Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-08-22

tIuC cailhot ueVOte my whole time TO our
Kansas affairs in this crisis Now is tho
time for the South to act Yours, truly,
ID. r. ATcuIsoN.
Fearful Tragedy in Leavenworth City,
Kansas.
The telegraph dispatches gave an ac-
count of a fearful tragedy enacted at Leay-
cnworth City, Kansas, on Friday night and
Saturday morning last, Andrew Stewart,
Esq, editor of the Stcubenvillc (Ohio)
Union, who left Leavcnworth on Saturday
night last, has furnished the st. Louis
Democrat with the following details:
On Friday night the 31st ultimo, a man
named Stephens, living in Kansrs City,
came up to Lcavenworth, and, while spree
ing around, went into drinking shop called
the Ward House The bar-keepor, named
Baincs, became very friendly and after get
ting Stephens quito drunk proposed walk
up the river, and took him to spring on
the bank of tho Missouri river, Just above
the Planters House, where they wero met
and assaulted by two men who demanded
their money or their lives The bar-kccpcr,
Baines, gave his money up and ran Off
When he got to the lower end of town he
d
up the river at the spring. Several parties
of citizens Immediately went up, and ar
rived on the spot just in time to find poor
Stephens crawling out of the river, his body
and head beaten and bruised with stones
and clubs, and his chest and shoulders
bearing several terrible stabs and cuts The
citizens ran to his assistance, but the un-
fortunate victim, though struggling to
speak, was too far gone, and presently died
without being able to utter single word
about the manner of his death, or the names
of his murdercrs.
Suspicion Mt once alighted on the bar
keeper, Baines, and SO outraged were the
people, and so violent the prcsumptions of
his guilt, that posse of the citizens at once
arrested and held him in close custody
The news in the meantime spread like wild
fire all over the city and the excitement
grew intense. An immediate trial of
Baincs was demanded, and finally it was
agreed that he should be hung on the spot,
without Judge or jury A rope was pro-
cured and put around his neck, and already
he was being drawn up to the limb of an
overhanging tree, when he expressed wish
to make confession. The crowd yielded
and let him down to the ground.
STARTLING CoNFESsIoN.-Hc said that
he and two mon, one named John Quarlcs,
from South Carolina, and the other called
Knowlton, had laid the plot by which Ste
phcns was robbed and murdered, ard that
the same men had murdered another man
o short time before, and thrown the body
into the Missouri river. He stated also
that he and the men Knowlton and Quarlcs
belonged to an organized body of twenty
five men, who lived and carried on the bus
mess of robbing and numbering in Leaven-
worth city, on the island opposite the city,
and in the towns of Lawrence and Topeka.
He then gave the names of as many of
the gang as he could remember to the au-
thoritics.
The ARREsTs--As soon as Baines had
finished his revelations, he was committed
to the calaboosc, a onc-stoly stone building,
about sixteen feet square. The crowd went
off in pursuit of Quarlcs and Knowlton, and
in short time had them arrested. Among
the revealed conspirators was Wm. Woods,
the proprietor of the greater part of Lcav-
enworth Island, and regarded by his ac-
quaintances as an honest man and good.
citizen. A party proceeded at once to ar
rest him, and, after making a thorough
search of his house, found t,cenU fcc hun
d,cd dollars Of counterfeit money, lot of
counterfeiting plates and other instruments,
and knife and pistol belonging to ne
murdered man Stephens. At these con-
elusive proofs of the correctness of the con-
fcssions of Baines, the people were deeply
moved, and held counsel together in large