Freeman's champion., 1857-08-06
Murder and Hanging in Leaven-
worth
A NEST OF DEMONS BROKEN UPl
Egsvsn Murders within three Wssks
INTENSE EXCITEMENT! !

INTENSE EXCITEMENT!
Major ALEXANDER arrived in town
last evening, and brings us news of a
most startling nature. He informs us
that ON Friday last gentleman from
Kanzas City, Mo-, arrived in Leaven-
worth and stopped at the Ward Hotel,
and at about 8 o'clock in the evening
was prevailed upon by the bar-keep-
er to visit spring near the river to
procure some water. While there
the stranger was seized by three Of
the bar-keeper'S confederates, who
had been concealed near by, and
stabbed, divested Of his money, con-
Sisting of $1O8, and thrown into the
river. The gang then Immediately
dispersed, and the barkeeper proceedi
ed back to the hotel. He there found
an Irishman who had obseved the de-
parture of the stranger with himself,
whom he told of the stabbing and
robbery Of the stranger, and said
that he also had been robbed of some
money, and requested the lrishman to
go with him and visit the probably
dying man. The Irishman obtained
the company of a friend and consent
ed. They found the man lying at
the water's edge, inflicted with seven
frightful stabs in various portions of
the body, but not in a dying condi-
ton. The barkeeper immediately
dispatched the men who accompanied
him for medical assistance, stating
that he would take care of the man
during their absence. In their search
for sugeon the gentlemen gave pub
licity to the affair, and soon large
crowd began to assemble at the place
of the occurrence. When the sur.
geon arrived, the man was at the
point of death, q mortal wound hav-
ing been inflicted during the depart
ure of the men to obtain a surgeon,
The crowd took into custody the
barkeeper, ON suspicion of he being
the murderer, who strongly protested
his innocence, maintaining that the
murdered man was friend of his
who had been robbed with himself al
that place by agang of providers, thai
his friend had been stabbed by show
ing res istance, and that he had saveG
himself from such fate only by TAX
ing to his heels. A Mr.. Race, a frient
of the barkeeper, testified to thu
truthfulness of this statement, affirm
ing that he was an eye witness ! 0
course he was arrested, and the two
were lodged in Jail.
Suspicion had rested for o Ions
time upon man by the name of Ste
, phens, who resided on Leavenwortl
island, of his being connected with
. 1gang of thieves and murderers, ant
suspccting that he might be implica
ted in this murder, a large crowd pro
ceeded to the island on the next morn
r ing, seized him, put rope aroun'
his neck, and threatened to swim,
him if he did not make q full con
fession of this murder and expose tn
{ mysteries OF the gang he was con
8 nected with. They CLEANED iron
a him the most thrilling statement tina
. he was member Of band Of muir
{ derers and robbers, who had thei
rendezvous at Leavenworth; that the
numbered twenty-five; that thei
captain resided on the island and wa
3. named Wood that he had belongs
> to the gang only three weeks, but wa
o knowing of the fact of their havinI
committed elcven murders during tha
time and gave the names of tho PAL
ties who committed the bloody dee
on the night previous. Capt. Woo
4 was found and arrested and made t
give confession, which fully corrob
Grated the statements made b
Stephens.
e Upon the arrival at the jail Of th
! two last prisoners, the crowd becam