The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-12-28
Death or . Desperate Charaeses-Ce'
r.er or n Can dian Patriot,

A few days since, man aud his wife we're axe
rested 10 Milwaukee, Wis, charged with stealing
money from astrauser. who It was suspected they
had poisoned. Subsequent investigation showed
that the stranger died from inhsmation OF the
lungs, and that his name was Benj Lott, noted ~
years ago, for being one Of the bravest and most
reckless OF the Canadian "rebes.. The Milwaukee
Sentinel gives this account Of him:
We remember him we'll, having, ~ boy, seen
him many times at public gatherings In New
York, which was near the frontier Of Canada, and
Niagara river. He was not Q man OF apparently
great power. but We have seen him at general
trainings and town meetings take by the collar,
10 each hand, two mon of ordinary weight, and
lift them, at aims length. from the ground He
was prodigious jumper, and beat all specimens
Of waiting that We ever saw.
lie was born In Canada, Of Scotch parents,
aud spent tee early portion OF HE lie, II we are
not mistaken, la the city of Toronto. Those OF
the s'Csnada patriots Of 1875 will remember
him a. one Of the bravest and most desperate OF
the rebel army. tits true that he was the author
Of many barbarous deeds, but they were net whoi'
| iy without cause.
In the year 1887, when the rebellion hrst broke
on. in Canada, a sister Of Lett's, whom he loved
with brothers affection, fell into the hands OF
number of British officers, who submitted her TO
the grossest indigDites, which, We bslieve' 9i'.
mately resulted in her death. Henceforth Lett
harpored tho DlttsreBC enmltg toWhus TUG gwen
| ment aud its officers, and from this occurrence
| may be dated the beginning OF his desperate ca
| reer. He fought with great Valor IN every ens
gagement with the government troops, ana no,
| unfrequently signalized himself with deeds OF
| bravery. He took prominent part In the pnrn
| ing of the British steamer Sir Robert fee''
| In 1881 and at Mill Point, where se many OF the
rebels were captured, he escaped by jumping from
| the second Story OF house and eating ms way
| through a large party Of troops wno bad sur
rounded H. Lett then came over to the American
side but shortly afterwards went back in disguise
and shot Captain Usher. the leader OF the CANADIAN
party Who burned the American steamer caroline
| This seems TO be one OF the most cowardly acts
| ever committed by Lett He employed q man to
20 10 Captain Usher's headquarters at night VINO,
under some pretence, got him to come to the door,
| when Lstt shot him dead on the spot, ana again
| made his escape to the American side.
| shortly afterwards he blew up the Canadian
| steamer Great Western, at Osvego, n. w. for
which he arrested. tried aud convicted at But
| falo He was sentenced to seven years lmprisonN
| ment but while being conveyed to the State pr1
son bandcuffed aud shackied, he jumped from a
railroad train, while it was going at the rate Of
| thirty miles an hour, and made his escape. HIS
hands were smaller than his wrists, aud he found
little difficulty in getting off the handouts and
then with his feet still chained, he jumped along
about a mile, when he took pair OF locks ana
| hammered at his ANGLES until he got them broken
off.
1t would no: do for him to remain on the Amer
lean side, so he went into Canada, and commenced
operations there again, amongst his exploits were
the blowing up of Brooks Monument and also one
of the locks in the Welland canal, which events
took place In 1888. lie eluded the vigilance Of
both the United States aud Canadian officers FOL
upwards of a year, when he was finally recapturet
and sent to the New York State prison, on the in
dic.meut for blowing up the Great Western, but
was pardoned out after two years confinement
After this he came to Illinois, where he has sin CT
| resided aud we Informed that he was th'
| owner of considerable property in the vicinity o
Ottawa in that State.
| FATAL REsULr-Dayid I. Ash, manager of tn