The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-05-21
From the Leccmpton Unior.l
The shooting OF Jones.

Mr.. EDITOR In compliance with
your request, we give below a correct
statement of the immediate facts con-
nected with the assassination of Sheriff
Jones.
Being in Lawrence on the 23d inst
we saw the peacable arrest of six per
sons by Sheriff Jones, with a detaeh-
ment of the United States troops under
Lieut.. Mcintosh. Everything went of
quietly till just before dark, when some
men congregated about in different pla-
ccs, abusing the pro-slavery men, Gen.
Pierce, Sheriff Jones and others. Sew
eral times in the evening we warned
Sheriff Joncs-upon information being
given to us that possibly IN attempt up
on his life would be made-to be eau
tious and circumspect. With Lieut..
Mcintosh, We, with a gentleman by the
name of Yates. went to the camp, in
tending to pass off time and spend the
night.
Soon after We had made Preparations
for sleeping, Mr.. Jones came in, aud
commenced talking in regard to the ar
rangcments of the night. for the care of
the prisoners. Soon, Lieut.. Mcintosh,
Mr.. Jones and one of us, (P.,) went a
few PAGES from the tent to get a glass
of water. While so engaged, some per-
sons came up and inquired where Sheriff
Jones was, and made insulting remarks
con ;erning his courage, when he (J.) arose
from the STOPPING posture he was in and
remarked, Here [ an gentlemen" and
again stopped, when some person in a
crowd standing near, fired into the party,
when the remark was made by p,
Zones you are shot" and upon exam
nation it was found that a bullet had
passed through his pants without injury.
The party returned to the tent, where,
when commenced talking about the das-
tardiy and hellish attempt at sssassina-
ton, q man, pretending to be drunk, IN
truded himself into the tent, in our opin-
on for the express purpose of fudiug
out the position of Sheriff Jones.
lie took a seat, when he was told by
the Sheriff that the party had no use for
him, when lie Immediately arose and
left, and in less than five minutes, as we
were conversipg together, Jones fell, ex-
claiming "Ohr' He attempted to
draw a knife and ind the dastardly
scoundrel-worse than a fend, who
would thus, under cover of the night, at
tempt the life of a fellow being; but the
wound was such as to prevent his rising
at all. The shot come from the hind
part of the tent, and was aimed at the
back of the Sheriff. We have no doubt
ourselves that the whole matter was con.
cocted-the rascal hired for the express
nTrrHnc sc
are many persons in Lawrence concerned
in this matter, who are very desirous to
shield themselves behind this foul and
dark scoundrel, unworthy even the name
of a devil. THOMAS w CRowDER.
WIN. l.. PRESTON.
Lecompton, K. T., April "a, 1856.
P. S.-We are confident tina the as
sassin knew the exact position of Sheriff
Jones in the tent, for had he shot at
random, another of us might have been
in Sheriff Jones position.
T. W. c.
PALERMo, K. T., May 5, 1856.
A messenger just from Franklin, states
that Sheriff Jones is slightly better, al
there very faint hopes arc entertained
of his recovery. The ball entered O
portion of the back bone, grazing the
spinal column and paralv--,.
frame H@ mind has continued clear
and calc:, and he has arranged his world
~ affairs, in the confident belief that
his end has come. He finds it impossi-
BILE to identify the assassin, even in idea,
as he was shot in the back through the
folds of his tent, while sitting quietly,
without a thought OF danger, in the dis
of his official duties. When in
that day. maLise arrests with
ana of a detachment of U. S. troops
two Intellectual efforts with the