The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-06-11
The Fort Madison Tragedy.

| A brutal murder was perpetratet at Fort
! Madison, in this State, on Saturday week, ON
a citlaene of that place named Samuel Hender-
son, by the captain of the steamer Saracen,
while that boat was stopping a short tine for
supplies The following are the particulars /:
Some difficulty occurred between tho mate
anda coiored pantryman connected with the
boat. The latter jumped ashore and fed to a
| stable In the rear Of Front street, closely pnr-
| sued by the mate, who held pistol in each
! har,i, and threatened to 'blow him ,hrough'' if
he did not stop. When p. Miller, former
sheriff OF the county, reached the stable the
negro was down and several OF the boats crew
were standing over him, some beating and 9TH
ers with drawn knives. lie was forcibly hur-
ried aboard the boat, where the mate branash-
ed knife about his throat, compelled him 10
strip, and then tied hin Up to post for the
purpose OF h,ggins. Here several of the ci;i-
zens asked the captain to hasd the negro over
to the proper authorities, If he was guilty OF
a erirue, that he might be punished according
20 law. fle retortsi By calling then. slammed
nsgger thieves" and ordering them TO leave the
boat When they reached the leves and turned
about. the captain stood with revolver pre-
sentei at the crowd and several guns appear
ed on the lower deck. DR.. w. H. DAVIS, who
IS justice of the peace, eommAniei the clti-
Gems, as peace officer, to prevent the boat
leaving until the negro was released. Several
men seized the bow line which the crew were
drawing aboard, and made it fast to post
Some one on the boat took an axe to cat the
line, while another stood BY his side with
glln levelled at the crowd on shore. Thomas
Slack then pointed gun which had just been
given him by some citizen, at the boatman
who was attempting 70 cut the rope, and threat
ened to fire if he did not desist. a gun was
then fred from the boat into the crowd The
captain run up to the hurricane deck and com
menced firing his revolver ranging directly to-
wards Henderson. A witness named Davis
testifies that he was standing within three feet
of Henderson when he was shot He says in
his testimony that Henderson had been on the
levee but very few minutes, had spoken to
no one, and had taken no part in the attempt
to stop the boat. On the second or third dis
charge Of the revolver he pat his hand on the
right side of his face, and the witness asked
him cit he was shot," and he said he vas
Blood began to run over his hands, and he
turned about and walked up the leyee to Front
street The next man shot was James Hen.
derson, brother Of the deceased. The firing
continued from both sides until the boat pushed
off, and was kept up from the boat until it was
In the middle of the river.
The boat was bound to st. Paul, but after
this transaction went only short distance
above Burlington, and returned in the night 10
st. Louis. Intense excitement at Fort Madi-
son and at other river towns. A large reward
Is offered for the captain OF the boat, and it is
probable that a reqaisition viii be made for
him as a fugitive from justice. 80
The verdict of the jury is, substantially, that
the deceased came to his death by pistol sho.
In the hands of the captain of the steamboat
saracen, II. B. Straw. 1t also duplicates the
first mate, who is the captains brother, an.
other persons connected with the boat whose
names were to the jury unknown.