Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1859-11-24

IIonilison out 81 the parI0r OF tie Wage
House. and killed him on the railr0a
bridge. WAS not fully reported in our tel
ssraphic dispatch. We therefore sulioi
verbatim report. promising that the wit
uees, Very Intelligent young gentleman
apparently about % years Of age, is
soa OF Mr.. Andrew Hunter, " ho conduct
The prosecution.
Sir. Bolts. counsel. for the prisone
Brown. having proposed to introduce. ties
tImony as to the killing of Thompson. Mr.
Hunter, tbs poseeuting officer. objected
that il was irrelevant, and intended BY
Brown Tor only outdoor effect He added
however. that II it were shown that Brown
was informed of this killing, and still
continued TO exercise forhearance towards
ms prisoners ana the citizens, he would
not object.
Mr.. Green. counsel for the defence,
contcnded that they had a right to infer
that Brown bad been made aware of it. as
Il was already proved that commnnica-
tons passed. between him and tho citizens
several times after the killing of Thomp-
son.
Judge Parker decided that all the trans
actions OF that day constituted a part of
the res gestr. and might be inquired into.
Henry Hunter called--Examined by
counsel for defence.
Q. DID Jon witness the death OF this
man Thompson? A. l witnessed the
death of one whose name have been in
formed was Thompson.
=. The one who was a prisoner? A.
Yes. sir
y. Well. sir, what were the circum-
stances attending it? a. Do you wish
my own connection with it, or simply a
description of the circunstances-shal l
mention the namese
Mr.. Andrew Hunter-Every bit of it.
Henry; state all you saw
Witness-There was prisoner confn-
ell 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 Hunter-Will you allow
him to state. before proceeding further,
how he was connected with Mr.. Beck
ham?
Mr.. Green--Certainly, sir.
Witness-He was my grand uncle and
my special friend-a man l loved above
all others; after he was killed, Mr.. Cham
bers and myself moved forward to the
hotel for the purpose of taking out and
hanging him; we were joined by a number
of other pursons. who cheered rs in that
work; we went mp into his room where he
was bound, with the undoubted and un-
disguised 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
person, fer the purpose of shooting him
ilthe room
There was a young lady there, the sister
OF Mr.. Fouke. the hotel keeper. who sat
on 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 its course" my associate shouted to
kill him; "Lst us shed his bloodn' were
his words; all around were shouting, ''Mr
Beckhani's life was worth then thousand
OF these vile abolitionists;" / was cool
about il. and deliberate; my gun was push
Ell up By some one who seized the barrel,
and then moved TO the back part Of the
room, still with purpose unchanged, bat
with ~ view 10 divert attention from me.
IN ORDER 20 get an opportunity, at some
moment when the crowd would be less
dense, to shoot him; after moments
thought, It occurred to me that that was
not the proper place to kill him; some per-
son ofour band then opened way to him,
and FIRST pushing Miss Fouke aside. we
s.ung him out of doors; gave him push,
and many others did the same; we then
showed him along the platform and down
to the tressle work IF the bridge, he beg
ging for his lie all the time, very piteous-
ly at first.
By the by. before we tok him ont OF
the room asked the question what he
came here for, he said their only purpose
was to free the slaves--that he came here
10 free the slaves or die Then he begged.
A>osss sSHC M Hic--S piiSOhcf, out i
put the gun to him and he said. "Y on
may Kill me, but it will be reyenged; there
arc eighty thousand persons sworn to car
~ on this work" That vas his last cx-
preston We bore him out on the trestle
work with the purpose Of hanging him;
we bad no rope, and none could be found;
1t was anioment of wild excitement. Two
of rs raised our guns-which one was first
4 do not know-and pulled the trigger
Before he had reached the ground sup
pose some five or six shots had been fired
into his body, he fell to the railroad track,
his back down to the earth and his face up
We then went back for the purpose OF
gs'ting another one (Stephens). but he
was sick or wounded, and persons around
him. and / persuaded them myself TO let
him alone; / said don't let rs operate on
him, but go aronnd and get some more. ;"
we did this act with purpose, thinking it
wight and justifiable un,I~r the circumstan-
ces, and fired and excited by the eowardly.
savage manner IN which Nr. Beckham's
life hail been taken.
Hr. Andrew Hnnter-Is that all, gen
fiemen- Mr.. Botts-Yes, sir
Mr. Srd~p,x Hunter tie the xxftnaoS