The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-20

were killed on the road; did not care d-n Il tLey
were, ior they were aware Of the difficulties, and
tney had no business on the road; il they wore q
| mind to run the risk of their own liyes notodv
was to blame; remember ball at Leoni about the
8th Of July last; was there; the cars were stoned
mat night; was in the ball room when +. Price,
l.. Champlin, myself, and think Davis was there
Price came up and said the cars coming slst
US go out, and stone them" We four went outs
Davis went away of; Price was with me; saw
Price throw stones, and heard cries in the cars;
think the other two threw; did not throw any that
night; heard some Of defendants speak Of witnesses
to swear each other clear in any Of them
arrested; had heard A. Filley, Corwin, Williams,
Prices, Fitch, Gleason, l.. Champn, speak Of this;
heard Fitch say they could not be convicted, as
they would all hang together; they could not get
court to convict them; that they could get wit
ne sses enough to swear them clear the others
named have said in substance the same things at
different times.
Joshua W. Wells testified When on the track
with Filley, one Sunday, heard Fitch describe, how
by placing a wedge the track, the cars could be
run off; said il would bother and annoy the COM
pany; another time heard Fitch Filley, and Eb.
Price talk of plan to place rail in the track to
strike the lamp; few days afterwards heard Fitch
say such thing had happened towards Leon; this
was after he suggested the plan; Fitch also spoke
OF breaking the chairs, and prying the rails aside;
and others, were present; they all had less
to say about it; the subject was introduced by
Fitch; afterwards heard the plan had been adopted;
think some of the defendants told me so ne xt day,
that it had been tried about half mile east Of tho
Centre; Fitch was present when they told it the
cars did not run off; they said if they had run
off, they would have run thirty feet into the mud.
Was at Jack Freeland's on Sunday, and he told mo
about placing powder under the road, and placing
trail to the track, so as to explode when the cars
went over, and blow up the track; this was plan
he suggested to get pay for some sheep they had
killed he at another time mentioned the same plan
when were the hill with Brown, a colored
man, sowing clover seed; heard gnns fred, and
fired by m
hacker; he laughed about it afterward, and said
engineer had quit the road because the balls came
so close to his head, he dare not run longer one
night J., Horace Coswell, and Laycock, went round
to Fitch's bed room window, and Fitch handed out
a pair of horse pistols; never spoke to him about
them before; We went through the she'd Fitch came
they were loaded; he told me to 60 down towards
the dry marsh, and get close to the track pos
sble, and shoot through the engineers house when
the cars came along-at any rate give EN- hell /:
think this was in fall of the year the pistol had
was loaded; the rife pistol belonged to DR.. Moul-
ton; heard Myron Laycock say he got it Of Moul-
ton; heard Fitch speak Of having spike bars made;
The first talk ! heard about road at Michigan
Centre was by Fitch, in AZ or first of 49, first con-
yersation about firing pistols towards Leon was in
cock asked me to 60 round to the window with him:
| did not speak to Fitch; Laycock did not say
what he wanted of them | tried the had
and found it loaded; Fitch told Horace CoswolI
they were loaded; the intention to shoot hem
into the cars all knew what they told me
was going to shoot because Fitch told us to do 50
when we got down to the marsh Fitch told US to
get up close to the cars, and shoot through the
gineers house at the engineer, at any rate to give
EN- hell there was something said about my not
shooting do not think was dissuaded from shoot
ing by the others my intention was to shoot
cording to my directions at the engineer if had
shot Should not have killed any one the reason
did not shoot because we did not get on the
spot in time to shoot
Hirap ~
Next day Corwin asked me into Filley's to drink.
and then we went out by the road and talked about
an hour he told Inc that Fitch told him that if he
(Fitch) had known their side the mig ht bo-
fore ut the fight, he (Fitch) would have pushed
Wescott into the room and cked the door, and
might have hammered him to death Corwin asked
me if he and could not 90 that night and trim the
switch, and said could run the train of there,
and in night or two go and do it at Leoni, and in
about n week would go to Grass Lake and do IL
there; was speaking OF the passenger train told
him the switch locked; he said they could do it
with crow bar, and told how it could be done had
talked about Woliver; think he told me he had re-
cci,ed letter from him, and meant to go out and
see him | told him l was afraid they trying
to get Nover for witness against them he said
he would go and SEQ him and caution him-a littlo
cnution went id ways some times; told me |
must not reveal what he told me, and for Woliver
he did not for him. they could swear him to hell
there were better men than ! thought en-
gagged with them; they could swear each other
clear, and spoke Of Testers case who was arrested
for obstructing the track he said they could clear
any man if he was caught; that there respecta-
bic men engaged among them, and great many
more Of them than | thought thoy attended to
Lester and said they got him clear.
lie told me as long as kept their side | would
DO safe, but if turned against them they would
shoot me, and If they could not do il Mt any other
time, they would do 1t when came on to the stand
TO testify against them.
About the 7th November, Corwin wanted me to
60 with him and make a switch; the way he told ms
they made il WAS TO take and break the bars,
and fix them so tn { cars would run oil; ! told him |
would go that night; he said be would 60 and see
Filley, and find where the iron bars for tho
operations; went over TO Fillcy's and found Cor
win there stayed awhile, and went to the ball
alley; Fitch, Filley, Credits Harry and T.. Cham
pin there, and the two Prices came there a.
tctwards some went back TO Flleys; Fillcy out
soon, and told them to blow out the lights an close
the alley; the key was gone, and he sal some I'D
railroad spy had stolen It; met Corwin aud Champn
a. was going to the tavern. and they asked rae II
j knew the two strangers In the house; told therl
did not; they said they were some id spies. sons
went to the tavern and some to Lulrs store; saw
Corwn ag ain, and he said nothing would DO done
that night; freight train came along slow, and
Corwn proposed to cut of part u the cars, aud the
next tram would run into those that were LEFT: We
went up to the train, and saw the conductor sitting
the top when going to cut OF the train
by taking out the coupling pin; Corwn said. Cd
d-n him, lets knock him of with stone, and
locked for sne but could not find one: said next
time they would 70 down to the old tavern houses,
where there were plenty Of bricks, and give 'eu
hell.
DfsArrFARANcx or A CorroS ByYER or NEw
ORLEANS "A cotton buyer, who nas hitherto en-
loved a large degree Of confidence in our comner
II "A -. -.