Moses Stegal, Riverboat pirate

biography

From https://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2011/11/revolutionary-killers...

Under pressure, the Harpes fled later to the cabin of Moses Stegal (also spelled Stegall), a former riverboat pirate from Cave-in-Rock. They pretended to his wife to be itinerant Methodist preachers looking for a bed, then killed another snoring traveler sleeping with them in the loft, also slitting the throat of Stegal infant to keep it quiet while Mrs. Stegal was in another room cooking for them. Some people suggest that Mrs. Stegal recognized them when they arrived, but wouldnt out them to the rest of the guests, probably from fear. Nevertheless, they killed her, too, before leaving, and set the house on fire, as reported by a laborer. Captain Moses Stegal joined with Captain John Leiper, another man who may have had former criminal acquaintance with the Harpes, and they tracked the brothers down. Revenge played a part, of course, but perhaps even among career criminals, theres a kind of uncontrolled bloodlust thats intolerable? And perhaps only people familiar with how the Harpes had operated over the years had a chance of finding them.
Harpe wife Sarah later reported that Big Harpe originally wanted to kill the family's remaining three children to make running from Stegals posse easier, but he didnt. It was the smoke from their fire in a cave that alerted their pursuers. Wiley had slipped away from the group earlier to kill a wayfarer, it was said, but Micajah jumped on a horse (possibly Wileys horse, which was slower than the fleet one Wiley actually took) and rode off. The kids and women were restrained by being tied to trees, but the posse didnt have enough men to chase down both brothers. They went after the fleeing Big Harpe, who got shot through the arm and in the side. In another strangeness, it was reported that Moses Stegal, the new widower whose child was murdered, gave the wounded Big Harpe water to drink from his own shoe.

http://www.tngenweb.org/tnletters/ky/hndky004.htm

. . . . Some people thought Moses Stigall turned out bad because his wife and boy ended life so awful and he cutting Harpes head off was cause of it to. He took to being drunk and doing everything so in the next year he married Ellen Jane Vane just come from Virginia and got Vera Maddox to slip away and go with Josh Fleehart a mean mean man. Peaker Fletcher was in love with Vera so he and Vera brother Jake followed them to Ilinois Territory in a log cabin. Vera was on Josh lap loving him they could see Moses and Vera there Moses kicked Vera in the stomach she fell to the floor,. They was looking through the logs. Both fired same time. They left them there after dragging them out of cabin for wild animals to eat and started back with Jane and Vera, they did not want to come back and mad because they killed there men, when they put up to camp at night Josh and Peaker got stupid drunk so at daylight the women was gone and nobody ever new where they went. Some thought maby they all got in a fight, and something awful happened - I dont know. .. . . .

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• http://www.nashvillescene.com/news/article/13051169/the-terrifying-...
• page 142 - 143 of The Outlaws of Cave-in-Rock By Otto A. Rother. Killed by brothers of abducted girl
• page 144 of The Outlaws of Cave-in-Rock By Otto A. Rother. Stegall and Leiper Streets named for them, 1860, town of Dixon, Webster County KY