Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-11-18

Executing a Prisoner without a Judge,
Trial, or a Jury.
HOW THE "cHIvALRY' TREAT THEIR PRISON
ERs-sHooTIEe OF THoMPsoEs


HOW THE "cHIvALRY' TREAT THEIR PRISON
ERs-sHooT1No OF THoMPsoEa
The late outbreak at Harper's Ferry has
caused the "Chivalry" to commit great
many outrages, as well as to do many silly
things. Among the former was the muir
dering Of a helpless prisoner, who bad fallen
into their hands. The particulars of this
outrage was not permitted to besent through
by telegraph, but special correspondent
Of the N. Y. Post has given the facts to
the public. When the Armory was stormed
man by the name of Thompson was taken
prisoner, and bound with ropes, and placed
in a room of one of the hotels there, secure
" guarded by several men. The testimony
of Henry Hunter, one of the witnesses on
Browns trial, gives the circumstances under
which Thompson was murdered, as follows:
Henry Hunter after being sworn, said, awe went up
into his whore he was bound with the undoubted
and undguised purpose oftakng his fe at the door we
stopped by guarding the door, who remon
strated with us the excitement great that per-
sons who demonstrated with moment would cheer
us on the next burst into the where he and
found several around him. hut they offered only feeble
essance;we brought guns down to his head repeated
N mysefand another person. for the purpose OF shooting
him in the room.
the who covered his face with her arms and
shielded him whenever brought our guns to bear she
said to us-FOr Gods sake wait and let the law take its
eourse: INV companon shouted tn kill "Iiet shed his
blood" his words was co0about 1t, and deliber-
ate my gun pushed up BY some who seized the
barrel and then moved TO the back part the roOm still
with purpose unchanged but with view to divert atten
on from me IN order 70 get an an ss va az oot oe
after moments thought IL occurred TO me that that
the proper place to kill him then proposed to take
him aud hang him; person OF our band then OPP
cned way him. and first pushing Miss Fouke aside,
him out of doors gave him push and many 9th
ersdid the then showed him along the platform
and down rese work Of the bridge he begging for
hislife all the time, very Piteousy at first
We bore him the bridge with the purpose then Of
hanging him had rope, and could be found it
wac n moment Of wild excitement Two OF us raised
osnswbieh one 6st do not knowand pulled the trg-
fve shots had been red into his body he fell to the
railroad track his back down to the earth and his up
then back for the purpose Of getting another
CStephens) bat he was sick or wounded and persons
around him. and persuaded them myself to let him aone
said Don let operate on him. but go around and get
come more"
The heroism and humanity Of Miss Fouke,
deserves all praise. Her endeavors to shield
the prisoner from the 'chivalry" who sought
his life, (for the witness, one Of the murder
ers, is the son of the Prosecuting Attorney,
and one Of the F. F. V's,) and to induce
them to give him a fair trial, is an oasis in
the desert; for out of the many hundreds
who were there, she was the only one to
raise her voice in behalf of law and human
ity. The following, from the N. Y. Post,
in regard to Miss Fouke is not more hatter-
ing than deserving:
SAITH AND THOMPSON; OR, VIRGINIA Saw
AGES, PAST AND PRESENT.
Our readers will readily recall the touching story
smith, afugve slave and adventurer who afterwards be-
came Of the first coonists Of Jamestown IN Virginia
His small company Of would 5000 have persed for
want Of food he had not stolen the Indian idol, Okee
made Of skins stuffed with moss, and compelled the
tves TO redeem It with large purchase of While
exploring Chickahomny, however he seized BY
the enemy having killed three Of them In the encounter
and taken before the great Powatanthe predecessor OF
Gov Wise,-who, seated on his stump Of throne aud
death But beside the thrane Of the chief stood Of
his dusky daughters who eompassonAed Smith, and
OF whom. the Chiefs vorts. POcahontas resolved to
snve his life When the grim warHors therefore, brought
n two hg stones which Smith laid bis head and their
warcubs raised to drop his forever she
by passionate enteaes induced the savages TO
pend their blows and anGsr Smith to depart.
IuOee old INDIANS seems 70 Us 70 nave nad more
real haahityin them than many of the whites WIN
occupy their places. The stoTy ofThompson is similar In
some reap~cts 70 the story Of Smith.
He had eoHfetsea anoutage upon the idol Of the Vir
ginians-named In this CulIee not Okee-had been
eaptared and would have been tied and condemned to
death isthe dtraty leroesy Of the modern Virgin
lima less capable Of restraint than that Of the old Vrn
ians could sEe awaited the slow decisions Of authority
II could not Aeeordipg The testimony Of Mr. Hunter
one of the actors IN the aar aud Of the Prosecuting
Att9rney 10 the HaFpers Ferry trials, crowd nf armed
men rdshed into the OF the hotel where thompson
eonhned and would have pot him 70 instant and
But the daughter Of the lanaiord MsaF Fouke, with
afolsa shat suFpasses that Of PocAhouaE threw
the guns Of those maddened and reckless
slave drivers and their object whom she caught IN her
arms and besou ght their mercy, "For Gods sake wait"
~ aiif slet the ap take ia eoarae.r For moment
they desisad from their WORK of revenge but for
Enoncat onlg Neither the helpless condition 81 the
prfqueF that vomanT appeal could ssften the
hearts of these aeRages the words Of PocahOntas soft
ened thoaa nithe cot braves They draegd fhomp-
500 fep ihe clustering arms ~ his protector halcd bin
hke daKthrnne the Streets amid the honting and howl
ing q fsnzied erord and ~tan they had got him 10
the railroad bridge asy ueafy dad with brnises they
rided hs 5odg With t1ir tne baha Governor Wise a
reported "a have aid thai be yab a. The Of the
yirgi0iana " harpers FeT and well he may wept.
for eogardcs suaespblp Of pauic that itturns nen
not into aaFhges but Wild beasts Is naed deploIed
The Southern democratic journals fairly
howlfas the result Of the late elections in|