The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-06-05
The Ksnsn. TrascSy.

The Kansas TFazeay. ery
A correspondent Of me st. Louis
Democrat gives the details Of the cold {
blooded massacre Of eleveninnocent ana j
peaceable citizens Of Kansas. in the :
vicinity of Fort Scott,by a band of out .
laws who came into the Territory from
Missouri. The gang numbered tn rty-
SIX, and was composed Of many who had
been implicated in former troubles, and
had fed the territory, Among them
was notorious DR.. Hamilton and his
son, who were leaders in the party, The
invaders were fully armed, and were
evidently bent upon some act Of violence
and revenge. Thev came into the ter
ritory near Choteau's trading post, on the
Usage river, in Lynn county. They pro-
kceadsd South towards Fort Scott, and
INTO the neighborhood where old llamil-
ton formerly resided, and from which he
was expelled, After they got into this |
region, they began to arrest such men as
they happened to come across:
Meme Of those THIS taken have had any
thing 10 Do with the Fort Scott difficulties,
in any shape. Several of them have only
been for few mcGths IL the Territory
One of them vas a Baptist missionary, the
Rev Charles Read, who came 10 Kansas
within the past year. TIE prisoners were
not told why they had been taken, or where
they were being taken, or what was TO be
their fate. They were entirely unarmed--
Most Of them were at work in the Held when
arrested One Of them, Mr.. Stilwel, lived
twenty miles distant from where he was
taken, and was driving his team along the
- road 10 Kansas City tor provisions, when
! taken. .Is Ir-
1t appears that portion Of The invading
, band had either not been Informed &c 10 What
! was 70 DO done with the prisoners, or had not
\ the nerve 70 commit the crime when II came
4 70 the trial. Altar some discussion among
e themselves on the subject, dozen or the
8 number lett the party ana rode pack TO Mis-
. souri, a. a gallop. The remainder OF the
3 party. numbering twenty-three, led their
n prisoners, twelve IN number, into deep an
i narrow ravine. Here they ranged them IN
& line close together, IN the bottota OF the "a
i vine. The gorge was 50 narrow that the
N pro-slHyery hand had % stand above theli
v Victims, and fire down On them. Had this
n not been the case, thus destroying their aim
re il likely thar every onc OF them wouIc
b have been killed. The order Of ire Wa;
given By old Hamilton, and was given sew
= srsl times before i, was obeysd: hamilton
% and his son Griug before the Others. Ate
10 ono voliey had been fred all OF the prisoner
ii fell. killed, or severely wounded except two
he one Of whom was only slightly wounded
n and tho ocker unhurt; but IN order TO saw
as himself he ieigDed death, After the prison
to els fell, The ussassins fred at them Will
=, on the ground Some OF them discharges
D. their rovOlvefs az the PROSTATE bodies, at
ia others loaded and cred thclr pieces. One Q
- the survivors, who, although severely wound
ID ed is likely 10 recover, Lad revolver place
,st clcss to his car and discharged The hal
no glanced OF along the cheek bone and &c N
Ma out making i1ghtiNl wound OF bis mouth
en- After the shooting, the naIderers rode OF
evidently terrified AZ their own act. The
he Yobbel The prisoners, however. Nrs. Reac
N. the husband of the Baptist missionary, FOL
lst lowed tia party that captured her husband
nj She heard the firing and feared the worst.
We Fearful and excited, while huTryin2 In I'll
zaal
IDS nat aao:AeT Party Of them and one Of thel
'r'' was leading or husbands horsa.
The '"Ihat Is my Iorse!" she sxclaimed "whsl
no ara you taking himp
he strange 70 say, the man dsno unted, an
eat gave up the horse, aayius.
yes III ne is your horse, YOU nay take him.
eft She then said:
What have you done with the prisoners
!ou surely hsya not shot thsml-where 81
Y thsysn
he Yes We have" sail oue. She hurried O
10 TIE direction from which she had hear
a. the HING and soon came 20 the ravine.-
Ell " heu she came 20 II aud looked down on
:, saw the men lying, she thought II was mo,
On OF the Missouri party keeping watch, an
he without vsnturing into the ravine, she cried
He1a GIe 'Ae pI!soncrs'-wha. hav
you done with theInin
he her hUshSnd Recognizing hex voice Gale
eh hef 20 some down What spectacle pre-
as scented Itself Eleven men lying In that mar
lr. 70" revlns, velteriug IN their blood, dead c
It Woanaed' 4hey cent her to get assistance
pt, ana raise the alarm. After the murderer
to had left, the wounded and diving Iren wer
nd able TO converse with each other. and thos
lr. who we're dying, and those who though
ey themselves dying, told their comrades vha
vo Shey wanted done with their property, 8
to that the survivors could attend to II if the
n escaped. what an awful scene was thu
ar presented,
nd Hs trailing post Medical assistance wa
bic sent for,
M m The people Of the vicinity assembled
and pursued the murlerers to Yves
en- Point, in Missouri, whsre they found
y part OF them, hut were unable to arres
them. The invaders gained the protec
Ter ton OF the citizens of the place, By re
zee porting that they had been assaulted
ne while on peaceable end legitimate visi
c to Kansas, and in an open fight Will
- their assailants, the men, whom they
were charged with numbering had ALLEN
Gov. Denver had taken prompt measure
G. TO Investigate the matter, aud will de
ie, manj the perpetrators of the bloody &C
he from the authorities If Missouri.
en- -