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Harpe brothersAmerican murderers, robbers and river pirates.
Country:
 USA |
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Biography of the Harpe Brothers
The Harpe brothers were American killers, robbers, and river pirates who operated in Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Mississippi in the late 18th century. Many historians consider them the first true "serial killers" as they committed their crimes out of a thirst for blood rather than financial gain.
Early Life
Micajah 'Big' Harpe was born in 1768 and died in August 1799. Wiley 'Little' Harpe was born in 1770 and died in January 1804. While most believe that the Harpes were blood brothers, some sources insist that Micajah and Wiley were actually cousins. They were born in Orange County, North Carolina, to Scottish parents. Their father and uncles, said to be old-school Tories, fought on the side of the British during the American Revolutionary War.
Micajah had two wives, Susan and Betsey Roberts, who were sisters. Wiley, on the other hand, married Sally Rice, the daughter of a Baptist minister. In their youth, the Harpe brothers lived among rebellious members of the Creek and Cherokee tribes, who committed atrocities not only against white settlers but also their own people.
Criminal Activities
By 1797, Micajah and Wiley were living near Knoxville, Tennessee. However, they were expelled from the town after being accused of stealing pigs and horses. The brothers were also accused of murdering a man named Johnson, whose body, filled with stones, was discovered in a river. This method of killing became the signature of the maniacal brothers, who would mercilessly slaughter anyone, even infants. According to R.E. Banta's book 'The Ohio,' Micajah once beat a man's daughter against a tree because her constant crying annoyed him. This was the only crime Micajah later expressed genuine remorse for.
Fleeing from Knoxville, the criminals made their way to Kentucky and reached the Wilderness Road near Cumberland Gap. It is believed that they killed a trader named Peyton and took his horse and some of his goods. They also murdered two tourists from Maryland.
In July 1799, John Leiper formed a posse to seek revenge for the murder of Mrs. Stegal and her husband Moses Stegal. Leiper was the first one to catch up with the Harpe brothers. He managed to shoot Micajah and then, in a fight with a tomahawk, he finished off the criminal. Leiper beheaded Micajah and impaled his head on a pole at a crossroads, now known as "Harpe's Head" in Webster County, Kentucky. After the reign of terror ended, the Harpe brothers were responsible for the deaths of at least 40 men, women, and children.
Wiley, who had been on the run, using the alias John Setton, was captured in 1803. After a trial, he was hanged on February 8, 1804.
Legacy
After the atrocities committed by the Harpe brothers, many members of their family changed their surnames to avoid the shame of their ancestors. Some simply dropped the last letter 'e' from their surname, while others changed it completely. Wyatt Earp, for example, is rumored to have been a member of the Harpe family and changed his name to Earp to distance himself from their legacy. However, there are also examples of families reclaiming the true spelling of their surname, using 'Harpe'. E. Don Harpe, possibly the only descendant of the Harpe brothers, has written two books, 'Born Wolf DIE WOLF The Last Rampage of the Terrible Harpes' and 'Resurrection: Rebirth of the Terrible Harpes'. He is currently working on a third book.
The Harpe brothers are featured in the musical 'The Robber Bridegroom' by Alfred Uhry and Robert Waldman, based on the novel by Eudora Welty. In this musical, 'Big' Harpe is beheaded at the beginning of the story, but his head remains alive. The head is played by an actor whose body is hidden among the set. The Harpe brothers and their descendants also play a significant role in Manly Wade Wellman's book 'The Voice of the Mountain', although the author imbues them with supernatural abilities and deviates far from the true story of their lives. In 2009, a comic book titled 'Harpe America's First Serial Killers' by Chad Kinkle with illustrations by Adam Show was released.
