Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1853-11-17

~ EIutUcI II was ever Oul iOb W
was that Of Mr.. Butler BY Mat. Ward
and lis bro her, al Louisville the other
day. Tie only offense of the murdered
man was that he had chastised a young
brother of the Wards, for violation of
tlae regulations of the school and telling
a falsehood TO hide his offense. To
avenge this insul, upon the dignity of a
gentleman's family, Mat. Ward and his
brother armed themselves. one with two
loaded pistols and the other with bowie
knife, TO attack an unarmed, inoifensive
! defenceless man. And they did it, and
murdered him.
Mat. Ward is the author of "English
Items" and no one who has read that
book can fail 10 remember his high flown
talk about ''chivalry." manly courage"
and "high-souled honor" A pretty
specimen he is of courage, or chivalry, or
! honor. In this part of the world he
would be called brutal ruffian and
owardly assassin. The citizens Of Louis
Vile owe il to themselves-that their
reputation for brave, noble-hearted. and
generous men, degenerate net Only in
i
that the scoundfel eets the dogs death
he has earned-death by the rope and
without mercy.
The evidence Of the scholars. on the
examining trial. which resulted in Ward
and his bro !her being committed for muir
der in the first degree all concurred as to
the shooting and the character of the pro-
vocation. which was the whipping of a
little brother Of the WARDS the morning
before. for eating chesnuts in the school,
contrary 10 rule. and. when charged with
the ofense, telling deliberate lalSehood.
Jno. 4. Campbell. a pupil in the school,
was first introduced as witness. He
testified that NJ. F. Ward, accompanied
by his two brothers, Robert and William,
about 10 o'clock. entered the school room
Of Mr.. Butler, and William Ward. the
youngest, took seat, and Mat. WUd
asked for Mr.. Butler One of the sehol-
ars informed Mr.. Butler that some one
desired TO see him. He went into the
room. and Mat. T. Ward .accosted him
by saying he had something to say, and
asked which he thought the worst, the
mean little puppy that asked his brother
for the chesnuts. and then told on him,
or his brother who gave him the nuts?-
MIR. Bute- made some reply, the witness
did not exactly know what. Ward then
III ell impatient manner. said he would
ask Mr.. Butler another question; and ask
ed Why he called his brother liar? and
then said that Mr.. Butler was a Id
4
witness then turned his back and picked
up the tongs, anticipating fuss, when
he heard the report of pistol: saw Mr. |
Butler fall. but saw nothing more Of Mat.
Ward. His brother. Robert Ward, was
there, however, armed with large dirk,
hourishing it aboat. Mr.. Butler was !
shot in the left breast. near the heart,
with small single barrelled pistol.
Several other scholars testified to the |
same detail of facts. GILMORE, gun
smith, testifiad that WARD got the pls-
tolls a his store, and had them loaded be- |
fore be started out.
The Courier thus remarks upon the
crime and the unfortunate victim:
Few deeds more atrocious are TO be |
found mentioned IL the records of modern
crime: not one that had so little to pal
late it, has at any time come within
our own knowledge. Men have been as
sassinated for hire, at the Instigation of
ambitious princes in whose way they
stood; others have been murdered for
their money, which could be obtained
only through their death; and love, jeal-
ousy, madness, revenge. have each and
all lain at the bottom Of crime, and count
ed their victims by hundreds. Here was
motive, in either case. strong and con-
trolling. But when or where, before.
was the life thus recklessly and coolIy
taken, of an honorab BILE, amiable, high
minded man, engaged at the moment in
the offices of his useful profession. un.
warned, unarmed, unsuspecting? We
would not. at any time. lightly utter a
single word to wound the feelings of any
fellow creature. but crimes like this oc-
cur. it is cur duty. it is the duty of eve-
ry one having control of the columns of
a public journal, 70 speak of them as they
deserve. He who fears or fails to do so.
is false to his obligations to society, and
unfit for the position he holds.
William II. G. Butler was native of
Indiana. and was twenty eight years old
at the time of his death. He was edu-
Gated at Hanover College, where he grad
uated with distinguished honor. He was
one o: the best educated men in the west
ern country, and one of the best and most
successful teachers After graduating
lie removed TO this city. where he for
a peviod Of eighteen months ID private
tutor in the family of Robert J. Ward.
Esq. the father of Mat. Z. Ward. He
travelled to Europe. and
three years ago was a delegate from the
4 IN q rican Peace Society 10 the Wnrld,s