The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-12-04
How Justice lis Administered In Kan
mas--Jeffries Lecompte.


The able Kansas correspondent of the
Tribune, in q letter under date Of Nov.
18th, thus writes:
"One of the most remarkable circum-
stances have 10 record Is the arrest of
HAYS, the murderer of Buffum. He was
arrested few days ago. The murder
was very atrocious one. Hays, who
is one of the infamous Kickapoo Rangers,
shot Mr.. Buffum and then cruelty choked
him, while retiring from the late expedi-
ton against Lawrence. The murder was.
committed almost under the Governors
nose, he having ridden up the road short
ly after, in company with Judge Cato
Judge Cato took the affidavit of the dy-i
ing man, who had not yet expired. and
the Governor issued approximation, of
fering reward of $500 for the arrest of
the murderer. Something must have
been added to this, for the Governor
states that the arrest Of Hays cost him
500. How he ever came to be arrest
ed, even thus is not very clear. The
impossibility of arresting Pro-Slave-
ry men by Pro-Slavery officers had
|
have been almost certainty. ] suspect
there is some trick in it to get the reward,
under the conviction that there would be
no danger of the prisoner being either
confined or punished. / do not consider
/ it at all impossible that the prisoner might
be party to the transaction Be that as
! it may, he was arrested the reward paid,
and he handed over to the tender mer-
cies of Judge Lecompte, who considerate-
ly (the prisoner being Law-and Order
man admitted him to bail, and the mur-
derer went on his way to Kickapoo rejoic-
ling. The extreme propriety of this pro-
ceeding on the part of Lecompte. was
rendered still more striking from the fact
that a large number of the Free State
prisoners had been ANONYMOUSLY conf
ned for weeks, even while the worst char
ges that their enemies pretended to bring
against them were only third and fourth
rate offences. Now, Governor Geary
had taken great praise to himself for the
arrest of this Pro Slavery murderer
The arrest had cost the Government $500
and it was meet that ttheExecutive should
get the worth of his money in reputation
for impartiality. Gov. Geary was just
congratulating himself in the Executive
Chamber, and stating the fact of the ar.
rest of Hays, and the amount it cost, as
instances Of his impartiality. when he was
Informed that Lecompte had admitted
HAYS to bail. and that Samuel j. Jones,
"Sheriff of Douglas county," where the
murder was committed, was one of the
bondsmen. This was rather too glaring
and barefaced. The Governor got in a
rage, and sent off lot of dragons and 8
deputy Marshal to e-arrest him and bring
him back, This was rather funny ex
tra-iudicial proceeding over the head O
the Supreme Chief Justice. Meanwhile,
Hays, the dragons, and the deputy Mar
shall, have not been heard from, and
consider it doubtful if they will be heard
from as being in company"
Hays was slavery and Buffum
Free State man. Now read the follow
ing paragraph. Wilson is Free Stat
; man, and was arrested merely for "shoot
ing with intent to kill ~
i. az have one sad story to tell One o
: the prisoners the Governor took while O
n Middle Ottawa Greek was a man name
Wilson. Since his arrest his wife ha
died-killed, it is said, by alarm an
fears for her husband Messengers cam
e up to get Wilson liberated on bail, S
!. that he could 60 to his wife's funeral. bu
. all the eloquence Of the sad story failed t
: move the obdurate hearts of the author
ties who held the agonized prisoner. On
neighbor offered to remain in the prise
ner's place and let dragons accompan
D the prisoner to his bereayed home, bu
e the appeal fell on dull ears, rendered i'm
placabie by party hate"
9 The, above extracts show how justic
q is administered in Kansas, yet the Bu
s chaneer organs infamously suppress thes
: facts, and cry out "Peace, peace, whe
y there is no peace" and mock the suffer
ings of the heroic Free State men by ri
E bald jeers about " bleeding Kansas !"