Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-07-16
Horrible Treatment of Free State P is
oHers al TecunIseh.
Their trial for Ifeason.-ILrse Renanded and
A, n -.--F y + X @ 4 o..
LAWRENCE, Kansas, June %, 1856

LAWRENCE, Kansas, June %, 1856
| have already told you that eight prisoners,
tfree State mem who were arrested near 0ssa-
watamie had been taken to Tecumseh for trial.
The trial came off last week. and FIVE of them
were released, and are now in town on their way
home / have learned many interesting facts
connected with the affair that should 90 upon
the record.
After they had been kept near where they
were taken about two weeks, guarded by Uni
ted States troops, who were ordered to keep
them in irons the most of the time, they had
orders to remove them to Tecumseh. A scene
then followed which has no parallel in a Repub-
lican Government. They were chained two and
two by taking common trace chain and using
a paddock at each end, which was so fixed as to
make close clasp around the ankle.-Like a
gang of slaves, they were thus driven on foot
the whole distance, at the rate of twenty-five
miles per day, dragging their chains after them.
The last part of the journey was most torturing
to them. The~were unaccustomed to travelling
their chains had worn upon their ANGLES, until
one of them became quite exhausted and was put
in wagon What a humiliating, disgusting
sight, in free government-to see chained
gang of men, who had committed no crime
whatever, driven sixty-fivc miles by their merci-
less prosecutors to attend trial then have grant
ed them an unconditional release, and no pro
II vision for redress! @aa
They have convicted three of them of treason.
while FIVE are allowed to go free, when the testi-,
mony was general, against them all alike, with
few exceptions One of the prisoners, Jacob
BENJAMIN, they could find nothing whatever
against-the witnesses did not even know him,
and the proceedings looked SO ridiculous against
him. that the Court has struck his name from
the warrant and other legal or illegal papers, as
you win see hereafter in the report.
They have their chains here with ,hcni,s and
their exhibition excites much curiosity. The
one worn by John Brown, jr.--,eho is insane in
consequence Of his inhuman treataeitt-is polish
ed thoroughly by his constant exercise while
raving to be released, and is easily selected by
It's bright appearance. understand that one
of our citizens has. obtained one Of the chains,
and intends to send it to the Rev. Henry w
Beecher, asa relic of Douglas squatter sover-
eighty. E.424sEs
While they were at Tecumseh, they witnessed
the examination of DR.. Tucker, of Topeka, on
charge of horse-stealng, before Edward Hoag-
land, ESQ.,, United States Commissioner, before
whom they were also examined, and although
the Doctor proved an alibi, by Ave or six relia-
BILE witnesses he was coasiesed tcithottt ai,y sog
or esideace against him. He even said before
the trial commenced, that if he proved an aiibi
by so OF the best men in Topeka, he would still
convict him This Hoagland is from Dundee,
New York, and is capital specimen of a North
ern donghface.
Mr.. Williams and John Brown, jr, who are re
tanned, are both members of the Topeka Legis-
latnre, which is to assemble on the 4th of July,
and that may be sufficient cause for the Partially
exhibited. RANDOLPH.