The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1859-12-03
Executing Prisoner. with Judge, q
Trial, or Jury.

THE "CHIYALRY TREAT THEIR PklsoNEks--t
SHOOTING OF THE PRISONER THOMPSON.
The testimony of Henry Hunter, one of
the party of men who took the prisoner
Thompson out of the parlor of the Wager
House, and killed him on the railroad bridge, |
was not fully reported in our telegraphic
despatch. We, therefore, subjoin a verbat- |
i'm report. promising that the witness, a
very intelligent young gentleman, apparent
ly about twenty-five years of age, is the
son of Andrew Hunter, who conducts the
prosecution.
Mr.. Bolts, counsel for the prisoner Brown,
having proposed to introduce testimony as
to the killing of Thompson, Mr.. Hunter,
the prosecuting officer. objected that it was
irrelevant, and intended by Brown only for
out door effect. He added, however, that
if it were shown that Brown was informed
of this killing, and still continued to exer-
else forbearance towards his prisoners and
the citizens, he would not object.
Mr.. Green, counsel for defence. commended
that they had right to infer that Brown
had been made aware of it as it was al
ready proved that communications passed
between him and the citizens several times
after the killing of Thompson.
Judge Parker decided that the whole
transactions of that day constituted part
of the res geste, and might be inquired into.
Henry Hunter called-Examined by
counsel for defense.
@. Did you witness the death of this man
Thompson
A. [ witnessed the death of one whose
name have been informed was Thompson.
O. The one who was prisoner? A.
Yes, sir.
O. Well, sir, what were the circumstan
ces attending it? A. Do you wish my own
connection with it, or simply description
of the ircumstances-shall I mention the
names
Mr.. Andrew Hunter-Every bit of it,
Henry; state all you saw.
Witness-There was prisoner confined
in the parlor of the hotel, and after Mr..
Beckham's death he was shot down by a
number of US there belonging to this sharp
shooting band.
Mr. Andrew Hunser-Will you allow him
to state, before proceeding further, how he
was connected with Mr.. Beckham's?
Mr.. Green-Certainly sir.
Witness-He was my grand uncle and
my special friend-a man 1 loved above all
others after be was killed, Mr.. Chambers
and myself moved forward to the hotel for
the purpose of taking the prisoner out and
hanging him we were joined by number
of other persons, who cheered us on in that
work we went up into his room where he
was bound, with the undoubted and undis-
guised purpose of taking his life /; at the
door we were stopped by persons guarding
the door, who demonstrated with us, and
the excitement was SO great that persons
who demonstrated with US one moment would
cheer us on the next; we burst into the
room where he was, and found several
around him, but they offered only feeble
resistance; we brought our guns down to
his head repeatedly, myself and another per-
son, for the purpose of shooting him in the
room.
There was young lady there, the sister
of Mr.. Fouke, the hotel keeper, who sat in
this mans lap, covered his face with her
arms. and shielded him whenever we brought
our guns to bear; she said to us, "For
Gods sake wait and let the law take it's
course - my associate shouted to kill him
sLet US shed his blood" were his words
all around were shouting, "Mr. Beckham' 8
life was worth ten thousand of these vile
abolitionists - / was cool about it, and de-
liberate /; my gun was pushed up by some
one who seized the barrel, and I moved to
the back part of the room, still with pur-
pose unchanged, but with view TO divert
attention from me, in order to get an oppor-
tunity, at some moment when the crowd
would be less dense, to shoot him after a
moments thought, it occurred to me that
that was not the proper place to kill him
we then proposed to take him out and hang
him some person of our band then opened
a way to him, and first pushing Miss Fouke
aside, we slung him out of doors gave
him push, and many others did the same;
we then showed him along the platform and
down to the tressel work of the bridge, he
/ begging for his life all the time, very pite-
ously at first.
Blythe by, before we took him out of the
room, | asked him what he came here for
he said their purpose was to free the slaves
that he came here to free the slaves or
die. Then he begged, '.don't take my life
La prisoner ;" but I put the gun 10 him,
and he said, ''You may kill me, but it will
be revenged; there are eighty thousand
persons sworn to carry out this work" That
was his last expression. We bore him out
on the bridge with the purpose then of hang
ing him We had no rope and none could
be found it was moment of wild excite
ment. Two of us raised our guns-which
one was first do not know-and pulled
the trigger. Before he had reached the
ground / suppose some FIVE or six shots had
been fred into his body he fell to the rail-
road track, his back down to the earth and
his face up; we then went back for the pur.
i pose of getting another one. (Stephens, but
he was sick or wounded and persons around
him, and | persuaded them myself TO lei
him alone; said ''don't let us operate on
him, but go around and get some more we
did this act with a purpose, thinking il
right and justiiable under the circumstan-
ces, and fred and excited by the cowardly,
savage manner in which Mr.. Beckham' E
! life was taken