Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-07-03
The Trial Before Judge Samuel D
Lecomptc, the American yeffries.


The Trial Before Judge Samuel D.
Lecompte, the American Jeffries.
A few weeks since the announce
ment was made throughout the land,
that CHARLES FuoIT, notorious Bor-
der Rufiian, who, during the Kansas
troubles shot and scalped German
named Hops, for the odious crime OF
wishing Kansas TO be Free State,
lin other words for being I'D
Abolitionist, had been arrested
near Leavenworth, aud would be
speedily brought to trial before Judge
LEcoapTE, and dealt with according
to claw and order" The partizans OF
the Border Ruffians claimed that the
arrest Of this murderer most foul and
wsnton, and his trial and punishment,
would vindicate Lecompte from the
charge Of being bloody and black
guard American edition Of tho brutal
and infamous Judge Jeffries, and show
that the law and order Democracy
Of the Border were champions of O.
quail and exact justice TO oil men OF
whatever persuasion, religious or po-
litical. Even the Enquirer expressed
q hope that Fugit would be hung
TWAS thought that as the wretch was
not q member Of an influential fami-
ly, and as there was pressing occas-
ion TO make u show Of justice, that he
would have to swing. But the Jury
in his case, in the First District Court
Of Kansas Territory, Hon. SAMUEL
.. LEcoMprr, presiding Judge" have
returned verdict Of mot GUILTY 1"
and no has been duly discharged.
So not one of the Border Rufiian muir
derers have been broughtto Justice
not one. On tho contrary, several Of
them have been rewarded with Office,
and others lionized as propagators Of
the pure gospel of modern Democra-
cy. The testimony given in tho trial
Of FuoIr we find reported in the Lea
venworth Times, and few quotations,
probably calculated TO provoke smiles
from the Border Ruffians al the idea
Of BLEEDING Kansas"
WILLIAM WALLACE lived ON the
Lawrence road, three miles from Lea
wentworth. FUorT was Mt his house in
August last and inquired for him,
and waited until he obtained m inter-
view:
HE asked me IL / would let him
have my horses to 90 out and kill
white abolitionists; | said could not;
he said he had been 10 Lecompton,
and that place had been burned, and
women and children killed; he offered
to give me a receipt for the horses,
and If they were not returned he wo'd
pay for them | refused TO let him
have them, and he then rode off 10.
wards Lawrence; about thistim some
government wagons came in sight.
and passed on toward Lawrence: Ri
ley, Todd, and Davis Lantern were
riding with the train; in about fifteen
minutes Mr.. Todd came riding back
and said there was man dead in the
road; Mr. Gaber, Mr.. Rhodes and N.Y.
self went and saw the body; il lay in
the road near the bridge; there was u
bullet hole in the temple, and the scalp
uas taken OF; this place is about three
miles from this city; | did not hear
any discharge of firearms about this
time; man was dead when | saw him:
when l saw the body il was not TO
exceed half an hour after Fugit left
my house; did not recognize the Boz
dy and did not see anything Of priso-
ner about there; the place where the
body lay could not be seen from my
house; 10 was about half mile from
my house; we took the body from the
road and let the train pass; Fugit
went in the same direction that the
body was found; / did not examine
the wounds on deceased; the body APP
peared to have been dead but q few
minutes; the body was limbe.., and
blood still running; deceased had on
a linen coat, black satin vest, linen
pants, and yellowish hat; Todd and
Lantern were the wagon masters of the
train; Todd was riding in front Of the
train when IL passed my house; he
rode back, and informed me of dead
body IN road; / saw no one pass either
way about this time except prisoner
and Government train; should have
seen them il they had passed; it was
common at this time TO see armed men
pass in gray and red shirts; / had not
heard Of any being shot before this,
though horses were stolen all around
me- the country was not quiet at this
time"
WIN. j. CArTERsoN, sworn:
~ am q practising physician and
surgeon in this city; | went to the
house of Mr.. Wallace some time last
summer or fall 10 sec the body of u
man that had been shot; found the
body In the porch of Mr.. WIS house
on n bench, and dead; there was a
wound on the temple, from which the
brains were oozing Think the wound
was made by pistol or gun shot,
from the size of the wound, think IL
was made by ball the size Of navy
revolver ball; the wound was nearly
one quarter of an inch in diameter; Il
was in the left temple, a little above
and forward of the ear; | did not
probe the depth Of the wound, seeing
that IL entered the brain; from che con-
dition of tho body, think the wound
could not have been inflicted over eight
hours when saw IT, also found OH
the crown OF the head q wound that
seemed to have been inflicted by some
sharp weapon; think IL was knife;
also several cuts around the crown OF
the head, and the enclosed pioce OF
skin, with the hair taken off; / did not
see the same about the body any
where.
deceased was about 20 or 30years
OF age; ! recognized the body us that
of man had seen In my office some
fh,.aa a .x<.. kaf ...o. Il a