The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-06-03
Correspondence Of the Gate City.
rae CsrsneF,s InQ1sss.


Fr. MADisoS, June l, 81.
MKssas. EDnoas - Tho coroner's jury
were engaged daring the principal portion #
yesterday h examination Of The oircamstan-
ces attending tho murder OF Samuel Header
son, by Ii. B. Straw, captain OF the Saracen.
A post morton examination OF the body
was made in the presence Of the jury by Drs.
WINERY, Galand, Rhinehart, O'Brien and
Bacon. A No. shot was found in the right
lobe of the brain 1t was traced from the
surface through the right temporal bone. A
large quantity of coagalated blood was
found lodged between the substance Of the
brain and its surrounding membrane.
As the communication l sent you on the
day of the occurrence was but digest OF
the reports could collect upon the street, |
submit brief statement of the affair as It
appears in evidence before the jury, yesser-
day.
Some difficulty occurred between the mate
and colored pantryman connected with the
boat. The latter jumped ashore and fed to
a stable in the rear of Front-st., closely pur-
sued by the mate, who held pistol in each
hand, and threatened to blow him through
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 we're standing over him, some beating
him and others with drawn knives. He was
forciby hurried aboard the boat, where the
mate brandished knife about his throat,
compelled him to strip, and then tied him up
to post for purpose Of fogging. Here sew
eral Of the citizens asked the captain to hand
she negro over to the proper authorities, II
he was guilty of q crime, that he might be
punished according to Law. He retorted by
calling them SCANNED niger thieves" and
ordering them to leave the boat. When they
reached the levee and turned about, the cap
tain stood with revolver presented Mt the
crowd; and several guns appeared on the
lower deck. DR.. w. II. Davis, who is a jus
tice Of the peace, commanded the citizens, as
q 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 pest.
Some one on the boat took IN axe to cut the
line, while another stood by his side with
gun leveled 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 to cut the rope, and
threatened to FIRE If he did not desist. A
gun WAS then fired from the boat into the
crowd. The captain ran up TO the hurricane
deck and commenced firing his revolver rang
ing directly toward Henderson. A witness
named Davis testifes that he was Standing
vkthin three feet of Henderson when he was
shot. He says in bis testimony that Hender-
son had been on the levee but very few min
utes, had spoken to no one, and had taken no
part in the attempt to stop the boat. On the
second or third discharge of the revolver no
put his hand on the right side of his face,
and the witness asked him "if he was shot"
and he said he was. Blood began to run
over his bands, and he turned about and
walked up the levee to Front street. The
next man shot was James Henderson, broth
err OF the deceased. The firing continued
from both sides until the boat pushed of, and
was kept up from the boat until it was in the
middle Of the river.
Leighton testified that no heard the cap
tain boast while the Saracen was lying at
Pontoosuc,, that be had laid one man "to
the land" that he shot at another three times
but did not kill him, and that he would kill
the Sheriff on sight, would send him out Of
he world before his maker was ready for
him, etc. This evidence shows that Straw
believed he had killed Henderson, and also,
that he was resisting, mol an organized mob
Of the citizens, but an officer Of the peace.
Davis is a Justice Of the Peace, and not u
sheriff as Straw evidently supposed. He
saw an attempt to abduct man from Iowa
by force, in violation Of Iowa laws, and very
properly interposed his authority as nm Off
Ger Of the peace to prevent it. Had Straw
believed that the people we're improperly in
terfering to detain his boat, there would be
some pretext for n resort to violence, but his
own statement shows that he thought he was
an officer. No circumstances can
justify the continued fire kept up on the citi-
Gems on Front street. About fifteen persons
were wounded while standing on the side
walk or in the doors along the street, sevs-
raj OF whom had not been near the boat
The wonder expressed by all who pass
along the street and witness the shot and ball
marks on the doors and windows, is, that
more were not killed
The verdict Of the jury is, substantially,
that the deceased came to his death by pis-
tol shot in the hands Of the captain Of the
Sarncen, II. 3. Straw. II also
duplicates the FIRST mate, who 10 the captains
brother, and other persons connected with
the boat whose names were to the jury IN
known.
Samuel Henderson was buried yesterday
afternoon. The funeral services were con-
Quoted by Rev. J. P. Letter, pastor Of the NJ.
b. Church, Of which church am informed
The deceased was a member. A large con-
course of people followed the remains to the
grave, notwithstanding the falling rain.
The Saracen passed Burlington Saturday
night, about nine O'Clock, but did not land.
understand that she tied up about three
miles below, and sent her pilot up to the city
to ascertain il any attempt would be made to
arrest the officers, that he returned TO the