The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-01-18

= Afae Aocouns - the l0ee Kane
Troubles.
Ihe telegraph has given " . one.sided I
eoant Of the di6aculsies a Fsrt Scott =
following, from correspondent on the grouu
y probably much nearer the truth
tCerrsspondenee Of The n. 7. Tribune.1
BARHEstILLE, Dec. II. 1855.
have already several times noticed the r.
Rrisonmeot Of young man named Beniam
nace as Fort Scott on charge Of having %
uotpatsd 10 the difficulties Of Southern Kana
last Winter. He was arrested BY Captain Jol
namiitsn ON the 10th Of last month. He =
men arrested On charge Of larceny, or Viii,
onasge al knew him TO be innocent. Rice kns
asVhe time Of bic arrest that an indictment B,
esen found against him by tho lac mack.
Grand Jury ef Bourbon County for killDr
Slavery maa named Wasson. in . 6eht =
tween two small parties Of Free.State and Pre-
slavery men during the war Of last Winte
ana suepec ed that the other charge was trum
Cd up for The purpose Of enticing him into h
Fors 0y the prospect Of an easy acouitta
whence he might be taken aud held on the ol
casrgs. He told Deputy Sheriff Hamilton wh,
ois euspscions wore, and declared thar he voul
not be arrested on any charge Of ofFenses com
miteed, or claimed to have been committef
prior 70 the csmpromiss made BY Gov. Denver
The Sheriff and posss-some eight or ten i
num6er-solemnly assured Rice that no treach
cry was meditated, aud that If he surrendere
himself he should not be held or tried on an
ot0ef charge than the one named in the war
rant. On these assurances being given, R,c
surrendered. He had hardly done so, however
before the posse saunted him with his green.
ness, saying how easily be was sricked. The,
q once told him that he was to be hung. ans
some drew their revelvess upon him, thresteuip,
q shoot him down at once, and would havs
done %, In ell probability, had mot Others pre.
vented il. When they reached Fors Scott n,
was told that he would never get out again
and warrant, issued under the old indictmen
already spoken Of, was served upon him. 4
general jOlli6cation was held over this breach
ct the oOmpromise, in which Marshal Campbell
Judge Williams, J. E. Jones. Editor OF The
Fort Scott Democrat, the Lyttles, ex.Gov. Ran
sem. and others. participated.
Soon after this, meesings Of the people were
neld ct Aaplston and Osage City, called BY the
Pro-Slavery men themselves. A. one of these
the people demanded that Rice should be un-
claimed and released on parole. Al the other.
the Denver compromise was readopted, and the
full release of Rice demanded, the offsnse al
Legged against him being one Of the 6y Comet
The Fort Scott people belted these decisions.
ana held meeting Of their own, at home.
composed exclusively Of Pro.Slavery men, At
which it vas declared he should not b. released
and that he should be killed if any attempts
should % made to rescue him. J. E. Jones,
Editor OF the Democrat, declared in q speech on
the occasion, that "hsll should cape open be-
tore his release" and the Fort Scott people ap.
plauded the sentiment.
All tho man nct th
and strong guard continually kept about the
place. They boastsd Of being able to defend the
town aud bold the prisoner against 500 men,
Montgomery had already proposed to the Free
State men of the little Usage TO take the place
oy force OF arms, and rescue Rice but few
of the most conservative men prevailed upon
him to desist for time, and until they could
Ery all peaceful means At hand. All these
peaceful negotiations proved to be Of no effect.
They resulted in pothing but the closer con-
inement OF Rice.
The excitement fehe people continued to
Increase, and their clamor became louder for the
'elease Of the prisoner. Day before Yesterday
Montgomery took up his march for The Fort
With 70 men, gathered from the Little Sugar
md Lttlss Usage. Fort Scott is built ON the
'outh bank OF the Marmaton, which is fordable
't two points opposite the town, but at no other
or two miles above. The river had risen sew.
'ral feet within few days, by the rapid melt.
ng Of the heavy snow which had lain upon the
'round for upward Of week, and SO as to
make it impassaole At the town. The people
1t the tewn thought themselves sufficiently
'uArdeo 0y the Hood, on account Of which they
ave been unable to learn OF the approach of
Montgomery. The Free State forces reached
he Marmaton one mile above the only fordable
'oint, the California Crossing, and three miles
rom the Fort, about 10 o'clock on Wednesday
light. Here they encamped, and rested until
O'Clock the following morning, when they
gain took up their liue Of march for the Fort |
hey crossed At the California Crossing, and ad.
anced upon the town from the south. Mont
omery ordered halt about quarter of mile |
rom the Fort, where the men ali dismounted.-
EN- men were drafted Tor guard for the horses
nd the l2-pound howitzer. The other sixty.
J three divisions, entered the town without |
without awakening the inbab. |
ants. The first division charged upon the |
ort Scott Hotel, in which the prisoner was
eps. The kicking down Of the doors between
lem and him was the first notice which the
tizens had Of Aontgomsry's presence. The
oor Of the cell, which was in the Sd story.
as heavy one, and locked with large lock.
n axe was procured, and the door cut into
eces. The prisoner, with cries of joy, seized
zed the axe, and cut the heavy iron staple
7 which his chain was fastened to the Aoer.
hen grasping the long, heavy log-chain, still
st to his foot At one end, with one hand, and
proftsrsd revolver with the other, he lsaped
rth Q free man, and joined his rejoicing res
lsrs below. The place, the dang. r, every thing
AZ forgotten; each one hastened to greet him
I'd shake him by the hand.
About this time two shots we're cred from
yttle's store, vhieh adjoined the Hotel-oue
them wounding Benjamin Semans, the other
81 touching Mr.. Haslett, neither being serious
injured. A guard was Immediately thrown
ound the store to prevent the escape Of any
70 who might be in it, and the howitzer was
ut for. Semans had promptly returned the
lot fred at him, but without effect. Bslh the
ots from the building had been fired by John
title. This man acted NJ an officer under
lark IN his Missouri invasion in So. sHs was
so the Deputy Marshal who, at times, with
'ssees composed Of such men as Bracket,
amilton and Hardwick, aud again with Capt
ndersons Company OF Dragons, made up
ostly Of Buford's men, so harrassed the peo
e Of the Little Usage Valley last year. His
,torious attack upon Fort Balm, where eoms
teen or twenty Of the Free Sta,e people had
'sembled for mutual defense, and his disastrous
'treat thsfefrOm occurred just one year ago
esterday. His father was Blake Lyttle,
smber Of the Lscompson Constitutional Con-
ention.
He twice afterward attempted to FIRE upon
,e guard and the building, bus he was both
mes fired at hg the guard before he was able
} shoot. The cannon, upon arriving, was
aded and brought to bear diagonally upon the
.ilding. The old man Lyttle, and man
amed Crawford, then surrendered, when it was
'und that the last shot fred At young Lyttle
ID proved fatal, having struck him in the cen
II Of the forehead, and passed directly through
10 head to ths base Of his brain.
1t had bseE agreed upon BY the Pro Slavery
en of Fort Scott, that in case the Free State
en should be able 70 enter the town unk nowu
} them, and take it BY surprise, they should all
lr their doors and open ire from their houses.
yttles store had been used ~ q gusrd-house.
i'd Ly,tls supposed his shot would be followed
: . volley from the other houses. But his
,mrades seemed TO forget this, as but one 9th.
shot vas 6red-that was BY . clerk in Will
'ns store, and slightly wounded NJ. Kagi.-l
ontgomery had given orders that any building
ON which shots we're fred should be burned.
uttered BY the cannon, Or sacked. This order
20 made known to ex-0overuor Ransom.
adge Wilson, and other leading men, who had
ZEN made prisoners ON the frat entrs nce ;rtn |