our religion, that we may thereby seal our immortal state with an undying existence in a world of torment, prepared for all priestcraft and treacherous mortals.

The singular circ.u.mstances connected with my obtaining these papers, and the awful obligations contained in the const.i.tution, will prepare the reader for some strange developments. The const.i.tution, although not elegantly worded, proves its author to have been a man of uncommon shrewdness, and knowledge of human nature, and forethought. We may therefore expect that the plan of operations should be so laid as to baffle detection by ordinary means. I will try to give some idea of it.

It was necessary that letters should be transmitted from one member to another, in a distant location, yet the person to whom the letter was addressed might be miles from a government post-office, and it might not be safe for him to present himself for a letter, lest he should be recognised as a desperate man, and letters were liable to be opened and their desperate projects exposed. To avoid this danger, they established a line of communication, extending from Toronto, Canada, to New Orleans.

Not precisely direct, but lying through large towns.

On this route were post-offices; consisting of hollow trees, caves, cavities in rocks, &c. Those who wished to send letters deposited them here; with full directions. All the "brothers" knew these post-offices; and when, in their travels, they came near one, were bound to stop, and examine the letters. If they found letters directed to persons on their route, they must carry them along. If the letter was directed to a person beyond the extent of his journey, he must at least carry it to the next post-office, if he was going so far; and from that, some other Brother would pa.s.s it along. It was death, in all cases, for a member to open a letter not directed to him.

As Brothers are constantly pa.s.sing along the line, in both directions, considerable despatch was secured. If a letter should chance to be lost, it was written in such a manner that one not knowing the secret would suppose it to be an ordinary business letter, and the persons alluded to were so mentioned as that only the individual to whom the letter was addressed, or some person interested in the same transaction, could understand the allusion.

The person to whom the letter was addressed must return the letter, if requested, but might keep a copy. Along this mail line lived many of the Brotherhood, and as they knew each other by signs, and were able to converse in a _flash language_, unintelligible to the community generally; when we recollect that they were bound by solemn oaths to aid and defend each other in every emergency, right or wrong--that both men and women belonged to the order--the reader will see what security a villain could enjoy when hunted by the police; how easily the _respectable_ citizen, the country merchant, the lawyer, the captain of a steamboat, could conceal the fugitive, and put the officer upon the wrong scent.

In addition to this caution, any thing which must be so explicit that a stranger to the order might understand, if he should see it, was written with sympathetic ink, which would appear only when heated, and would disappear again when cold; and even this was written in a perfectly unintelligible cipher, to which, however, I very fortunately found the key among the letters. I insert it for the benefit of the curious.

One of the most profitable branches of their business was that of _trading in horses_. For this, as will be seen, their combination gave them peculiar facilities.

One of the _common_ robbers steals a _horse_, rides it fifty or a hundred miles, and offers it to a _respectable_ robber, called a _trader_. If it do not appear a dangerous bargain, he makes the transaction as public as possible; he takes a bill of sale, and enters it on his books, and the common robber goes on his way rejoicing.

Presently the owner comes along, and _claims the horse_. The _respectable_ trader is very much astonished at the discovery, but makes no resistance. The owner, rejoiced to find his property again, gladly pays the expenses of keeping and goes home. But the respectable trader is very sure to have not the slightest clue to the whereabouts of the man who sold him the horse, and although it was done so publicly that the owner cannot have a doubt of the innocence of the trader, yet, strange to say, n.o.body knows which direction the thief took, even when he left the settlement.

Lest some member should get another into his power, it is provided in the const.i.tution, that for every transaction they shall "pa.s.s" or exchange receipts. This gives to each the same power, provided they are both of the lower grade. That is, whoever has bought a stolen horse of some member of the band, can be proved to have done so by the thief, from the receipt; and the thief in like manner is in the power of the trader. Again, it is of importance to the poor robber to have a receipt from some eminent trader, since it gives him character as a man of business, and serves as a letter of introduction. They are written in the usual form of an ordinary business transaction.

The Grand Masters, who, alone, it will be recollected, have the secret of using sympathetic ink, and the cipher, always add to the receipt, with invisible writing, the description and character of the individual who bears it, thus holding the poor fellow completely in his power.

But should a poor scamp get caught, and lie in prison a year or two, he is ent.i.tled, by the const.i.tution, to thirty-three cents per day for the whole time. By the same const.i.tution, also, he is directed how he must proceed to get it. He proceeds, therefore, in due form, as follows: Going to the Grand Master of the district in which he was convicted, he addresses him thus:--"Most worthy Grand Master, I have this day come before you, to place my hand upon the seal and swear that upon ---- day of ----, in the year ----, I was confined in prison, (or _by sickness_) for ---- months and ---- days; during which time I have contracted the following expenses; I therefore make my pet.i.tion that such money as may be my due may be given me for my a.s.sistance."

The Grand Master, or Grand as he is called, then asks the following questions:

"How long have you been a member?

"Where were you initiated?

"To whom have you paid your dues?

"What evidence have you that such are the facts?"

If, then, the poor brother have not receipts proving the transactions for which he was imprisoned, and further, proof of his actual imprisonment, (or evidence of his sickness,) no further notice is taken of him. But if he have such regular proofs as are required, the Grand declares that they have but a small amount of funds in the treasury. But that the Brother may get his dues, he gives him drafts upon the various Grands in the country, to the amount of his dues. If the amount were five hundred dollars, he would receive fifty ten dollar drafts upon fifty Grands, scattered over the country, from Canada to Alabama, and of whom, in all probability, he will never see three; and they are payable to none but the person in whose favour they are drawn. And "to make a.s.surance doubly sure," with sympathetic ink, the cunning officer writes a full description on each draft, of the age, size, complexion, profession, peculiarities, &c., of the bearer, so that if he should undertake to send by another, he would have his labour for his pains.

We have now submitted the const.i.tution to the judgment of our readers, as we found it, having only added a few explanatory remarks, which we are enabled to do from knowledge acquired in various ways; and we now select from those letters which came into our possession a few, written by some of the individuals noticed in this work, which will throw additional light on the character of the Band. The note to each letter is explanatory of the language contained in the ciphers.

No. 1.

Lawrenceburgh, September 24, 1825.

_Most Worthy and Respected Brother_,--Let me introduce the bearer of this, who visits you for the purpose of promoting our benevolent inst.i.tution and his operations. I have not the least doubt you will find his visit not of importance to him alone, but to you and all the friends of humanity and kind feeling which belong to our benevolent society.

Yours, in great haste,

101000 000000 000300 000004 500000 000000 000000 800088 + 000900

[This letter bears upon its face the following ciphers, which interpreted read as follows:--The bearer is BOLD, CUNNING, TEMPERATE, LARGE, and TALL; by profession a LAWYER, and has been a CONVICT, he is marked upon the face; his age is from THIRTY to FORTY, and QUICK in speech. The cross (+) upon the number 9 designates the bearer to have been a convict, and that he is ent.i.tled to much respect among the Brotherhood. This, however, the Grand Masters teach their subordinates to acknowledge, for the purpose of finding out among them such as they can have confidence in in carrying out any desperate scheme; and likewise to prevent them from exposing others, through their a.s.sociations; and thus it is that they, as brethren, feel no delicacy in acknowledging to a brother, the honour of having been a martyr.]

No. 2.

Lawrenceburgh, October 13, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--According to our agreement, I was at the place appointed, where I remained until three o'clock, much distressed on account of your absence; and my situation was very little better when I learned you had been detained through the negligence of our friend in Boon county. I have no confidence in him, nor ever will have, so long as he makes use of so much whisky. I exchanged the coney I had for four hundred pounds of feathers, and left them subject to your order at friend ---- ----, grocery store, Lower Market street. I called and took breakfast with the judge, and he tells me times have never been so close upon the coney trade since he resided in the city. I likewise called upon the Irish friend, and the first word he spoke was an oath that Cincinnati was bankrupted; that constant calls were continually made by the boys, and not one dollar to accommodate them with. I hope you will be at home before I leave for Indianapolis, as I cannot remain long upon the way, and I have many calls to make, and be there by the 20th, as that is the day appointed. Raise all the funds you can, and I have no doubt every thing will come out right. This will be handed you by one whom I recommend strictly honest, as I have had recommended. Though he has lived in the burgh ten years, I never knew him until our old friend told me that he was a member. He knows you only by sight.

Yours, ---- ----,

000110 000000 003000 000000 000005 600000 000000 888000 000009

[The figures of this letter describe the bearer as follows: ACTIVE, TEMPERATE, DILATORY, TALL, AND SLENDER, DARK-COMPLEXIONED, WEALTHY, without any particular occupation. That he is CONSUMPTIVE; his age is between TWENTY-ONE and THIRTY; his speech SLOW and INDISTINCT.]

No. 3.

Greensburgh, October 20, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--I have, as you see by this letter, arrived at Greensburgh, having travelled several nights over some of the roughest roads I ever placed foot upon; my journey, otherwise, has not been so disagreeable; but night-travelling always disagrees with me. I was joined by our friend, the doctor, and his intimate friend from Brookville. They tell me they have been absent from Brookville twenty-one days. We met at our good old friend's house, near York ridge.

He is as pleasant as ever, and full as religious, and paid me one hundred and twenty-five dollars--squaring accounts--and traded me two notes on our Madison merchant, amounting to one hundred and thirty-five dollars, which are as good as gold, as he endorses them, and I believe and know the princ.i.p.al to be as good as any man in Madison.

The doctor tells me some of the boys have had a flare-up in Buffalo; but that is nothing new, as our Canada friends act very imprudent. He tells me since he left us, that several cabs have been traced out, and no traces of the workmen left which can injure any one party. He came through Columbus, Ohio! He says they are hard at work, but scarce of material, and no means to procure it. I have not the least doubt but you might find it profitable to go or send some one to supply their wants, so we can make it very profitable. Our friends, ---- ----, ---- ----, _take_ Fort Meggs, and at Manhattan (I have reference to our judge and the lawyer we met in Manhattan, Ohio) have made out well with the horses, taken them in the summer, and say they wish the boys would bring them one hundred head before the lake closes. The doctor brought me a letter to that effect. I leave this place to-morrow evening for the Forks of the road, where I shall expect a letter from you. Let my friend ---- ---- know I am well.

Yours, ---- ----,

000000 002200 000003 400000 000000 600600 077000 800008 000000

[This describes the bearer to be UNDAUNTED, ACTIVE, TEMPERATE, IMPRUDENT, LOW, and HEAVY, LIGHT-COMPLEXIONED, by profession a LAWYER and MERCHANT; age from FORTY to FIFTY-FIVE, QUICK-SPOKEN.]

No. 4.

Four Corners, October 24, 1825.

_Friend Brown_,--I have arrived at the Four Corners, where I was pleased to receive your favour of the 17th, and having the good luck to learn that five of the brethren of Virginia are in the neighbourhood, and would leave to-morrow evening for their homes by the way of Lawrenceburgh, I make ready this and forward it by them for the purpose to inform you that our friend ---- ----, the cooper, cannot, without my consent, have any more stock, unless he pays for it in advance, as I am satisfied he does not wish to act out the correct principles. He tried, the day before I left, to make me agree to take cooperage for the last stock he got; and though he made it answer to the whole face, two hundred, yet he did not wish to pay me thirty in cash, and said you promised to supply him at fifteen cents per hundred, and take it out in cooperage; if so, your contracts must be for your own private benefit, not mine; he has gulled me enough, and I cannot stand his slabbering discourse any more. I am satisfied he has no moral honesty. Our friend, the grocery-keeper, must pay for his last, as he has bartered it all off. I met an intimate friend of his from Burlington, Kentucky, on Clifty, in company with our light-complexioned friend, who lives not far in the county back of the burgh. Two who accompany this are crossed (+) 9's, immediately from Tennessee, and have been travelling fifteen nights. They are accompanied by a brother from Charleston, Virginia, another from Parkersburg, Virginia, and a third from Marietta, Ohio; all wealthy, the bearer and all, worthy brethren. The bearer is a Grand.

Yours, ---- ----.

100000 002000 300000 000004 000000 606600 000000 800008 000000

[This describes the bearer as being BOLD, ARTFUL, ACTIVE, TEMPERATE, LOW, and HEAVY, SANDY-COMPLEXIONED, by profession a MERCHANT; age from THIRTY to FORTY, QUICK-SPOKEN.]

No. 5.