Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-11-11
United States, Indicted for the muir
n,v;, R Is, der Of Henry kooDe'


This trial, shoit notice Of the com
mcncemcnt of which was published in our
last, resulted in verdict of guilty The
case occupied The attention Of the Court,
TO The exclusion OF all other business, over
eight days ol'the term.
We prop now TO give briefly the cir
cumstances of the murder, as drawn from
the material part Of the mass oftestimony
presented.
1t seems that there is saw mill situated
OF small tract of canal land, in the town
Of Menomonee, Waukesha Co. This mill
was erected some years ago by the joint
means and labor Of Mr.. Nottingham and
Mr.. Phippin, who, Of course, were JOINT
owners. The last named individual sold his
interest, shortly after the mill had been cree
ted, to Mr.. Henry Keene, Of Prairievlle,
between whom and Mr.. N. there appears
not to have been good understanding from
the outstart. AT the canal land sale, in
Milwaukee, in Arrl last, Mr.. Keene bid
off, and paid for, the tract of land upon
which the mill is situated; and thus became,
in law, The en- tire owner Of the property in
question. Mr.. Nottingham a this time, and
for some weeks after, assumed and cxercis-
cd exclusive control Of tho MI. Shortly
before the fatal occurrence. The mill was
placed in possession of David Bonham, as
lessee Of Mr.. N Mr.. b. ,as appears from the
testimony, was fully aware Of the difficult
ties which existed in regard 10 the proper
ty; and it appears farther, that leading OBJ
jet in view, Oh his part, in taking it, was TO
prevent, by force if necessary, its falling in
to the hands of the legal owner, who, il
was supposed, would soon attempt TO enter
into possession. Mr.. Bonham had been
somewhat conspicuous as IN advocate OF
what are termed "SeHlcr'S righs''--was We
ry familiar with the rules and regulations
which had been adopted by settlers for mu-
tual protection in these rights; and being,
wilhal, a man Of some courage and deter
minaton, was, of course, the very one who
would be most likely TO fight the thing sue
cessfully through against the claim of Mr. X.
Indeed he had, il seems, expressed deter
minaton to do so; and for two nights pri-
or to the night Of the 22d of May, when the
murder was committed, had guarded the
mill with a deadly wcapon-a gun-in his
hands. Early in the afternoon of the 22d
Of May last, Mr.. Kcene, acting under the
advice of his counsel, appeared at the mill,
which was then in charge Of a Mr.. Frary, a
hired man of Mr.. Bonham. After making
some inquiries in reference 10 Nottingham
and Bonham, the former Of whom he was
told had gone to Walworth Co., and the
latter 10 Prairieville after the Lisbon mail
he informed MI Fr1ry that he Intended We
yy soon 10 take possession Of the mill. He
then left; but returned short time before
shutdown; and soizing favorable opportu
nifty, when Frary had stepped outside tc
point out 10 a Mr.. Foster where certain
lumber was to be found, he shut down the
gate and stopped the mill. WhenFrary step.
ped back again, Mr.. X. told him that he had
taken possession, and that his services were
no longer needed. Frary soon started away
leaving the mill in peaceable possession OF
keene, who proceeded 20 take out the saw
and removed it, with segment Of the Tag
wheel, &c, and discharged a loaded gun
which he found on the premises. Bonham
by this time, had returned home from Prai
rievillc, with the mail. By this mail, he
received a letter from Mr.. n. then in Mil
waukie, informing him of the design ofMr.
X. and advising him, at all hazards, TO re
tain possession OF the property. Bonham
sent his brother George TO a neighbor to
borrow a gun, directing him to be at the
mill with the. gun, in the course of half an
/ Ho''s ""N 'hihISut1NCII3 ululSSll, SluTteu lOi
the mill, the distance of which, from his
house,is over a mile. lie met Frary with
in few rods Of the mill, who informed him
what had taken place. When Bonham en-.
tered the mill. he found Keenc. Foster,and
a young lao, by the name of Dunn, there
He shook hands with Mr.. X, TO whom he
sad "you have stopped my mill" X. re.
, piled "Your mill!" you couldn't expect g
mill so easy as that?" Bonham then wen
away, and was absent five or ten minutes
when he returned with Frary,aud comman
dcd Mr.. X. to bring back The articles he hat
taken off This X. refused to do. b. Their
ordered all except Frary out of the mill. X
declined gong, and requested Foster to re-
main. About this time, George Bonham
appea,cd with the gun, which he had beer
sent for--Davd Bonham Immediately toon
It, and again, with the gun in his hand, or
dcrcd kcene, Foster and Dunn out of the
mill, who all now left, X. taking the lead
X. had got only about halfa rod from the
( mill when Rouhom called ont 50 kenre