Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-06-15
Tss M...aere Of Free STATE Men in Kansas

We puDlished some uays ASO
and well-attested account of the brutal murders
perpetrated in Kansls by Hamilton and his pro-
slavery ruffians. The account, almost too IN
credible for belief, has been verified by state
ments of eyewitness and by persons who OBJ
tanned the facts from the surviving Victims
and we publish this morning portions OF letter
from DR.. W. B. CARPENTER, formerly OF Della
ware, Ohio, a graduate of the Homeopathic
Medical College of this city, and known to
many here as an intelligent gentleman of truth
and candor, confirming the intelligence and all
its barbarisms. The letter of DR.. C. was ad-
dressed to his parents. and was not intended Tor
publication. We extract as follows:
TWIN SPRINGS, May 80, 1855.
The whole country was thrown into cOnster-
nation about ten or twelve days ago by the cool
and mcrderous shooting of eleven of the Free
State settlers, who live 10 miles below here,
near the State line 1t was done by band OF
ruthless villains, who were headed by one
Hamilton, a notorious character Of 1856. He
had 81 men, and they erePt upon the inhabi-
tants unawares and took the men prisoners
from their work, and marched them to a deep
rayine in the neighbOrhood, and then sent
company of four to take blacksmith living
near. Hamilton led HE horse up to the door
and called out Snyder, here is man wants
to see you"
Mr. Snyder stepped from his anvil to the
do1r, but upon his seeing other men with Ham
iltOn he sprang back for his gun, and said-
" There's not enough of you to take me-
Hamilton leveled his gun and said, 1--WE
good mind to fire"-Lut ere he could do so the
blacksmith leFeled his to fire. This caused
Hamilton to spring around his horse, which
saved him, the horse receiving his load; but
Hamilton lost his blanket, which was found
and contained six buekshot holes in it 4 few
moro shots were fred by the smith and his
two boys His caps gave out and he took to
brush, and the pqrdeTers fled back to where
their prisoners were.
They then ordered them all down into the
rayine, and the Tuifians after three orders shot
them down. Five fell dead, four fell wounded,
one through the chest, one down the back one
in the cheek and hand (which was up to his
mouth,j and one in the sEn, with Shafpe'S
rifle Two fell without a wound, but one was
observed to breathe and was shot with pistol
near the ear, the ball glancing through into the
mopth. SO one out Of the eleven came off
uRhuTt
The monsters not content with murder ng
the poor creatures, kicked and stamped them
aBGn their bodies, and in their faces were the
marks of the nails in the heels Of theiT boots
where they had tramped the poor victims after
death.
! visited the wounded twice and talked with
them. Some told me they had been shot by
their nearest neighbors; some, however, were
strangers in the neighbOrhOod. One man from
Sugar Mound was On his way to Kansas City
for load of goods, with $500 by him. He
was stopped in the road and asked his politics.
After saying free State man, they took him
prisoner and his best horse, marched him of,
and lett his wagon on the prairie. He slipped
his money into the hay in the wagon, and they
did not get it. One young man was a clerk,
and his money was buried. They did not get
that
The villains have not been heard Of since,
only by report hardly reliable We have been
in arms ever since the same night Of the mur-
der, until within few days past. We guard
the fords every night now The citizens took
arms and liaIshsa 70 the Missouri State line.
and demanded the mnrdeTeTS 70 b. given up,
and the people were willing and anxiS.s that
they should be brought to justice, for inhabi-
tants were fleeing from the IlHe back into the
State and leaving the whole country deserted
They tberefora were not willing 10 allow an
sls ssIt h 4 YOU'D Ii19s YTits in the hands
of their officers they would do their best 10 |
bring them to justice.
Il has been reported that Hamilton is in West 1
port and thathe has told his story there, stating
that the aboIitionists drove him out Of Kansas; |
and that getting a few armed men there to come /
back with him he came in for his property, when /
he fell into N ambush where he was fred on by |
the abolitionists and returning IRE Ii led l3 men
A pretty story. Some months ago small band
Of men (sufferers of SO at the hands Of Border
Ruifians.) commenced to order out prO-slavery
men, especially those who were notorious in sc,
really no others They went to them and told
them the Drove of Free State men and took
their CLAIMS and got the timber aad best lands,
and now in turn they must leave as they should
not live here, never. Well, sometimes they
would take horse or two, but always returned
them after a time They hurt no one, but or
iered these pro-slaveTy ruffians of sc to leave.
This company Wss made up mostly Of young
men whose fdtheEs and brothers were murdered
in 1856, some who were abused and made beg
gsEs, and one man land perhaps a SOM whose
wife vas takal 70 the rufHan camp and brutally
abused, since which time she has been maniac.
This is their course in seeking revenge, yet they
hurt no one. The clerk Hamilton shot was
shot because he allowed this Montgomery to
sleep in SONG enuty buildings one or two nights
with his boys Montgomery LSs done Vs great
wrong; but yet he never has foully snd delib-
eTately shot down innocent men,
Hamilton has been moving his goods all win
LeT. and has moved his family to Kansas City
He made his bEsgs that be picked out that spot
months ago to shoot those men, 30 that be 70
lOght intended TO commit the murders any
how. But he was frustrated in getting as many
men as he At frst wanted. He says there are
Two more pitches he means 10 Ilake, and then be
5 going to Arizona
Two Of the wounded have gone to visit the
SoyeruOT What the result will be don't
now. This is ths sym sud substance Of the
whole thing. We are all quiet and at work
gain, but still in dread that this desperate may
.ip in on us again ere he is arrested, and we
nay fall into his hands. We 90 armed most
Il the time, though think there is no danger.
These statements are true, no matter what else
Gu may hear Ihaye seen the dead and wound
d, took up arms in OFF defeneo, was out three
lays and nights the first time, and have kept
-uard many nights since; saw the place where
be victims were shot, know one Of the dead
nen personally, the man from Sugar Mound,
ym. A StilIwell, and isaTned al the particu-
AIS from the lips of the sufferers themselves.