For Those Disposed to Go Astray

One thing I have learned in tracking those kinfolk who migrated away from here is, we are the West.

While 'tracking the killer of Asa Henson, one G. W. Harwell, I came across a series of newspaper articles that tell a story on their on. All connected, and with these, I begin a tale that will be a series of several posts.

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Russell Register
Seale, Alabama17 Jan 1878, Thu  •  Page 1
The above appears like a suicide note. But keep reading....

It continued:

And the sad saga continues....


The following had preceded all of the above letters.
A rather different picture was emerging.




And now, for the Coroners report:



It seems the rumour of the death of James Harwell had been greatly exagerated. He had gotten by with murder. Literally.

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The Opelika Observer
Opelika, Alabama10 Jan 1878, Thu  •  Page 3
The unknown man in this earlier article, was the one and only Fred Saxon Foster, or whomever he really was, the corpse who had "mailed" all these letters clearing Mr. James Harwell of numerous misdeeds before he so conveniently killed himself, or supposedly so. 

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The Opelika Observer
Opelika, Alabama10 Jan 1878, Thu  •  Page 3
James Reese Harwell lacked for nothing. He came from one of the best families in the town of Opelika, Lee County, Alabama. Among his closest relatives were ministers, businessmen and politicians. He had no reason to go astray. Born in June of 1850, the same year as his second cousin, Gazzain Washington Harwell, from 1876 to 1881, James Harwell was more than a scamp. He was a killer. 

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The Opelika Times
Opelika, Alabama10 Jun 1876, Sat  •  Page 3In 1876, they described him as a "wayward boy". At this point, however, he had only broken in the store of Mr. W. F. Greene. He had been sent to West Point, ran away and was arrested in Atlanta. 
Birmingham Iron Age
Birmingham, Alabama12 Jan 1881, Wed  •  Page 3A few years later, they were describing him differently. He had killed the poor Fred Saxon Foster, or whomever the poor vagabond was, in 1878 and would go on to kill again. 

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The Opelika Observer
Opelika, Alabama10 Jan 1878, Thu  •  Page 3
It took years to catch him. He had changed his name to Lane, taking on the identity of a deceased Colonel, or Revenue officer.

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Choctaw County News
Butler, Alabama14 Sep 1881, Wed  •  Page 2He tried to rape a girl in Montgomery, Alabama and there he met his fate. 

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The Opelika Observer
Opelika, Alabama20 Jan 1881, Thu  •  Page 3

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The Opelika Times
Opelika, Alabama02 Sep 1881, Fri  •  Page 3
The Revenue Officer was NOT a Revenue Officer.


Birmingham Iron Age
Birmingham, Alabama03 Nov 1881, Thu  •  Page 3



The killers of James Harwell were found not guilty, of course.




The Weekly Advertiser
Montgomery, Alabama26 Aug 1884, Tue  •  Page 1


But who was James Harwell, and how was he related to Gazzain Harwell, of the same age and times, killer of Asa Henson. The answers were certainly a surprise.