on The HoRRIBLE, MYSTERIOUSANDAVEUL, DISCLºs IN THE LIFE OF THE
ºf MURDERESS, ZILLA, EITZ AMES PARAMQ R.A.Nº ACCOMPLICE OF
ºf N. H. LoNG, THE TRFB.E MURDERER, FOR THE SPACE OF SIX YEARS.
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
º º, º
- º º
|Nº. | º º
|||ſſº/
|º -
º
º
ºn tº a F tº 7, J. A. M. º.
EDITED BY HE RICHARDS
Little Rock, ARK, -
- U B L Is H ED BY A. R. O. R. To N. .
- 1852.
ºº:
-
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ZILLA FITZ JAMES.


ZILLA FITZ JAMES,
THE
FEMALE BANDIT OF TIE, SOUTH-WEST.
OR, THE
HORRIBLE, MYSTERIOUS, AND AWFUL DISCLOSURES
IN THE LIFE OF THE CREOLE MURDERESS,
ZILLA FITZ JAMES,
PARAMOUR AND ACCOMPLICE OF
GREEN H. LONG, THE TREBLE MURDERER.
Foº. Tº sº. ACE OF SLX YEARS.
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL N ARRATIVE,
EDITED BY
- REV. A. RICHARDS,
LITTLE ROCK, ARK,
PUBLISHED BY A. R. O. RTON.
1852.
- - -
º
-
º
-
- - Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by
A. R. ORTON,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court for the Northern District of New York.



ZILLA FITZ JAMES,
I was born in New Orleans, May 17th, 1827, of respectable
parents. My father was a dealer in tobacco, snuff, and segars,
and kept a store in Poydras street, at the time of my birth. But
I was doomed not to know much of a parent's care, for when only
º years of age, that scourge of the south—the yellow fever,
crossed our threshold, and bereft me of both father and mother,
at one fell swoop, leaving me an orphan at that tender age.
Fortunately or unfortunately for me, as will be seen by the
reader anon, I was taken and adopted by an aunt, my mother's
sister, who was a widow. I was too young at the demise of my
parents to recollect much about them, still I have a faint recol-
ection, and that recollection is strengthened, so far as regards
my mother, by a small miniature that I have of her, in a locket
that I am told she hung upon my neck the day she died, and to
which I have ever clung as a talisman. There is a holy some
thing about the miniature that fills me with joy and grief awe
and reverence, as I gaze upon it. It is the picture of her that
gave me birth, nursed, cherished, and doted upon me in early
infancy. How lovely and heavenly she seems to look upon her
only child, with those coal black eyes. How placid and angelic
is her countenance! Those who watched with her during her
illness say, that she freely parted with the world and all else
beside, with the exception of me. It was a hard struggle for her
to part with me, her only child. She died with a prayer on her
lips for me, commending me to the Most High.
From the grave which contained the twain, I went to the house
of my aunt, a splendid mansion in Canal street, gorgeously fur.
inished from cellar to attic. At first, I was inclined to be restive
and peevish, cried for my mother, and wanted to go home. My
aunt was very kind to me, and caressed me much, which soon
made me forget what had passed. I soon began to look upon her
as my mother, and was taught to call her so. Time wore on,
and I grew in years and in stature. When I had arrived at the
age of six years, my aunt engaged a young lady by the name of

8 ZILLA FITZ JAMES.
Lucy Wilkins, from Boston, as a governess, and I was put under
her tuition. I was an uncommonly handsome child, and withal
had a most excellent temper, so I won at once the heart of Miss
Wilkins, who spared no pains to instruct me, and Imastered with
rapidity every task that she gave me, so that at the age of ten
ºny aunt concluded to send me to a boarding school up file river,
to finish my education, as Miss Wilkins had it in contemplation
to return, at that time, to Boston, to spend the summer with her
relatives. I liked the arrangement very much, all but parting
with Miss Wilkins. I had become endeared to her by her kind-
ness tº, and patience with me for four long years, and thus re-
gretted the separation, fearing that it would be forever. How-
ever, it was all arranged. Miss Wilkins returned to Boston, and
I went up the river to Baton Rouge, to Mrs. Johnson's boarding
school. After I became settled there, I liked the change very
much, as I now had a new field to work in, new things to learn,
new associations to form, new friends to make, new desires, new
aspirations, and new hopes to cherish. I soon formed an acquain-
tance with most of the young ladies in the institution, and felt
perfectly happy. -
I had not been there long, before I noticed that one of the
young ladies was under greater surveillance than any of the others.
noticed, also, that she had something more than common on
her mind. Why she was kept under such strict surveillance, and
what it was that weighed so heavily upon her mind, were two
things that I had a woman's curiosity to know. The young lady's
name was Maria Frost, the daughter of a rich planter on the Red
river, near Shreveport, and was, at the time I was there, some
fourteen years of age. She was a charming, lovely girl, just
ripening into womanhood; kind and affectionate to all her asso-
ciates in school. I felt drawn toward her by an irresistible force,
and I soon won her affections and confidence, when she informed
me of that which I most desired to know. She had but lately
been sent to the institution, not so much to learn as to keep her
away from home for a certain period, in order to break up an
intimacy that had sprung up and ripened into love, between the
son of a planter, a near neighbor to her father, and her; and
between whom, i.e. between her father and the planter whose
plantation adjoined his plantation—there was a deadly feud.
Her father had noticed this intimacy, and had tried to check it,
but could not succeed, and finding all his counsels disregarded,
he had brought her thus far away; and fearing that young
Blosier, for that was the young man's name, might find the place
of her retreat, and steal her away, he had given the presiding
genius of the institution a history of those things, and instructed
that a strict watch should be kept on Maria, so that if young
Blosier should find out her place of retreat, and attempt to

ZILLA. FITZ JAMES- 9
establish a correspondence, or anything of that kind, he would
be foiled. But love knows no bounds, for he will travel through
“antres vast, and deserts wild,” in order to consummate his
desires; so it was in this case, for no sooner did young Blosier
learn the flight of his beloved, than he took instant measures to
find where she had flown. He bribed Frost's servants, who
informed him of her place of retreat; on learning of which, he
lost no time, but instantly started for Baton Rouge. By the
means of all powerful gold, he had managed to convey a letter
to her, announcing his arrival. This letter had fanned to a flame
that love she cherished, in the inmost recesses of her heart, for
him, the latent fire of which her hard-hearted father had tried to
smother. It was the consciousness that she was under espionage,
and could not see her lover, nor answer his letter, that made her
wear such a downcast look. When she had thus unbosomed
herself to me, as we were walking arm-in-arm in the garden, I
felt sorry for her, and resolved to help her to the utmost of may
ability. In order to be of service to her, it was agreed that we
should pretend to drop all intimacy, and let it appear to all that
we were not on good terms, so that the suspicions of those who
had her under espionage should not be aroused. We were then
to meet secretly as often as an opportunity should be presented,
and confer together in relation to this matter. At our second
secret meeting, it was agreed that I should write a letter to young
Blosier, and inform him that Maria had received his letter, but
was under espionage, and could not answer him herself; but that
she had let me into her secret, and I was her sworn friend, and
that I would receive all letters for her from him, and deliver
them safely to her, and that I would write answers to them for
her, she dictating what I should write.
I also informed him that Maria still loved him, and would con-
tinue so to do, by the help of God, in spite of all opposition. I
then directed him to envelop all his letters, and address the let-
ters to me, so that if they should chance to fall into the enemy's
hands, our secret would not be discovered. After writing and
sealing the above, I despatched it by the hands of the person
who had delivered young Blosier's letter, to Maria. We carried
on a correspondence in this way, for two weeks, when, finally,
the lovers could bear the separation no longer, and we arranged
things for a meeting between them, and an elopement. It was
finally arranged that Maria should steal out, the first dark night,
and meet young Blosier, who would have a carriage in readiness
to convey her to the river, where they were to take a steamboat,
and go to Memphis, and get married. When this was all ar.
ranged, it was necessary, in order that all our plans should not
miscarry, to lull all suspicion. So, agreeably to my instructions,
Maria put on an air of cheerfulness, that she did not feel, and
10 ZILLA. FITZ JAMES.
went to her task with a seeming pleasure, talked, laughed, and
was merry, a thing unusual with her. Those who had her under
espionage, soon marked the great change in her, and looked upon
it as a happy omen, thinking that she had come to the conclusion
to repudiate young Blosier, and become reconciled to the wishes
and desires of her father. This was precisely what we wanted,
as it made assurance doubly sure. As if to help them to the
consummation of their desires, the elements seemed to be engaged,
for, just at this auspicious time, just such a night as they desired
to have, in order to escape, marshalled its masses of dark clouds,
which hung over, Baton Rouge, as a pall, suspended from the
dome of º igh concave. The thunders rolled as the
booming of a park of artillery; the lightning flashed from one
end of the majestic arch to the other, and the rain came down
in torrents. We knew that young Blosier would be on the spot
we had designated, with a carriage; so I stole softly to Maria's
room, and helped her dress, in her finest clothes, and then tied
up a few necessary things for her, in a handkerchief, as she could
not take her trunks. We then stole softly out, into the garden,
and groped our way along the garden wall, to the spot that we
had agreed upon, to meet young Blosier. We soon arrived, and
there was young Blosier, who had scaled the high wall, with a
rope ladder. As soon as Maria saw him, she rushed into his
outstretched arms, and fainted. He soon brought her to, with
kisses, and the help of a flask of wine, which he applied to her
lips; and of which, she managed to swallow some, which soon
revived her. After kissing me many times, and bidding me
good-bye, she ascended the rºpe ladder, to the top of the wall,
where young Blosier ...º.º.after, thanking me, for the
thousandth time, for my kindness in helping him to be, at last,
united with his beloved. When he had ascended to the top of
the wall, and had drawn up the ladder after him and hung it
down on the other side, they both kissed their hands to me, and
then descended. I stopped and listened to hear the carriage start,
after which, I stole softly to my room, divested myself of my wet
raiment, and retired, to dream of love and happiness.
The next morning it was noticed that Maria did not appear at
prayers, nor at breakfast. This alarmed the superintendent, who
despatched a messenger to her room, to see what was the reason
of her absence. The messenger soon returned with the intelli-
gence that she was no where to be found, and that her room
looked as though she had not occupied it the previous night, as
the bed was not disturbed, etc. This caused a great commotion,
and strict search was instituted all over the buildings and grounds,
but Maria was no where to be found. At last, the truth flashed
upon the superintendent, that she had burst her bonds and flown.
As soon as the superintendent became sensible of this fact, we


-
-
ZILLA FITZ JAMES. 11
were all assembled together in the school-room, and informed of
the same, and each one was asked as to their knowledge of Ma-
ria's escape. But no one knew, nor could form an idea about it,
as they had, one and all, seen her the evening before, the cheer-
fullest of the cheerful, and had not the slightest suspicion that
she meditated an escape. The superintendent then gave us a
lecture on the subject, warning us all to beware how we conduct-
ed ourselves through life; pointed out to us the folly of a young
lady's daring to choose for herself, in opposition to her parents
and guardians; toldus of the many whirlpools and eddies of vice,
that young and beautiful girls had fallen into, in following a ro-
mantic notion; infine, she gave us a long lecture, and commented
severely on the conduct of Maria Frost. But that lecture had
no more impression on me, than it would have had on “Powers'
statue of the Greek Slave.” I considered that Maria had done
perfectly right in escaping from the tyranny of her father, and
the surveillance of the superintendent, and I rejoiced that I had
aided her to escape from the thraldom of both. I would have
cone the same that I did for Maria. Frost, to any other young
lady that was conditioned like her. And, whºn, after the expi-
ration of nearly three weeks, I received a letter from Maria, an
nouncing her safe arrival at Memphis, their happy marriage, and
the happiness she was now enjoying with her beloved, I fairly
leaped with joy, to think that I had been the means of uniting
twº fond and loving hearts. After reading her king and happy
letter, I sat down and wrote her a long letter, telling Heºl that
had transpired since her escape, and what a hubbub there was,
when it was at length made conscious to the superintendent that
she had flown; and gave her a synopsis of the ſong leºire delive
ered to us, on the occasion, and the severe comments º
superintendent, etc., all of which pleased her and her husºnd
as I learned from the letter which she wrote me, in answer to my
letter. A few weeks after this, I received another letter from her,
from her home, which informed me that her father had become
recºnciled, and that they were now living with him, being the
happiest of the happy, and that she had every hope that a recon-
ciliation would soon take place between young Blosier's father
and her father. That was the last letter I ever received from
her, and I have never heard from her since then, either; but I
presume she is spending her days in happiness, with the beloved
idol of her heart. -
I will now pass over a period of three years—the other three
years that I remained at the boarding school, after the occur-
rences that I have just narrated—as nothing worthy of notice
occurred in that space of time. I had now staid some little time
over three years, and had finished my education. I was now in
my fourteenth year, and was quite a woman. I had also grown




12 ZILLA FTT2 JAMES.
tired of the place, and longed to return to my aunt, in New
Orleans, whom I had not seen once in all that time, for I never
left Baton Rouge, from the time I first went there to attend the
boarding school, until 1 was in my fourteenth year, and had
completed my studies. I wrote to my aunt, and informed her of
my desire to return to her house, etc. On the receipt of my let-
ter, she took passage on a steamboat, and came to Baton Rouge,
to see me, settle all my bills, and take me back with her to New
Orleans. She was highly delighted to see me, embraced me
many times, kissed my forehead, said I was a lovely girl, that she
was proud of me, etc. I was quite as delighted to see her as she
was to see me, I am sure, for I loved her exceedingly. The su-
perintendent gave her flattering accounts of me, and said I was
the most accomplished young lady in her school, all of which
tended to raise me high in the estimation of my aunt. After
settling up everything, my aunt concluded to spend a few days
in that delightful place, for Baton Rouge is the most lovely place
in the whole South. We then took passage on one of those
splendid steamers that ply on the Mississippi, for New Orleans,
which we reached in due time. On our arrival home, my aunt
decided to give a great fete, on which occasion I should make my
debut in the beau mondes. I shall never forget that occasion, as
it is from that occasion that I date the commencement of my
eventful career. Nothing was spared by my aunt, that would, in
any way, add eclat to the occasion, and conduce to my happiness.
The house was arrayed gorgeously, the windows were hung with
curtains of damask and crimson; sofas, lounges, ottomans, and
all other furniture was nicely and tastefully arranged. Wines,
fruits, and pastry were supplied, in profusion, and the best musi-
cians in the city were engaged, for an orchestra. Cards of invi-
tation were sent to many of the elite, beau monde, and beau espºts
of the city, and to some noted strangers at the St. Charles, St.
Louis, and Verandah hotels. The night came, and so did the
guests. I was arrayed in the richest and costliest fabrics, and
the finest jewelry. At precisely nine of the clock, I was led into
the parlor by my aunt, and was soon surrounded by the gaping
crowd, who eagerly sought an introduction to me. I was, as
Ophelia says, “The expectancy and rose of the fair state, the
glass of fashion, and the mould of form; the observed of all
observers.” I was engaged to dance the first “set” with young
C. C. the son of a celebrated statesman. He was the hand-
somest and most accomplished man in the room, and, as I was
led up by him to take my place in the first set, I felt as proud as
a princess royal. He, too, seemed conscious of the loveliness of
his partner, and fairly beat himself, by his gallantry. He lost
o time, while by my side, to pour the delicious poison of flat-
tery into my willing ear, and which filled me with pleasure.
Zººl, A FITZ JAMES- 13
He praised my gazelle-like eyes, and queenly form, and pressed
my hands, with such ardor, that my little heart began to flutter
and beat with rapture. And, when the cotillion was through, he
led me to my seat, ensconced himself by my side, and began to
talk of love, in accents sweet and low. Soon he led me on the
floor again, to waltz, Oh! what a thrill of pleasure ran through
my frame, as I whirled through the giddy waltz, in his arms, and
could hear, audibly, the beating of his heart. The rules of eti-
quette demanded that I should not be monopolized by him, all the
evening, so he gave way for other gentlemen, to dance and waltz
with me, with the best grace he could command. But the mo-
ment he saw me disengaged, he was by my side, talking most
bewitchingly. From the moment I saw him first, I was drawn
irresistibly towards him, preferring him before all others. This
will not appear strange, when it is remembered that I was hardly
fourteen years of age, just ripening into womanhood, and, as such,
having a soft, warm heart to dispose of free to hold a thousand
tender pleasures, and, unsophisticated, withal, and he being of
pleasing exterior, and insinuating address, gave great force to his
honied words, to which I listened without suspicion. I can not
say that I fell in love with him, at that time, for I hardly knew
my own feelings. I looked upon him with no small degree of
pleasure, and felt highly honored by his attentions to me. I also
felt no small degree of pride, when I saw that I eclipsed all the
other ladies in the room. -
The fete was at last over, the company dispersed, all passing
of as such fetes generally do, and I retired to my room, with the
proud consciousness that I was the belle of the season. I had
just made my debut in a new sphere; I was no longer looked
upon as a child, but was recognized as a woman, and one of the
loveliest of my sex. And I felt quite certain, from C. C–’s
advances, throughout the evening, that I had captivated one of
America's noblest sons. I disrobed myself, threw myself on the
bed, and tried to sleep, but sleep fled from my eyelids. I did
nothing but think, think, think, the remainder of the night.
| arose at an early hour, and rang the bell for my servant to
come and make my toilet, which, being completed, I descended
to the garden, and walked for an hour, till the breakfast bell
rang, and then went in. My appetite was poor; I could relish
nothing. My aunt noticed all this, and inquired the cause. I
ºnbosomed myself to her, without reserve, and kept nothing from
her. She heard me patiently, to the end, and then burst out in
an immoderate fit of laughter, and continued laughing, until the
tears gushed forth from her eyes, in torrents. Then she checked
herself, and began to talk sensibly to me, telling me to repudiate
such nonsense, at once; that I was a little too romantic tº think
that a young man like Charles C—was going to fall in love


14 ZILLA. FITZ JAMES.
with me, at first sight; the idea was preposterous, and entirely out
of place. “Besides,” said she, “he is already paying his addresses
to me, and has been doing so for the last ten months, and it is
only through friendship for me, that he has extended so much
gallantry to you. He saw,” continued she, “that you were ver-
dant and bashful, and his goodness of heart made him lead you
out, and dance the first set with you, and do the agreeable, as he
did, in order to inspire you with confidence, on making your
debut into society.”
I listened with patience to her conversation, and saw, one by
one, the many castles that I had built in the air thrown down, till
at last all were laid in the dust, and I was left with an aching
void in my heart. I thanked my aunt for her counsel and advice,
and then retired to my room and wept, wept with sheer vexation,
to think that all my cherished hopes were a mere hallucination of
the brain. I then dried my tears, and descended to the garden,
to walk, and cool my heated brow. I had not been there long
before a servant came and informed me that a gentleman was in
the parlor and wished to see me. I immediately entered the
house, and went into the parlor, when, who should be there but
Charles C He arose upon my entrance, and left my aunt,
came to me and begged my pardon for having called me from
the garden, adding that he had called to renew the agreeable
acquaintance of the preceding evening, and then commenced
talking about the fete, the guests that were there, etc. After
spending an hour in this way, he took his leave from us, with a
promise that he would soon call again. As he had paid quite
as much attention to my aunt as he had to me, she looked at me
triumphantly, and said, “You now see, Zilla, that what I have
said to you is quite true.”
Time rolled on, and almost every day Charles C came to
our house and spent a few hours. It soon became plain to me
that he was livelier when talking to me than when talking to my
aunt, which irritated her much, although she tried to hide it.
As he became more warm and tender in his advances to me,
she became cold and repulsive to me. It was plain to be seen,
she was getting jealous of me. This made me feel very bad,
and I tried my best to win back her love; but all I could say or
do was of no avail. But at last she could master her jealousy
no longer, for the next time Charles C came to the house,
she burst out in all her fury upon him, called him a gay deceiver,
and told him that he came to see me only to poison my mind,
and lead me to ruin, therefore she wanted him never to cross her
threshold again, and bade him leave the house at once. He tried
to reason with her, and asked an explanation of her singular
conduct toward him. She told him that she had already given
an explanation, and to be gone at once. He seemed quite

ZILLA FITZ JAMES. 15
sorrowful to depart in that summary manner, I fancied, as he
took his leave.
When he had gone, my aunt turned upon me, and called me
a graceless hussey, and many very hard names, which nearly
brºke my heart, for I felt that I had not merited such treatment
from her. She then sat down and cried, stamped her little feet,
tore her hair, and fairly gnashed her teeth with rage. Then
turning upon me again, says she, “Is this the way you repay
me for all my kindness toward you from infancy, by meanly
stealing the heart of my lover . Begone from my presence! If
I did you justice, I would turn you into the street, and let you
o to the dogs.” I needed no second command to leave her, so
retired to my room, threw myself on the bed, and wept myself
to sleep, when I dreamed a horrid dream, which awoke me with
fright.
was now dark, so I disrobed myself, and laid down again,
and soon fell into a deep sleep, which lasted till morning. I
then arose, rung the bell for my servant, was dressed, and then
descended to the breakfast-room, where I found my aunt. She
was sulky and sullen, hardly deigning to speak to me. I went
and kissed her, told her not to be angry with me, that I knew
not that I had committed any fault, that I would never see nor
speak to him again. This seemed to soothe her, and she began
to look more like my kind, good aunt. To see her begin to look
and act thus cheerful again, took away half of the pang that I
felt at being so summarily parted from Charles C -
My aunt soon proposed a drive to Lake Ponchartrain, an invi-
tation that I gladly accepted; so the carriage was ordered, and
away we went. Soon we left the paved streets, and was driving
slowly along on the road that leads to the landing of the Mobile
and Pensacola steamboats. After an hour's drive we arrived at
the landing, drove up to the hotel, jumped out, and took a stroll
through the delightful garden and nursery close to the landing,
which enlivened and amused us much. We then returned to the
hotel, and had some refreshments, after the partaking of which
we returned to the city. It was now about two o'clock, P. M.,
and I retired to my room to dress for dinner. -
When passing through the hall, I met my old servant, Martha,
who had a most knowing look. I beckoned her to follow me up
stairs, for I saw by the expression of her countenance that she
had something important to communicate. She followed me up
stairs, and after shutting to and fastening the door, she looked
under the bed, and in the closet, to see if no one was near; then
she ventured to bring forth the following letter, and told me not
to let my aunt see it for the world, as it was from Massa Charles

16 ZILLA FITz JAMEs.
DEAREs, Evº DEAREst ZiiLA—If I am transcending the
bounds of propriety, in addressing you by letter, let my great
love for you plead in my behalf, for I am proud to confess that
I deeply and madly love you. But as Shakspeare says,
“The course of true love never did run smooth; *
a faithful and true saying, which I now see verified. Yesterday
I was the recipient of an insult most grievous to be borne, from
your jealous aunt, who, it seems, is troubled with “the green-
eyed monster that doth make the meat it feeds upon,”— all of
which I can meekly bear for your sake. I know not why your
aunt is jealous of me, for I have never given her any cause to
look upon me in any other light than that of a friendly acquain-
tance. But it seems from present appearances, that she has
looked upon our acquaintance in a different light. However, I
do assure you, upon my honor as a man, that I never loved her,
nor any one else, till I saw you.
Before I had the unqualified happiness of seeing you, I was a
stranger to that ecstatic bliss that now holds me in thrall. I read
Shakspeare, Byron, Pope, and all the poets who so beautifully
describe love, that holds the world together, in hopes that I
might taste its sweets; but could not. fühen resolveſ, travel,
which I did, from the Mexican Gulf to the noble St. Lawrence
river, and back again, with the hope that I should at last find a
congenial spirit, being full of faith that I was not doomed to be
forever disappointed. And it hath at length pleased Heaven to
guide me to you, thou lovely and fragrant flower! Before I saw
you, I was like unto a weary traveler who had traveled many
leagues over a sandy desert, with a broiling sun beating down up-
Oil i. and not a tree or shrub to be seen as far as the eye could
reach, and just ready to lay down and die with fatigue and thirst.
But when | saw you, I was like unto that same weary traveler,
who, when all hope of relief had flown, at length espied an oasis
in the sandy desert, with a well of pure, limpid, sparkling water,
where he could slake his thirst, and lie down under the shade of
a friendly tree, on the green sward, and rest him from his weari-
ness. Let not, then, my promised happiness and fond desires be
blasted, for Ifeel that our likes and dislikes are in perfect unison,
and that we were made for one another. I beseech you, then, in
the name of love, to grant me an interview, which can be done
with secrecy and safety, as I have already bribed your old ser-
vant, Martha, the bearer of this letter, who will admit me to the
arbor in the garden at ten this evening. If you will meet me
there at that hour, we can have a tete-a-tete in perfect security.
Do, dearest Zilla, meet your own Charles, then and there, that I
may unbosom that which is most within me. And now, into thy
-
ZILLA FTT2 JAMES. - 17
hands I commit all my hopes, and till the hour of ten, I shall
feel like the mariner who, in a frail bark without a helm, is
tossed wildly about in a tempestuous sea. Hoping that your
good heart will not refuse this simple request from him who lives
only to love and adore you,
I remain, affectionately yours, C. C.
I read the letter through with a throbbing temple and a palpi-
tating heart. I was charmed, aye, bewitched by every word and
every line. Then I was not deceived, after all! he did love
me before all others! Then, all the castles that I had built in
the air the night of the fete, and which were thrown down so
summarily by my aunt, were now rebuilt, with greater splendor.
Had I not every reason in the world to think and believe that all
my thoughts and dreams were now to be realized? I was trans-
ported with delight. I read, and re-read the letter, kissed it,
and fairly wept with joy.
I resolved to meet him at the time and place he requested, let
come what would. A few minutes before ten, I stole softly down
stairs, and out into the garden, where I met old Martha, ready to
accompany me to the arbor, which we soon reached, and found
Charles C– already there. As soon as I entered, he dropped
on one knee, caught my hand and almost devoured it with kisses,
thanking me the while, for my generosity in meeting him. He
then arose, led me to a seat, and ensconced himself by my side,
bidding old Martha to stand sentry at the entrance of the arbor.
He then recapitulated all that he had written in his letter, and
said a thousand tender things beside. As he looked up at the
myriad of stars that glitter in the dome of heaven's high con-
cave, and in whose bright leaves we can read the fate of men
and empires, he appealed to them to witness the sincerity of his
love for me. We stayed there three hours in sweet communion,
lip to lip and heart to heart, nor dreamed that time was flying
so rapidly, till old Martha warned us that it was time to sepa-
rate, it now being past midnight. We at length separated,
after my promising him that I would meet him there at ten,
two nights hence. I entered the house, retired, and dreamed
most sweetly. -
arose at the usual hour the next morning, and after complet-
ing my toilet, descended to the breakfast-room, where I joined my
aunt. I felt perfectly happy, and my happiness diffused the
same spirit over my aunt. I was careful not to say or do any-
thing that would arouse the suspicion of my aunt. As I never
mentioned anything about Charles C—, his name nor anything
concerning him, was never mentioned by my aunt. So the twº
days passed swiftly away, and the night for our second meeting
came, and ten * found Charles C and I in the arbor


18 - ZILLA FITZ JAMES.
again, in sweet communion with each other. Charles was seem-
ingly more ardent in his love this time than on the former occa-
sion. He then said that we perfectly understood each other, and
as our vows of love were registered in heaven, we should be united
never to separate. He spoke of an elopement, as being the most
feasible plan to attain the desired end of our wishes, and desired
me to think of it, and give him the result of my thoughts on
the subject when we should meet there again, two nights hence.
After which we separated, and I returned into the house, and
retired to dream of an elopement and its concomitants.
The interim of two days passed, and the hour of ten found us
again in the arbor. There seemed to be an unusual brilliancy in
Charles’ eye, a deep heaving of his chest, from which a smoth-
ered sigh would often escape, and a softer and sweeter tone in
his voice, making him the very impersonation of tenderness. I
soon caught the contagion, and leaned my head upon his bosom,
when he pressed me to his heart, which made me feel in an ecs-
tatic state of beatitude. How well had the villain matured his
plans, and worked upon my feelings, making me the weakest of
the weak; and when I had lost all power to think or suspect, he
consummated his hellish desires, and I-fell! And O, how
great was that fall! But of that anon.
The estatic dream was over, and I became conscious that my
honor was in his hands, and the only way to redeem that honor
was, for him to lead me to the altar. And how was that to be
done? He dare not enter the house of my aunt, neither dare I
let our intimacy be known. We kept meeting at the arbor every
few nights, and he, still protesting his ardor and unchangeable
love for me, and his desire and determination to lead me to the
altar. I, at last, seeing no other way open, determined to tell my
aunt of our secret meetings, and beg her to allow Charles to claim
and take me as his bride. But, when I told him of this my de-
termination, he persuaded me not to do it; that it would ruin all;
but, to keep secret a little while longer, and then we would elope
and get married. I asked him, why not elope at once, and, that
without delay. He said that certain things had got to transpire,
before he could be able to do so, and begged me to wait a little
while longer, and not be rash, and ruin all his hopes in life. By
such deceit I was kept on for nearly four months, when I saw that
it was necessary to do something, as I was, in fact, becoming a
mother, and my condition could not long be concealed. Charles
soon saw that it was necessary that something should be done
speedily, and, at last, informed me that he was now ready to ful.
º his promise with me. So it was arranged, that, at our next
meeting, I should have everything prepared to elope with him.
I packed all my jewelry into a nice casket, a present from him,
and a few of my best clothes into a small valise, both of which

ZILL.A. FITZ JAMES- - 19
old Martha conveyed to the arbor, in the garden, just after night-
fall, and, at the hour of ten, I went there too, when I found Charles
C– there, ready to receive me. He had a carriage nearby,
to which my things were carried, and we soon followed, bidding
old Martha good-bye. I supposed that we were going to drive to
the house of a clergyman, and be indissolubly united that very
hour, but such was not his intent. Whilst driving, he informed
me that he dare not publicly make me his wife, just then, as his
father would disinherit him if he married against his will, but,
that he was now going to take me to the house of his cousin, with
whom he had made arrangements for me to stay a few weeks, till
he could soften the heart of his father, and thus be allowed to
take me home as his wife. He said, also, that he had informed
his cousin that we had been privately married. He told such a
plausible story, that I could not but believe him, so I said nothing,
but went cheerfully with him. When we drove up to the door of
what I supposed was his cousin's house, we were met at the door
by a very handsome woman, of some twenty-five summers, to
whom he introduced me, as his cousin. She seemed to be a very
kind and good woman, as she kissed me affectionately, shook my
hand cordially, and welcomed me to her house with great warmth.
A very nice suit of rooms were already prepared for us, and, to
which werepaired, I feeling quite happy. Charles then sat down
by my side, and talked lovely and sweetly of domestic felicity,
and of our future happiness, when he could take me home to his
father’s house. -
A few days after this, I noticed some half a dozen beautiful
young ladies passing to and fro, in dishabille, which much sur-
prised me. I also noticed that a great number of young and
middle aged men came and went. I asked Charles what this all
meant. When I put the question to him, he started, changed
color, and answered me vaguely, and in a confused manner.
This aroused my suspicion that all was not right, and I deter-
mined to know what it all meant. I said no more to him about it,
but kept a strict watch on all in the house, when, at last, oh!
horror of horrors, I became sensible of the awful truth, that I was
an inmate of a fashionable brothel! The mystery was now un-
veiled. I was the victim of a designing villain, who had, under
the guise of love, and a promise of marriage, robbed me of all
that was dear to a woman,—her chastity, and consigned me to
that loathsome cess-pool, a house of ill-fame. When I became
fully conscious of the awful state of degradation to which I had
been brought, all my love for the villain that had brought me to
such a state, was turned from love to hate; hate such as only a
despised and ruined woman can possess, for the author of her
shame. I was now transported with the very quintessence of
such dark hate against Charles C—, and felt as did Othello,

20 ZILLA. FITZ JAMES.
“Oh! that the slave had forty thousand lives,
One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.
All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven—'tis gone.
Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell,
Yield up, oh! love, thy crown and hearted throne, to tyrannous hate
Swell, bosom, with thy fraught, for 'tis of aspic's tongues.”
I resolved to murder the villain, but how to accomplish his
death, without detection, was the next thing to be taken into con-
sideration. The most effectual way to do this, and escape detec-
tion, was to murder him in the street, as he was in the habit,
lately, of staying out very late, sometimes not coming home before
two or three o'clock in the morning. I possessed myself of a very
nice poniard, that he had laid away; I then questioned him, at
different times, in a careless way, which way he went, and where
he went, etc., so that I soon became informed of the different
streets he was most apt to walk through. Shortly after question-
ing him thus, he informed me, one Sunday night, that he was
going to the theatre, in Charles Street, and asked me to accom-
pany him. I made an excuse, as I determined to meet and murder
him on his return home. He went, and I staid in my room till
about eleven o'clock, when I stole softly out the back way, and
proceeded down to the corner of Charles and Poydras streets,
where 1 laid in wait for him. I had not been there more than
half an hour, before I saw a great many people coming along
Charles street, from the direction of the theatre, and I knew the
theatre was let out, so I stationed myself close to the building on
the corner of Charles and Poydras streets, in readiness for action,
as I knew that he would come that way. I had not long to wait,
as he soon came along with three of his companions. When he
and his companions had got opposite to me, I stepped quickly
out in front of them and cried, “Stand!”. Then, quick as thought,
I plunged the poniard up to the hilt in his black heart, and then
ran for dear life down Poydras street to Old Levee street, then
down Old Levee street to Canal street, then up Canal street to
Charles street, and then went directly home, got in the backway,
and retired to bed, and soon fell asleep.
The next morning I awoke at the usual hour, and felt quite
cheerful. I knew not whether I had been recognized by Charles
C 's companions, when I stabbed him the night before, or not,
neither did I care; I had now had my revenge. Soon the morn-
ing newspaper was thrown into my room, and I caught it up with
eagerness, and soon found a paragraph which stated, in sub-
stance, that one of the first young men in the city, by the name
of Charles C—, was stabbed to the heart with an old-fashioned
poniard, by what appeared to be a crazy woman, at the corner of
Charles and Poydras streets, the previous night, as he, with
three young gentlemen, was going home from the theatre, and

ZILL.A. FITZ JAMES- 21
that the stab caused instant death. The sudden appearance of
the woman, and the shrill cry of “stand!” that she uttered, her
stabbing Charles C— so quickly, and her sudden flight, so
paralyzed all three that they could not move, nor utter a word,
till she was out of sight. They then raised the cry of murder,
and soon had the police in pursuit of the murderess; but all
search had, as yet, proved futile. Then followed a long eulogy
on his many virtues, and what a bereavement his loss was to
society, etc. When I had read all this, I threw the paper away
with disgust, as I thought of the hypocrisy of men—men that
would canonize as a saint, a heartless libertine.
I was now an outcast from society, a commoner, and a mur-
deress! and I looked upon society as a sickly, bilious thing, rotten
at the heart, and only held together by hypocrisy and deceit.
There was Charles C–, a corpse—who, when alive, was called
an ornament to society, pested, and fawned upon by candied
tongues: “How noble he was in reason, how infinite in faculties;
in form and moving how express and admirable; in action how
like an angel; in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
world, the paragon of animals!” This was one side of his pie-
ture; let us see the reverse side, which blasted his nobleness,
and, in my sight, made him Satanic. He, like others of his sex,
prowled about the sacred fold of virtue, like a wolf in sheep's
clothing, pouring the delicious poison of deceit—delicious at the
time, but O, how bitter the dregs!—into virtue's ear, till it acted
as a stupifying opiate to reason, making that hallowed sphere, a
woman's heart, that contains empires of feeling, and the rich
domain where pure and unalloyed love disports in his sunniest
hours—“a cistern for foul toads to knot and gender in.” I say,
look upon this noble biped, and see how cunningly he lays his
plans to enter this sacred and hallowed sphere, and when he has
once entered and breathed upon this fragrant flower with his pes-
tiferous breath, which blights and destroys the rich odor, and has
sucked out the sap of chastity, leaves it to contaminate other as
lovely flowers, and perhaps diseased it, so that the very air seems
impregnated with a foul and contagious disease, that is taken by
the unwary who touch it, bringing her and others to an untimely
and miserable death. -
See how society takes this wretch by the hand, fete, fawn upon,
and worship his God-like intellect But what does it do with
the lovely ... that he has breathed upon with his pestilential
breath? What does it do with poor, frail, weak woman, in that
trying hour? Does society take her by the hand, and laud her
to the skies, as it did before she became the victim of the seducer?
No! it drives her forth, an outcast from its pale, as Adam and
Eve were driven forth from the garden of Eden. Does society,
then, after committing this monstrous injustice, hold forth any

22 - ZILL.A. FITZ JAMES-
hope for her this side of the grave? No, no! they virtually tell
her that one might as well dam up the waters of the Nile with
bulrushes, as to restore her to innocence. Still, there is a certain
portion of society that have instituted what is called the “Moral
Reform Society,” for the ostensible purpose of reforming aban-
doned females. Does this small society suppose that they are
going to accomplish any good? If such are their thoughts, they
fjºbºt repudiate them at once, or else erect a new platform, as
the present platform is built on too sandy a foundation, the proof
of which is to be seen every day. When this philanthropic
society has persuaded a lost female to abandon her miserable life,
will they take her by the hand and associate her with their sons
and daughters? No, no! they will not do that; they do nºt
want their sons and daughters contaminated by her touch. But
they will try to quarter them on their neighbors, or make them
live alone in a separate sphere, that the finger of scorn may be
pointed at them continually. Such treatment only makes them
disgusted with society, and then they, “like the hog that was
washed, return to the mire,” making their last stage worse than
the first. O, why will society thus tolerate such abuse of poor,
frail woman? Why will not society repudiate its old and con-
servative notions, and keep pace with science and art, that are
marching on with giant strides to improvement? Q, that I had
* {i. eloquence of a Clay, a Webster, and many other God-like
statesmen, and the voice of thunder, and could stand upon the
apex of the loftiest mountain in America, that I might be seen
and heard from Maine to California then would I speak, as the
voice of God, against this monstrous injustice to my sex. But
as it is, I live and die unheard, with a most voiceless thought,
sheathing it as a sword, and society “will still cling to its idols,”
unless a mighty one rises up and purges it, root and branch.
But I will not further sermonize.
I was now vitiated and depraved, and cared not what I did.
As many of the beau monde were visitors at the house, I was not
long in becoming acquainted with them, and soon chose one
John Smith as Charles C 's successor. It may not be amiss
to give a short sketch of John's life, prior to my acquaintance
with him. I will give it in his own words, as he told it to me,
on my becoming acquainted with him:
“I am,” said he, “the only son of a wealthy planter, whose
plantation is within an hour's drive of Natchez, Mississippi. My
father, who doted upon me from early infancy, had me educated
for the bar, and at the age of twenty, I gave every promise of
being a most excellent jurist, which delighted my fond parents
beyond measure.
* At this time, I took it into my head to take a trip to New Or-
leans, and remain there through the winter. My father saw no

ZILLA. FITZ JAMES- 23
impropriety in that, so he furnished me with the means, and I
started without delay. While going down the river, from Natch-
ez, I was induced to play eucher and poker, at first, only for a
pastime, but soon I got to playing in dead earnest, being led on
by those gamblers that are to be found on board of all the steam-
boats on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Becoming exciºd, as
the games progressed, I took to drinking liquor quite freely, which
soon intoxicated me, and I played recklessly, until my last dime
was gone, and I arrived in New Orleans without a picayune.
By this time, I was quite sober and sensible, and felt in very low
spirits. I put up at the St. Charles, and immediately wrote to
my father, and gave him “a plain, unvarnished tale,” of all that
had transpired with me, from my first setting out from home, to
the very moment I wrote him. I expressed contrition for my
folly, and swore to do better if he would send me a thousand
dollars. My letter moved the old gentleman, and he sent me the
thousand dollars that I requested, forthwith. When I had re-
ceived the money, the thought flashed through my brain, that I
could now play with this thousand and win back the thousand
I had lost. So I went to playing again, but met with no better
success than at first; for, soon the excitement of the game made
me drink deep of the intoxicating bowl, which crazed me, and
left me to the tender mercies of the gamblers with whom I was
playing. At the end of the last game, when I saw the last dollar
of the thousand gone, I arose from the table, drew a pistol, and
was about to blow my brains out, when the gamblers at the table
sprang upon me, wrested the pistol from me, and then confined
me for a few hours in a dark room. When I had become sobered
and sane, they took me out, gave me some drink, and then set me
down among them, and made overtures to me to join them. They
told me it would be impossible for me to get any more money
from my father, as he would be informed of my second mishap
before I could write to him, and that he would discard me forever;
and, that if I would join them, they would initiate me into the
hidden mysteries of gaming and supply me with abundant means,
etc. I could see no other alternative, so I at once gave my con-
sent to be initiated, which ceremony was immediately gone through
with, and I became one of the fraternity. I entered, at once, into
the spirit of the thing, and soon became very expert at cards,
dice, etc. Gaming led me to commit many other crimes, of which
I shall not speak at this time,” said he, and our conversation
dropped, for that time.
Thus, it will be seen by the reader, that two congenial spirits
were now together. Both of us depraved, and lost to all that was
virtuous and good, and ready to commit the darkest crimes. I
told him how I had murdered Charles C which pleased him
not a little. I staid at the same place with him, till about a

24. ZILLA FITZ JAMES.
month after my child was born. Then I went up the river, to St.
Louis, with him, as he had a speculation in view, at that city.
When we arrived there, we took board at a private boarding.
house. Hethere left me, for a short time, and went into southern
Illinºis, to get a large quantity of counterfeit notes from a gang
of gº interfeiters that had their rendezvous there.
ile Smith was gone into Illinois, I amused myself by read-
ing, walking, etc. One day, as I was walking along in front of
the Planter's hotel, I noticed that I attracted the notice of a very
fine-looking man of about forty years of age, as near as I could
judge, who followed me, at a distance, till I arrived at the house
where I boarded. I did not think much about it, at that time,
but, when I noticed, that every day, as I walked past the hotel,
the same individual watched and followed me, I thought there
must be something in it. So the next time that I passed that way,
I determined to let him follow me, as he had done before, and,
when near home, to turn upon him and inquire his meaning. So,
agreeably to the resolution I had come to, the next day I took my
every day walk, and was noticed and followed by him, as on
previous occasions. When I had arrived nearly home, I turned
suddenly, and walked towards him, and, when about to pass him,
I spoke, and asked him why he watched me so narrowly, and
dogged my steps. My speaking so suddenly, caused him to
stammer, and blush with confusion, at first, but, soon becoming
assured, he told me that my beauty had captivated and charmed
him, and he longed to learn my name, as he supposed he had
already learned my place of residence. Something whispered to
me to tell him my name was Smith, and to ask him to call upon
me, in the evening, which I did. After giving me William Cobb,
from Boston, as his name, we separated, and I returned home.
The same evening, at eight o'clock, Mr. Cobb called upon me,
and I received him in a very cold and formal manner. He
seemed to be well acquainted with such receptions, as he sat
down, and soon made himself quite familiar with me; told me
that he had fallen desperately in love with me, and, that if I
would leave Smith he would spend two thousand dollars a year
upon me, take me to all the fashionable watering places in the
states, and then take me to Europe, etc. He said that he was
worth two million dollars, and that I should be mistress of his
heart and his purse too, if I would only accept of both. This was
a very tempting offer, and I finally concluded to accept of it.
However, I told him that I would let him know at the expiration
of three days, what I would do. He then gave me a purse con-
taining five hundred dollars in gold, kissed me, bade me to think
kindly of him, and then he took his leave. The five hundred
completely won me over to him, and I resolved, if I could get rid
of my child, I would go with him. But how to get rid of the
lſº
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26 ZILLA FITZ JAMES.
child was a serious question. It was a beautiful male child, the -
, its father. I resolved to murder
very image of Charles C
it. When I had come to this resolution, I gave out to the people
that I boarded with, that I was going on a journey with my uncle,
and that I was going to put my child out to nurse, so that there
should be no suspicions aroused. The same evening of the day
in which I had given out my intentions of putting the child out
to nurse, I took and wrapped the child up nicely, left the house,
and wended my way to the river.
When I had arrived there, I took the child up, looked at him,
and said to him, You are a child of shame, and it is better that
you die now, than live to be a man, and become such a villain as
your father. You are too young to speak yet, therefore you
have never deceived any person, nor took the name of God in
vain. It is in justice and mercy to you that I, your unnatural
mother, put an end to your existence. After speaking thus to
my child, I took the poniard with which I stabbed his father, and
plunged it several times into his little bosom, from which the
warm blood flowed copiously. He writhed, struggled, and gave
a few sobs, and expired. I then tied a clock weight, which I had
brought with me for the purpose, to his neck, and tossed him
into the river. I then stooped down to the water and washed all
the blood off my hands, and off from the poniard, which I stuck
into its scabbard, and replaced it in my bosom. Then I retraced
may steps, and loitered on the way till nearly ten o'clock, when I
arrived home. After I had got in and seated, I told the folks
that I had found an excellent nurse, who had taken my child,
which it pleased them to hear.
It will probably be thought by many, that I would feel a re-
morse of conscience for the terrible deed that I had just com-
mitted, and that life must forever after be a burden to me. Let
no one suppose such a thing of me for a moment. I was on the
contrary elated with joy, to think that both the father and the
son were dead and out of my sight. Both the Sower and the
fruit were distasteful to me, and I murdered them.
At the expiration of the three days, Mr. Cobb came to see me
again, and desired to know the result of my meditations. I told
him that if he would take me and leave the city at once, I would
go with him. This filled him with a transport of joy, and he
caught me in his arms and buried me with kisses. e then sat
down and talked the matter over rationally for a couple of hours,
at the expiration of which time, it was agreed that we should
start for Louisville, Kentucky, the next day. After he took his
leave, I packed my trunks, and then retired to rest.
I awoke at an early hour the next morning, breakfasted, and
paid my bill, and told the folks that I was going to start that
morning for Nauvoo, Illinois; and I also desired them to tell my
ZILLA. FITZ JAMES. - 27
husband, Mr. Smith, that I had gone there to spend a few weeks
with my relatives, in company with my uncle, and if he got
tired waiting for me, to come up to Nauvoo and see me. I had
hardly finished telling the folks this, before a carriage with Mr.
Cobb inside drove up to the door. I was soon helped in, my
trunks packed on behind, and away we went to the boat that was
just ready to start. As soon as we were on board, she started,
and soon St. Louis was left far astern. I was right glad we were
off, for I was not without my fears that Smith would return and
stop me in my flight.
Mr. Cobb was very attentive to me at first, but he left me
after all was nicely arranged, and joined a party that were play-
ing poker in the social hall, near the bar, where I could hear
him laugh and bet money, as the play progressed in interest.
This surprised me, as I had supposed that he was free from that
vice of vices—gaming. But it seemed to be my lot to be the
paramour of such despicable men, for ere we had arrived at Louis-
ville, I learned that my gentleman, Mr. Cobb, was a professional
gambler, thief, assassin, highway robber, utterer of counterfeit
money, and a cool-blooded murderer, as he was pleased to inform
me confidentially. He also informed me that he was captain of
a gang of counterfeiters, highway robbers, etc., that had their
headquarters in a cave near Silver Creek, Stephenson county,
Illinois, where he intended taking me, after he had arranged cer-
tain things in Louisville. At first, on hearing this from his own
lips, I determined to abandon such a villain, as soon as we left
the boat; but on reflection, I concluded to make the best of a
bad bargain, and see what kind of a place he would lead me to.
So I agreed to everything he said or did, all of which made me
dearer to him.
In due time we arrived at Louisville, where we remained a
short season, and then returned down the Ohio to the Mississippi,
and then up the Mississippi to St. Louis, from which place we
took passage on a steamboat for Galena, Illinois, from which
place we took a stage for Silver Creek, Stephenson county, where
we arrived in good time. Here we stayed over night, and at an
early hour the next morning, Cobb left me to go and reconnoiter
around the cave, which was some three miles from that place.
Just as the sun was sinking behind the western hills, he returned
in company with a man dressed like a farmer, who drove a ve
high spirited horse. He then paid our bill, and told the land-
lord that we were going on to Winnebago that night, as he had
heard bad news from some of his relatives in that town. We
then started, and drove eastward, toward Winnebago, about three
miles, then turned south, and drove along through a lonely path
for about a mile and a half or two miles, then turned toward the
west and drove about half a mile, when we drew up to a clump
















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ZILLA. FITZ, JAMES. 29
of trees, where we all alighted, and walked some sixty rods, and
then came to a halt. Cobb then repeated the following Latin
text aloud, “Wemo me impune lacesset”—no one shall provoke
me with impunity. Soon there was a rustling of the leaves
directly in front of us, and a deep bass voice spoke the following,
which I could distinctly hear, though I could see nothing, “Quo
jure—by what right? when Cobb spoke again in a loud voice,
* Pro re nata”—for a special business. He had no sooner
spoken the second time, than the earth seemed to rise before us,
and soon a large cavity, with steps leading down into the chasm,
was visible, with a fierce, wolf-like man standing thereon, who, as
soon as he saw Cobb, said, “Wade mecum ”—go with me, and
we all descended into the cave, which was brilliantly lighted
with torches made of candlewick saturated with turpentine. On
either side of me were some dozen or fifteen men, dressed like
Odd Fellows, below the head, and on their heads were red and
white turbans, with a crescent in the front, and as we neared
the centre, they all arose and shouted three times, “ Vive le roº’—
live the king.
Cobb then said, “Brethren, this woman is my wife, and she
wishes to join our order, will you accept of her if she takes the
oath, and conforms strictly to our rules and regulations?” The
all, with one voice, cried, Your will is our pleasure. Cobb then
turned to me, and asked me if I was willing to take the oath. I
told him, most certainly I was willing, or I should not have de-
sired to do so before coming there. I was then led into another
apartment of the cave, where a stand was erected some two feet
high, on which was placed a sort of desk, and some dozen chairs;
on the top of the desk were arranged seven skulls, whose sight-
less sockets and bare teeth gleamed in the ghastly light that was
thrown out by a torch on either side of the desk, making the
effect awful, for a moment. Soon Cobb stepped forth from behind
the desk, dressed similar to the others, only the crescent in his
turban was pure silver, and he held in his right hand a bloody
dagger, and in his left a large scroll, with many names written
thereon. Then the wolf-like-looking individual that had led usin
the cave, stepped forth and bade me kneel, which I did, and,
upon looking up, I saw that the chairs on either side of the desk
were now occupied by those who had welcomed us. When I had
kneeled, they all commenced to chant something that was very
solemn. When they had ceased chanting, Cobb spoke in a deep,
gutteral tone, and said, “Zilla, put your hand upon the blade of
this dagger, and swear by all things earthly and divine, that you
will never, under any circumstances, divulge what you have seen
here this day, that you will always be obedient, and will obey all
and everything that is required of you, by those who have the
government of this society. Do you freely swear to all that I

30 ZILLA FTTZ JAMES.
have said?” I answered firmly and distinctly, Yes! “Arise,
then, thou adopted daughter of the Bandit's Cave, and be glad,”
said Cobb. I then rose up from my humble position, and kissed
the blood-stained dagger. We then adjourned to another apart-
ment, where refreshments were provided forus, of which I partook
avenously, as I had eaten nothing for many hours. Here fol-
lowed a drunken debauch that lasted for two days, and then all
traces of the same were cleared away, and we commenced busi-
ness. It fell to my portion to sign the cashier and president's
names, etc., to the counterfeit notes, as I could write an excellent
hand. Some were engaged in printing the notes that I was filling
up, whilst others were engraving, coining bogus money, etc.
I staid in the cave two months, when Cobb thought it advisable
for him and I to take a journey, and utter what counterfeits we
could. So, after allotting each of the gang a certain amount of
work to do, in a given time, each to his own particular sphere;
some to rob, some to murder, some to steal horses, etc., all to be
back to the cave at a certain period, we took our departure from
the cave, and went south-east, to Chicago, where we passed a
large quantity of counterfeit money. From Chicago, we went to
* Detroit, Michigan. There Cobb passed some counterfeit money
ºn a traveler, who was going to arrest him. As soon as he had
learned that the traveler was conscious of the cheat, and was
going to arrest him, he went to the traveler, smoothed it over, and
persuaded him to take a walk with him, the same evening, and,
when he had got him down to the bank of the river, in a lonely
place, he ... him, and threw him into the Detroit river,
after robbing him. He then came and told me what he had done,
and said it was necessary that we should leave Detroit immedi-
ately. The next morning we left Detroit, by steamboat, for San-
dusky City, at which last mentioned place we staid a few days,
and then went to Cincinnati. There Cobb fell in with some of
the gang, and they went down to Louisville together, to spend a
few days, leaving me in Cincinnati, by my request.
When he had been gone two days, I began to think that I had
had enough of him, so I concluded to leave him. As soon as I
had come to this resolution, I packed my trunks, called a carriage,
and went on board of a boat that was just leaving for New Or-
leans, which place I arrived at in seven days from Cincinnati. I
went back to my old place there, where I used to live with Charles
C I had not been there but about ten days, when I took a
fancy to visit a masquerade ball that was soon to come off, with
reat eclaſ. I went, and there I first saw Green H. Long. He
É. a great observer of character, knew that I was a charming
female, although I was masked, and, he having any quantity of
impudence, began to flirt with me, which aroused the jealousy of
a gambler who had been to see me, and had learned the costume
Aº º º, 3 1/25 F.
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ZILLA FITZ JAMES- 31
that I intended to appear at the masquerade ball in. This gam-
bler, seeing us thus coquetting and flirting, came up to Long and
bade him desist, and then drew a knife, and made a demonstra-
tion towards Long, which, on Long's perceiving, he drew a knife,
and stabbed the gambler, and then sprang out of the window.
The gambler was costumed as a wolf, and Long as a lion. A
man by the name of Birchead, who was a friend and pal of Long's,
stood by and saw the fight, and when I had said that I was glad
that the gambler was killed, and could love the man that killed
him, Birchead took me aside and told me who the man that did
the deed was, which, upon learning, I requested him to bring
Long to see me. We fell in love with each other, at first sight,
and I at once commenced to travel with him, and º an equal
part with him in all his good and evil deeds, for years, up to the
time he deserted me, and left me in the city of Mexico. Since
that time, there has been a great change wrought in me. I have
seen the error of my ways; have become converted to a better
life; have changed my name, and become a novice in the nun-
nery, and, as soon as my novitiate expires, I shall take the black
veil, and forever seclude myself from the world, and do penance
the rest of my days, for the many dark and black crimes that I
have committed.
ZILLA FITZ JAMES.
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