Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-10-30
A Visit to the House of VIM.
Phillips. z-. -

| LEANENWOHIH hdilSstS, Oct. +, IodO.
The voyager from Lawrence to Leaven
worth, can hardly help noticing as he
about to enter the latter city, beautiful
white house, with a portico in front, stand
ing eonspicuously on little eminence nea
the outskirts of the town. 1t is the hous
in which William Phillips was murdered
He had selected this spot and built thi
cottage for his home. He designed to liv,
here under the best form of government OF
earth, and in the full enjoyment of our Clio
rious Institutions
For the ofense of eontesting the election
of March, 1855, he was tarred and feather
ed by the pro-slavery men, and for the crime
of continuing to be in favor offreedom aftel
that serious admonition, he was finally, on
the 1st day of September last murdered II
his own house-in cold blood.
Strange, though as it was,I could moi
on passing the house, resist the impulse to
90 in. 7-t
Ifound Jared Phillips lying on lounge
in the parIor. As l introduced myself a
little color came into his pallid countenance
and he extended his only remaining hand
to me- His left arm has been amputated,
and he has still two buckshot in that side,
which it is thought cannot be safely extract
ed. Whether they will cause him much
suffering in the future, it is difficult as vet,
to determine. $40
As many contradictory reports of this
affair have gone out, l will give as briefly
as possible the principal facts.
On the morning of the lst of September.
about o'clock, Capt. Emory with 35
mounted men, proceeded to the house
halted and formed line in front of it
the men leveling their pieces at the front
door. -Four men were then wheeled round
to face Geo. Keller's house, which is on
the opposite side TO the street and little
farther East. (The street runs nearly East
and West.)
No one in the house had any intimation
of their coming, or knew what their design
was. Ever since the taTing and feather
ing of Phillips, however. the pro-slavery
men had made violent threats against him,
and he was fully resolved that he would
never again fall alive into their hands.
Two men then left the ranks and entered
the front door, They showed no warrant.
and refused to state their object in coming.
William Phillips, who was in the hall,
mounted to the head of the staircase and
ordered them to leave his house. Their
only reply to this was, "God d-n you,
come down here" He then picked up an
old musket which stood there, and again
ordered them to leave his house, telling
them that if they dared to remain it would
be at their peril. The men then retreated,
at which Capt. Emory swore loudly. He
called them id towards, and swore he
would burn down Phillips house but what
he would take him, and would plant their
flag in his blood
After Phillips was killed they gave
great number of reasons or excuses for their
visit-one was that they wished to search
the house for concealed arms. and Others of
a. like character, but to every demand of the
Phillips they refused at the time to give
any.
AT Emory's order number Of men then
burst into the hall. Vim. Phillips still
stood at the head of the stairs, and warn
ed them to advance az their peril.
jared Phillips (William's brother) who
had also been in the hall when the men
entered, escaped, to the room on the right,
which was his bedroom and where his
wife then was. The window was open and
the curtain happened to blow aside, EN-
ory's men fired through the window, woun-
ding him in che left arm and side. Ut has
since been found necessary to amputate the
arm.) At the same moment the men in
the hall making rush at the staircase,
William Phillips fired down it, killing one
man and wounding another.
Mr.. Phillips best position was at the
head of the stairway, but for some reason
he left it and went to the front hall window,
(up stairs The window was raised lit
tie more than foot. He must have been
kneeling to shoot out when struck. Sever
al balls passed through the lower strip of
the sash frame, and the partition wall inside
is riddled with bullets. One ball struck
him in the right eye, and number in the
breast. He was no doubt instantly killed.
He fell back at full length on the floor,
which is deeply stained with his blood.
The lady who showed me the hall said,
"We have tried to wash those stains out
but cannot.' The visitor to Holyrood, in
Edingburgh, is shown the little room in
the tower in which Rizzio was murdered.
The Scotch lassie who officiated as guide to
me, after recounting the circumstances of
the murder in strong Scottish accent, con-
cluded with "There he fell paiyced by for
ty-ser moons, and there pointing to some
dark spots on the floor, )are the daark stains
of his baud" was inclined then TO smile,
both at her accent and her credulity, but
have since come to believe that human
blood will not wash out, .--- 1l ,f
Domestic life should be sacred, even
from the reporter. Of the interesting, but
afflicted females of this family it does not
become Inc to speak; but there is one cir
in this story so sad, that can
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