Who Were America’s First Serial Killers

Fleeing the cabin, the Hapres encountered two men whom they accused of starting the fire and arrested, shooting one in the head and beating the other one.  The death of Mrs. Stegall and the baby was the final straw for the community.  A posse was quickly formed that included Moses Stegall, John Leiper, John Thompkins and four other local men.Tompkins was , according to legend using a rifle loaded with powder that had been given to him by Big Harpe himself a few days earlier.  It is said this was the rifle that brought Big down.  The posse came upon the outlaws camp but Micajah and Wiley fled leaving their wives behind.,  Big was riding a horse stolen from the Stegall farm and Wiley disappeared into the brush on foot.  The posse went after Big Harpe but only Tompkins had a horse fast enough to keep stride with him.  Leiper attempted and missed a long range shot but his gun jammed before he could get off a second shot.  He traded horse and gun with Tompkins and went after Harpe.  Micajah knew leiper had not had time to reload so he stopped his horse to aim for a good shot.  Leiper fired a shot from his borrowed gun that pierced the outlaws spine. Mortally wounded he still eluded his capture for another half a mile before dropping his weapon and being pulled from his horse.

There are different accounts of exactly how Big Harpe met his end.  Some say he was shot in the head by Leiper and then beheaded by Moses Stegall.  Others say Stegall cut off his head while he was still alive.  Some say he prayed for forgiveness, others say he died unrepentant.  However he died his head was removed and placed at the crossroads that has been known as Harpes head since in Kentucky.

Little Harpe escaped and for awaile rejoined the river pirates in Cave-in Rock that were lead by Samuel Mason.  Four years after the death of Big Harpe, Little Harpe killed and beheaded mason and attempted to claim the reward on his head under an alias.  After collecting the reward money someone recognized him and he was immediately arrested. In 1804, he was tried and found guilty in a court in Greenville, MS and sentenced to die by hanging. After his death he was beheaded and his head placed on the Natchez Road.  The path of destruction of the Harpes had finally came to an end.

The Harpes traveled with three women as their wives.  The women were believed to have originally been kidnapped by the brothers and bore them many children. Although the two outlaws had a penchant for killing their own children, some did survive and there are probably descendants of them living today.  Many Harpes changed their name due to the reputation of the two killers.  Wyatt Earp is even believed by many to be a descendant although there is no known proof

The Harpes stand out not only due to their brutality but also to the fact that they appeared to kill as much as for pleasure as for gain.  They were killers of opportunity and would kill and rob their victims when the chance arose. Mostly though they killed for fun and revenge against anyone who slighted them.  While the modern media makes much of the ills of society today, serial killers are nothing new.  As evil as the modern killers are, Big and Little, Micajah and Wiley, deserve their spot right along side them.

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