Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-08-13

MlnX0. ne lnClanS cOmmenceu their
hunting and trapping-the men
with their guns, and the squaws setting The
traps, preparing and cooking the game,
and caring Tor the children---two boys some
ten years old, and two girls of more tender
years. A week had rolled round and the
success of the Indians had been only fair,
with better prospects ahead, as the spring
was opening, and raccoons were beginning
to leave their holes in the trees in search
of frogs that had begun to leave their mud
dy beds at the bottom of the creeks. The
trapping season was only Just commencing.
Ludlow and his band, wholly unsuspicious
of harm and unconscious of any approach
ing enemies, were seated around their camp
FIRE, when there approached through the
woods five white men-Harper, Sawyer,
Hudson, Bridge, SEN, and Bridge jr.-
Harper was the lealer, AMI stepping up to
Ludlow. took him by the hand told him
his party had lost their horses, and wanted
Ludlow and Mingo to help find them
Ludlow and Mingo agreed to go in search
of the horses. Ludlow took one path and
Mingo another Harper followed Ludlow,
and Hudson trailed Mingo keeping some
fifty yards behind. They had travelled
some short distance when Harper shot Lud-
low through the body. and he fell dead on
his face. Hudson, on hearing the crack Of
the rifle of Harpci, Immediately shot Min
go, the ball entering Just below his should
ers and passed clear through his body
Mingo fell dead. The party then met and
proceeded to within gun-shot ofthc camp.
Sawyer shot one of the squaws through the
head She fell and died without strug-
gle. Bridge, sen., shot another squaw,
and Bridge, jr., the other sluaw. Both
fell dead. Sawyer then fired at the oldest
boy, but only wounded him. The other
children were shot by some of the party
Harper then led on to the camp. The two
squaws, one boy, and the two little girls
Law dead, but the oldest boy was still liv-
ing. Sawyer took him by the legs and
knocked his brains out against the end of a
log. The camp was then robbed Of every
thing worth carrying away. Harper, the
ringleader, left Immediately for Ohio and
was never taken. Hudson, Sawyer,
Bridge, SEN, and Bridge, jr, were arrest
ell, and when first saw them they were
confined in square log Jail, built of heavy
beech and sugar tree logs notchcd down
closely and fitting tight above, below, and
on the sides. / entered with the sheriff.
The prisoners were all heavily ironed, and
sitting on the straw on the floor Hudson
was man of about middle size, with bad
look, dark eye, and bushy hair, about
thirty live years of age in appearance
Sawyer was about the same age, rather
heavier than Hudson, but there was moth
ing in his appearance that could have mark
ed him in crowd, as any other than a
common farmer. Bridge, sen.. was much
older than Sawyer, his head was quite grey
he was above the common height, slender,
and little bent when standing. Bridge,
jr., was about eighteen years OF age, tall
STRIPPING. Bridge sen., was the father of
Bridge, IT,, and the brother-in-law of Saw
yer. The news of these Indian murders
flew upon the wings of the winds. The
settlers became greatly alarmed fearing
the retaliatory vengeance of the tribes,
and especially of the other bands of the
Senecas. The facts reached Mr.. John
johnson at the Indian Agency at Piqua,
Ohio. An account of the murders was
sent from the Agency to the War Depart
mcnt, at Washington City. Col. John
son and William Conner, visited all the
Indian tribes, and assured them that the
government would punish the offenders,
and obtained the promise of the chiefs and
warriors that they would wait and see what
their s'great father would do before they
took the matter into their own hands. This
quoted the fears Of the settlers, and prep
aration was commenced for the trials
\ new log building was erected at the
the northpart of Pendleton, with two rooms,
one for the Court and the other for the
grand jury. The Court room was about
twenty by thirty feet, with a heavy spun
cheon" floor, a platform at ono end some
three feet high, with strong railing in
front, bench for the judges, a plain table
for the Clerk, in front on the floor long
bench for the counsel, little pen for the
prisoners, side bench for the witnesses
and long pole in front substantially sup
ported, to separate the crowd from the
Court and bar. A guard by day and
night was placed around theiail. The
court was composed of William w.
Wick presiding judge, Samnel Holli-
day and Adam Winchel, associates
Judge Wick was young on the bench, but
with much experience in criminal trials
Judge Holiday was one of the best and
most conscientious men 1 ever knew
Judge Winchel was a blacksmith, and
had ironed the prisoners; he was an honest,
rough, frank, illitsrate man, without any
pretensions to legal knowledge. Moses
Cox was the clerk; he could barely write
his name, and when a candidate for Justice
of the peace at Connersville, he boosted of
his superior qualifications, II have been
sued on every section Of the statute and
know all about the law. while my compel
itor has never been sued and knows moth
ing about the statute Samuel Cory, the
sheriff, was fine specimen of woods
Hoosier, tall. and strong boned, with a
hearty laugh, without fear of man or beast,
with a voice that made the woods ring as
he called the jurors and witnesses. The
county was thus prepared for the trials. In
the meantime the government was not sleep
ing. Col. johnson, the Indian agent, was
directed to attend the trials to see that the