THE SECRET BAND OF BROTHERS.

Explanatory remarks—­The Grand Master of The Secret Band of Brothers—­Vice-grand Masters—­Ordinary members—­Objects of the Order—­Colonel Brown sacrificed lest he should betray them—­Taylorites and Brownites 66

CHAPTER X.

The mysterious box.

Anxiety about the missing papers—­Cause of the hostility of the Band to me—­The papers supposed to be deposited in the United States Court—­Clerk’s office broken into, and the box containing Taylor’s indictment and the spurious money stolen—­Suspected—­Placed in prison for safety—­The robber discovered—­My release—­The mysterious box—­The stranger—­Conversation with Wyatt—­The box opened 75

CHAPTER XI.

The pork trade, or driving the hogs to A wrong market.

The trading operations of the Band—­Lectures at Lawrenceburgh—­The Browns and the hog-drover 84

CHAPTER XII.

Constitution and by-laws of the secret band of brothers.

Initiation—­Penalties—­The Grand Masters—­The secret writing—­The six qualities, Huska, Caugh, Naugh, Maugh, Haugh, Gaugh—­Vocabulary of flash words—­The post-routes.—­The horse-trade explained—­Allowances—­ Specimens of correspondence—­The biter bit—­A letter of introduction with an important note—­Subsequent inquiry into the case 90

CHAPTER XIII.

A chapter of affinities.

Thieves and thief-catchers—­A family of five—­Penitence and Penitentiaries—­The chain-driver and his gang—­Lawyers’ fees and Lawyers’ privileges—­Our representatives 139

CHAPTER XIV.

Gambling expedition in the Choctaw nation.

Character of the inhabitants on the Texas frontier in 1833—­The murder of Dr ——.  Operations at Fort Towson—­Edmonds and Scoggins—­Robbery—­ Journey to Fort Smith—­The dumb negro speaks—­His character of Scoggins and Edmonds 147

CHAPTER XV.

Correspondence connected with my visit to the Auburn prison, and conversation with Wyatt, the murderer.

1.  Chaplain Morrill’s letter commendatory of my visit—­2.  My own account—­3.  My second visit—­4.  Mr. Gary’s letter—­5.  Reply to the accusations of Mr. Morrill—­6.  Mr. Merrill’s charges—­7.  Vindication from these charges—­8.  Further particulars relative to the life of Wyatt alias Newell alias North, and a horrid murder committed near Perrysburgh, Ohio—­