The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-12-18
0ttaWa free Grao ct
OTTAWA, DECEMBER IL. 1865.
Poisoning and Robbery of REM I.

Poisoning and Robbery Of BENZ. Lett.
The Milwaukee paper. of last week bring
singular account of the arrest Of one F.
Stewart Wilson and his wife, on the charge
of poisoning and robbing Benjamin Lett,
formerly Of Somonauk, in this county
Lett, it appears, had purchased let of pro.
visions at Milwaukee some time ago, and IN
company with Wilson, had started on a fur
trading voyage along the lake shore between
Milwaukee and Macknac TLey travelled
from one port to another, on different beats,
AT times to suit their conven cnce, and final
~ disposed of all the goods at Mackinac,
where Lett was taken very suddenly i'll and
soon became speeches.. Wilson took pas
sage for the sick man and himself on the
propeller Michigan, which touched at Mack
mac on her way up, and arrived at Milwau-
kee on Wednesday of last week. Obse,v wing
the condition of Lett, together with the
manner of his companion, led the Captain
of the Michigan to suspect that ne had been
foully dealt with, and upon arriving at Mil
waukee he related the circumstances to the
Chief Of Police. The latter had Wilson i'm
mcd!ately arrested and lodged in Jail TO
await further Developments.
\ circumstance which weighs heavily
agains; Wilson, is the fac, that when he left
Milwaukee III company with Lett, lie was
known to be in very reduced circumstances.
not wing money to pay what he owed for
board, and when arrested, upwards Of ST 0
IN gold was found on his person, and $40 IN
gold were found in possession Of his wife
Lett, continues the account in the Milwau-
kcc papers, lay in his sick and speechlcss
condition some days, when ION THURSDAY
last week. he led. Meantime his friends
at Ottawa were te,egraphed to, when Mr..
Jas. n. Miner Of this city, repaired TO Mil
~aukee, had Let's body placed in cciiin,
and preparation. made to move il to Ottawa.
A post mortem examination was made of
the body by Drs. Sauha1a and Garner, who
decided that the death OF Lett was a natural
one, caused by a general infla nma,ion Of
ths lungs, accompanied by paralysis On
the strength of this, Steward and his wife
were released from the charge OF poisoning,
but were Immediately re-arrested on the com,
paint of MINER, on the charge CT robbery.
Later, however, another post mortem enam.
ination was made by eight physicians, and
these decided that Lett had been poisoned
by stry chime.
MINER, who went from this city to MI
waukee, was met there by Mr.. H. Spring
sted, brother-in law OF Lett, who took his
body to Leland station in this county, where
it has been buried
Wilson, we learn from Min;ar, who has
returned to Ottawa, was a Scotchmsn. and
had only been hired By Lett as an assistant.
He and his wife are held in custody to an
swer the charge Of robbery, and probably
also of murder, since the new finding Of the
doctors.
MINER is resident of this city, and known
by most OF our citizens. We presume there
is 10 doubt that the Milwaukee papers rep
resent him rrectiy as partner OF Let's
Lett himself did not belong to Ottawa,
but rather to Somonauk, or Leland Station.
in this county although most of our people
know him, and are acquainted with his pre-
vious history. He was healthy, strong,
muscular man, about IS years old The
story about his connection with the Patriot
war in anada we believe is strictly truc.-
y younger UrsJncI .-,-.s - l ID ~
Caroline when it went oyer the, falls in re
vonge for which we have no doubt more
than one loyalist died at his hands. Ii was
he that blew up Gen. Brooks Monument,
during that war, and also the British steam
Os"ego. For this he was arrested, and was
taken to prison, whence he escaped under
the most DARN. circumstances, some time IN
1910, and has resided ever since in this
county.