The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-25 00:00:00

JUDGE LYNCH IN KANSAS.

Mr. Andrew Stewart, editor of,the Steubenville (Ohio)
Union, who has lately been travelling through Kansas
territory, arrived at this place on Monday evening,
having left Leavenworth city on Saturday night, the let
inst., and favoured us with particulars of a fearful tra-
gedy enacted on Friday night and Saturday morning it;
that city. On Friday night, the 31st ult., a man named
Stephens, living in Kansas city, came up to Leaven-
worth city, and, while epreeing around, went into a
drinking shop called the Ward House. The barkeeper,
named Baines, became very friendly, and after gettini
Stephens quite drunk proposed a walk up the river, and
took him to a spring on the bank if the Missouri river,
just above the Planter's House, where they were
met and assaulted by two men, who demanded
their money or their lives. The barkeeper, Baines,
gave his money up and ran off. When he got te
the lower end of the town he gave the alarm that a man
was being robbed up the river at the spring. Several
parties of citiz-ns immediately went up, and arrived on
the spot just in time to find poor Stephens crawling out
of the river, his body and head all beaten and bruised
with stones and clubs, and his chest and shoulders
bearing several stabs and cuts. The cit z. n-
ran to his assistance, but the unfortunate victim,
though struggling to speak, was too for gone,
and presently died, without being able to utter e
single word about the manner of his death or the names
of his murderers. Su-TIC-ion at once alighted upon the
bar-keeper Baines, and so outraged were thepeople, and
so violent the presumptions of his guilt, that a posse of
the citizens ateeneo arrested and 11(11 him in close cus-
tody. The news in the meantime spread like wil ifire alt
over the city, and the excitement grew intense. An im-
mediate trial of Baines was demanded, and finally it wa-
agreed he should be hung on the spot, without ju ig<
or jury. A rope was procured and put round his neck,
and already he was being drawn up to the limb of an
overhanging tree, when he expressed a wish to make a
confession. The crowd yielded and let him down to
the ground. He said that he and two men, one
named John Quarles, from South Carolina, and the
other called Knowlton, had laid the plot by which
Stephens was robbed and murdered, and that the came
men had murdered another man a short time before and
thrown the body into the Missouri river. He stated also
that he and the men Knowlton and Quarles belonged
to an organised body of about 25 men, who lived
and carried on the business of robbing and murdering in
Leavenworth-city, on the island opposite the_city, and
in the towns of Lawrence and Topeka. He then gave
the names of as many of the gang as he coup] remember
i,o the authorities. As soon as Baines had finished his
revelations he was committed to the calaboose, a one
story stone building about 16 feet square. The crowd
then went off in pursuit of Charles and Knowlton, and in
a short time had them arrested. Among the revealed
conspirators was Wm. Woods, the proprietor of the
greater part of Deavenworth Ilend, and regarded by his
acquaintances as an houe.t man and good citizen. A
party proceeded at once to arrest him, and, after making
a thorough search of his house, found 2,500 dole.' m
counterfeit money, a lot of counterfeiting plates and
other instruments, and a knife and pistol belonging to
the murdered man, Stephens. At these conclu.ive
proofs of the correctness of the confessions of Baines the
people were deeply moved, and held counsel together
i'i large and small parties ;during the whole night.
We give the narrative of gr. Stewart. He says,—
" I went to the mayor's office on Saturday morning,
and found an immense crowd awaiting the result of the
examination of Woods and Knowlton. Baines aed
Quarles were in the calabeose. While the examination
was going on Judge Lecompte was eut,ide making a
speech, and expostulating with the angry crowd in
favour of law and order. The cry of ' Hang 'em, the
murderers arose frequently from the mob, but
milder counsele seemed to be prevailing, when at once
some one shouted, To the calaboose ! to the calaboose !'
an i away a crow! of about 50 maddened men started in
that direction. The balance cf the people followed after
in stealer parties, leaving Judge Lecompte almost alone,
and the mayor's effice relieved of its throng of specta-
tors. They had teen gone about 15 minutes, when
1 heard a great yell. I started atter the crowd, and
followed it to the bank of a creek which divides
south and north Leavenworth, where there was a
steep bank, and on its edge a large den tree. I
reached the spot in time to see Q lades suspended
from the tree, grasping in the agonies of death at the
rope which was around his neck, while several of the
mob were swinging on to his arms and legs, to make h;s
death sure. His body had hardly ceased its convulsions
when the shout was
,raised for Baines. The rope was
placed around his neck, and he was led to the edge of
the bank, when some one of the citizens appeared by his
side, and, with a watch in his hand, demanded five
minutes for further confessions. They granted it, when
Baines said, if they would let him he would show them
another man in town who was concerned in the opera-
tions of the gang. He was then taken to the calaboose,
but for some reason did not give satisfaction to the
people, and they demanded his body to be returned to
them. Judge Lecompte again addressed the people,
and with some effect, for they seemed to divide into two
parties, the one clamouring for the banging of the pri-
soner, and the others demanding a trial for him. Marshal
Denis, of the Territory, was also present, and though he
exerted himself with all his power, he could not maintain,
his position at the door of the calaboose, nor prevail on
the crowd to disperse. The wife of Baines, also, ap I
peered, and, in'pired by the dangerous situation of her
husband, took a heroic stand on the entrance, and en-
deavoured by frantic threats and entreatieseto stay the
wrath of the p pulace. But all efforts were unavailing;
the peace party were overpowered. Judge Lecompte's
voice was drowned by the shrieks of the mob. A large
piece of hewn timber, perhaps 25 feet long and one foot
square, that was lying near, was lifted up by a crowd
of men, and plunged with fearful effect against the cala-
boose door. The sight of the wife's distress and the
sound of her screams, mingled with the ragings and
shrieks of the infuriated mob, wore too much for me,
and I turned my back and walked away. I heard an-
other blow from the piece of timber and a simultaneous
shout from the crowd, which told me that the door had
given way and the prisoner was at the mercy of the
people. I walked hastily around the square, for with
all its terror there was a fascination in the sight, and
reached the spot just in titne to see the mob rushing down
the street with the prisoner towards the creek and the
elm tree. I pursued, and when I reached the spot the
bodyof Baines was already in the air, and his last death
struggles were shivering along his limbs. The crowd
then appeared to be satisfied. Woods and Knowlton
meanwhile had been placed in an omnibus and hur-
ried off to fort. The city continued very much ex-
cited up to the hour I left, but no further violence
was anticipated. All sorts of stories prevailed, and
many of the , mysterious disappearances and rob-
beries which have occurred in the territory are all being

referred to this band of murderers." Two or more O 1
the gang have since been apprehended and executed.
Missouri Democrat.

MARKET DEWS. (This Day.)

HAY MARKETS.

Surrutrimn.—Old meadow hay. 21 103- to 4/ Os; new
do., 31 Os to 41 Os; old clover, 41 Os to 61 10.4; new do.,
41 103 to 51 53; and straw, 1/ 5s to 1/ 10s por load.
A. good supply, and slow inquiiy.
CUMBERLAND. —Old meadow hay, 2/ 15s to 4/ 4s ;
now do., 31 Os to 41 Os; old clover, 41 Os to Si 5s ; new
do., 4/ 53 to 5/ Os; and straw, 11 Gs to 11 lls per load.
Trade slow.
WIIIrECHAPEL.-01.1 meadow hay, 21 lOs to 4/ Os
new do., 31 Os to 4/ Oa; old clover, 4/ 5s to 51 103 ; new
do., 4/ 10s to 51 ss; and straw, 11 51 to 1/ 103 per boa, .
A. heavy demand, and a fair supply.