The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-24
WHO rs "p0RTER ROCKWELL" OF GOV
CUMMINGS ESCORT?

10 ruK EpuoR ST. LOUIS REPUBLICAN,
You will RENE mber that In the year ls42t rumorod
that ex Governor Iburn w Boggs OF Missouri who was
extremely obooxons TO the Saints, would die violent
dressed individual came 70 Independence 1.-THE then resi-
deDce OF Gov and hired himself Mr. Ward, Of that
pace 70 perform some %enai labor, for one month he
poyed about two weeks when he told Mr. Ward that he
had just heard that his WIFE, who lived Platte county,
was quite ILL., and begged be released from his engage
meLt that he might visit her. Porter left that day and
me same evening . holster pistol was stolen from
t,,. bakery Of Mr. P Uhlinser the next night the
who fred the pistol dropped IL, and Il was found
and identified .. the same tia. was stolen from
perpesrator failed meanwhile it was thought that
Governor Boggs could not recover At length was ru
mored that one Of Joe Smiths "DesoyiDg angels" who
had been regarded as very poor had made hs appear
aDce In wsrfaw, believe, sporting magnificent turn
out' and "bran new" suit Of broadcoth, and seemed
him by he "Prophet" In consideration Of his aid in fu
filling prophecy The pame Of this "sngel' WAS re-
port as Grin Porter Rockwell and 1t s,ertaned,
upon inquiry from Independence that he had gone East
passing through St Ion visit some friends in Nassa
chue@ Al that time the writer of this article resided
in Independence. He boarded at the same house
with Mr. Ward, and had seen this Mr. Porter Weighing
the circumstance cted with this sudden disappear
anco and the attempted assassination regarding the
similarity Of names, he felt almost certain that
Grin Porter and Orin Porter Rockwell were one
and the same person, and that person the attempt
patched to the Chief Of Police here, with an in,
junction 70 look out for him his return from the
East he soon made his appearance In st. Louis was
spotted and, from the fact that he adopted various
aliases here, finally arrested until parties could be
notified The Sheriff Of jackson county down {, the
city idened him II once and took him 10 Independence
for trial Whilst he was confined in jail, another ndi-
vidua named Watson, also incsycerated in the same
CELL on charge Of forgery These prisoners both
the usual prison jewelry' but having been furnished
by some means with An old knife which they converted
into saw they severed their rops and upon the tailor
entering their cell 10 deliver their evening meal, they
Knocked him down, sprung 70 the door, locked him the
the prison fence broke for the timber" The writer OF
this Vas the nrst 10 discover their fight having observed
them ~ they descended from the well whhou. waiting
10 alarm others, he started In pursuit of the fugitives
After running for nearly half mile and seeing that
they were purued-for by this time others were
on the trsil--they separated the writer follow
ing Rockwell, whom he overlook and cap
tured Watson also taken. They were brought back
and heavily honed but confident did every body seem
that Rockwell was the party who shot Boegs that
with the utmost difficulty that the populsce could re-
strained from taking summary vengeance. With the
subsequent history Of this Affair presume you arc fam-
lar The feeling against Rockwell presudcd the empan-
neipe OF ajury IN Jackson coany-a change Of venue
was suffered 10 return to bis sairtly associates.
Since the above occurrences have heard little of Rock
well, alas Porter until recently He has been figuring
ss one OF Brigham fouDgs "aDgeis and right hand
Ny object writing thus communication 70 express the
opinion that N this n the kind OF men Comprising the
Escort OF Governor Cumming some ueacheTy 10 10 be
feared. do not believe that the Mornons have submit
ted, in good faith, 70 The authority Of government
81. LoUp, Nay Is, 1898 HIsrORICUs