Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-08-14
Fearful Tragedy in Leavenworth City,
K0nsns.

gave an account OF fearful tragedy en-
acted tat LeaVsnworlh city, Kansas, on
Friday night aud Saturday morning last.
Andrew Stewart. Esq, editor OF the
Steubenville (Ohiol Union, who left
Leavenworlh on Saturday night last, has
furnished the ST. Louis Democrat with
the following details:
On Friday night. the 3Ist ult.. a man
named SephenF, living in Kansas city,
came up to Leayenworth, and, while
"a squeezing AROUND. went into drinking
shop called the Ward House. The bars
keeper, named Baines, became very
friendly. and after getting Stephens quite
drunk, proposed a walk mp the river and
4, took him to a spring on thenbanks6f the
:, Missouri river just above thou Planters
:, House, where they were met ndtassault
= : ed by two men who demanded their
- money or their lives. The barkeEper.
Banes. gave his money up apdatranl off
ana When he got TO the lower end :offtewn he
,a, gave the alarm that a man Wasia being
Es robbed up the river at the springs lfSey-,I
ms eral parties Of citizens Immediately sWent
,ftcpp and arrit on the spot justiins,t lime
.ga 10 end poor Stephens crawIing,ou of the1
f,.qriVer, his body and head .beatsn land
bruised with slones;snd clubs and his.
chest and shoulders bearing several eter-
rible stabs and cuts. The, citizens ran to.
his assistance, but, the unfortunate VIC
Tim. though struggling to speak, was too
FAR gone, and presently. died without
being able to, utter a single word about
the manner Of his death, or the names of
his mnrderers., ..--s. II,
Suspicion at once alighted upon the
barkeeper, Baines. and SO outraged were
tic people. and violent the Prescriptions
of his guilt, that posse of citizens at
once arrested and held him in close Gus
todJ. The news in the meantime spread
like wild FIRE oil over the city and the ex
element grew intense. An immediate
trial Of BAines was demanded, and final.
ly it was agreed that he should be hung
on the spot, without judge or jury. A
rope was procured 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 q con
fcssion. The crowd yielded and lot him
down to the GROUND. ..
STARTLING CONFESSION.
He said that he and two men, one
named John Quarles, from South Carols
ia. and the other called KnowltOn, bad
laid the plot by which Stephens was rob-
bed and murdered. and that the same
men had murdered another man short
time before and thrown the body into the
Missouri river. He stated also that he
and the men Kuowlton and Quarles be,
longed to an organized body of twenty.
tive men, who lived AID carried Oh the
business Of robbing and numbering in
LeaVenWoTth city, on the Island oppO
site the city. and in the towns of Law.
reuce aud Topeka. He then gave the
names of as many Of the gang as he
copld remember to the authorities.
THE ARREST. .
AS soon as Baines had finished his rev
Citations be vas committed 10 the Gala
boose, ones story stone building, aboN
sixteen feet square. The crowd the1
went off in pursuit Of Quarles and KnoWl
ton, and in short time had them ares
ted. Among the revealed conspirator
was Nm. Woods, the proprietor of th
greater part OF Leavenwortb Island, ant
regarded BY his acquaintance as an hon
est man and good citizen: A party pro
ceeded at once to arrest him, and afte
making thorough search of his house
found, t0sAty GVe hundred dolIars ip coun
teEteH money. lot Of counterfeiting plate
antfs0ther instruments, and q Knife dH
pistol belonging to the n:urdeyea man, Sic
phenS. AT tEcSe conclusive proofs of tn
correctness Of the confessions Of Baines
the people were deep!'g moved, and he'll
counsel together in large ,cnd small par
ties during the whole night.
THE PROCEEDINGS ON sATURDAY--oUARIIE
AND BAISEs HUNG.
We here give the narrative of Mr.
Stewart. lie says: IL went to III,
mayors office on Saturday morning, art
found an immense crowd awaiting the re
suit of the examination of Woods AMI
Hnowlton. Baiues and Quarles were il
The ealaboose. While the examination
was going on, Judge Lecompte was out
side making speech and expostulatins
with the angry crowd in favor of law anc
order. The CRY of Slang 'em, the d.
muEderers.' arose frequently from thu
mob. but the milder counsels seemed .tt
be prevailing, when at once some. one
shouted, To the calahoose!: to the Gala.
boose! and away acrowd Of about fifty
maddened men started in that direction
The balance of the people followed aftel
lni7,smalter parties, leaving Judge lie
compte almost alone. and. the mayors Of
ICE ry!lieysdEef. it's lthrong of spectators
Iheg, had heen,, gone about! fifteen; min
'utes. Hhcn ! heard great yell. l start
ed,atter the.crowd, and followed it to the
bsqkq Of q, creek. which divides south and
north ,LeayeHworth, where there was q
steep bank, and on its edge large elm
tree. 1 reached the spot Just in time &c
see Quarles suspended from the tree
sgasPing in the: agonies of death al the