, 1859-04-29
ROuld GuR.y.

YKtN Jnf, indicted BY the Grand Jury,
sitting for this district, at the last Septem-
Der term Of the District Court, fer the
murder Of WV. WmrE, in March, 1856,
was, at the late March term, put on trial
for the offence with which he stood charged,
snd, after most ailigsnt and impartial
bearing Of the testimony which appeared
sgainxt him. (for We might correctly say,
there was none for him. was found guilty
Of murder in the 6rst degree BY the jury
smpaanelled foe this purpose, afteVs f6Il
twelve hours deIibsratiOa inmatuTiag their
Verdich, Under this ending, as all are
probably sWtrS. the statutes Of the Terri
tSry iBaiet The death penalty. and the un.
NrtunAt6 man now alone awaits the pro
nouncemeht Of sentence by the Judge,
which shall doom him to eternity, and as a
partial atO1ement to the law be has viola
ted by The awful crime which he has com
uitted. and the snOrmity Of which be is
ignorant Of
Az much has appeared in the papers Of
the east rejecting upon the character Of
eur people In regard to the war from which
We have just emerged, their inhumauity,
and tbe many cruclties Pepetruted by them
towards our foe, the proceedings and incl
dents connected with The trial Of the above
cause furnish, perhaps, the best cOmmenta-
" upon the Aa@onity and forbeariag dis
position Of our citiEens-ttaits which sin
gularly tand should proudly distinguish
them from every other people Of the Union.
The facts which We are about to relate,
connected With the murder Of Mr.. WarR,
are perhaps still wsllremembered by most
of our citizens who were residents Of the
Territory during that unfortunate period.
To the inhabitants Of Thurston county he
viii Be remembered as a pesceable, quiet,
inoEensiye, old man, whose sands Of life
had nearly run out--a man verging upon
ihs graFs- Mr. &eIBcRLFT, also a most
Vorth8 man, engaged as-a teamster in the
volunteer service about thistime, had Sos
some time been missing, and serious appre-
Tensions we're felt for his safety; but ash
had last been seen in q FegiOn,ef country
hitherto exempt from, Indian. deVassatiOas,
doubts enTsIoped his. fate. During this
state Of things, Mr.. WHTE, who seems not
70 have partaken Of the fears which seized
the minds Of some, and was, consequently,
anarmed, had proceeded with bis wife aud
another lady, accompanied by several chill
dren, to religious mee.ing,. bsld on the
prairie seven or eight miles east Of thi.
place, On returning IN apparent security
thersfrom, between and 5 O'eIsck in tn,
Afternoon. (it being Snnday,) they were
Snddenly set upon (according to the eyi
denee, By some ten or eleven Indians
among whom was "Yelm Jim" aud Mr.
W. most brutally murdered. the body being
mutilAted aud maDgled in the most shock
ing manner. Foremost among these, il il
proved, and also was it known at the time
from the ladies who so providentially ant
almost miraeulously escaped, was Yeln
Jim-an Indian who had partaken OF tn
hospitality Of him whom be basely murder
ed, having at different times been employed
by Mr.. W., and during these times staying
at the house Of his employer. Abont thi
time, also, and in the same neighbOrhOod
the body Of Mr.. NoHHcRAFT was found
he having been shot aud cut and gashed il
TIE most frightful manner. The consterna
ton And fear which seized upon our peOpl
is not Jet forgotten; the secret vow Of ven
Reancs which arose in each and ever
heart, is yet fresh in our minds. Unde
these circumstances, and with the horribl,
murders committed still green in our memo
MES, WodM i have been strange had fb,
mind lost rs dominion over US and Yeln
Jim been murdered in cold blood, in retalia
tiOul We believe not,--it were asking al
most too much Of human nature. The Law
Of retalistiOO is the rsligiOa Of the Indian
''an eye foe en- eye, and tooth for tooth, ,
Is the axiom upOu which be acts; and act
Ing upon the modern doctrine, Is new in
cHIcated, would be deemed by them al
coEardice. and as humilating in ourselves
But now what are the facts tFanspiDed
as seonnected with the trial Of the Indian
named, and the impartiality and fairness
with which It was conducted? Under the
law Of the Territory, tWenty-four men are
annually chosen to hll the panel Of the
petit jury, they being equally selected from
the various counties composing the district
It being further provided that they shall be
"good and lawful men," and citizens Of the