The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-30
Executing Prisoner without Judge, a Trial.or a
Jury-How the "ChIvalry' Treat their Prisoners
Shooting of the Prisoner Thompson.

fass ssdg, lss,
Shooting Of the Prisoner Thompson.
The testimony of Henri Hunter, one of the
party of men who took the prisoner Thomp
sou cut of the parlor of the Wager House
and killed him on the Railroad bridge, was
not fully reported in our teIegraphic dispatch.
We therefore snbjoin verbatim report, pre-
missing that the witness, very intelligent
young gentleman, apparently about % years
of age, is the son of Andrew Hunter, who
conducts the prosecution.
i Mr.. Bolts, counsel for the prisoner Brown,
having proposed to introduce testimony as to
the the killing of Thompson, Mr.. Hunter. the
prosecuting officer, objected that it was irrel
evant, 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 exercise forbear
ance towards his prisoners and the citizens, be
would not object.
] MIR. Green, counsel for defence. conteDded
that they had right to infer that Brown had
been made aware oft, as it was already proved
that communications passed between him and
the citizens several times after the killing of
, Thompson.
:, Judge Parker decided that the whole trans
actions of that day constituted a part of the
res gesfe and might be inquired into.
Henry Hunter called-Examinedb by coun.
f sci for defense.
: @. Did you witness the death of this man
Thompson A l witnessed the death of
one whose name I have been informed was
Thompson.
!. @, The one who was prisoner? A. Yes
@ Well, sir, what were the circumstances
attending it. A. Do you wish my own con
nection with it, or simply description of the
, circumstances-shall mention the names 7
Mr. Andrew Hunter-Every bit of it, Hen
j ry; state all you saw.
Witness-There was prisoner confined 10
the parlor of the hotel, after Mr.. Beckham's
DEATH he was shot down by 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 MIR. Beckham?
Mr.. Green-C Certainly, sir.
> Witness-He was my grand uncle and my
: special friend-a man I loved above all 9th
ers after he was killed, Mr. Chambers and
3 myself moved forward to the hotel for the
purpose Of taking the prisoner out and hang
ing him we were joined by number of OH
er persons, who cheered us on in that work !;
2 we went up into his room with the undoubted
t and undisguised purpose of taking his life; at
the door ace ,0ere stopped by persons guard.
ing the door. iUho demonstrated actM u.s. and
the excitement aCas so great that persons 'oho
e demonstrated aDith us one moment, acoutd cheer
e us on the nert; we burst into the room where
e he was. and found several around him, but
they offered only feeble resistance we
brought our guns down to his head repeated
|. ly, myself and another person. for the purpose
of shooting him in the room.
LII, fEa,.o II
Mr. Fouke the hotel keeper, ,oho sat in this
mans lap, covered his face ,oith her arms, and
J. shielded him ,chenever toe brought onr guns TO
]. bear; she said to u.s. For Gods sake. svait
/ and let the Ld,o take its course my associate
. shouted TO Kill kim; ''Let us shed has blood r
we're his words all around we're shouting.
"Mr Betkham's life was worth ten thousand
It of these vile abolitionists !" was cool about
it and deliberate my gun was pushed up by
some one who seized the barrel, ard | then
&c moved to th,. back part of the room, still with
purpose unchanged, but with q view to divert
o attention from me, at some moment when the
h crowd would be less dense, to shoot him we
n then proposed to take him out and hang him;
q some person of our band then opened away to
!. him. and first pushing Miss Fouke aside, zoe
!. slung him out of doors; l gaze him push
ana mdny Others did the same; we then shov-
" tressle work of the bridge, he begging for bis
+ life all the time, very piteously at FIRST.
By the way, before / took him out of the
4 room asked the question what he came here
for; he said their only purpose was to free
y the slaves-that he came here 10 free the
a slaves or die. Then he begged Don't take
,a my life-a prisoner :" but put the gun to
> him, and be said, 'You may kill me, but it will
'o be revenged there are eighty thousand per
Z sons sworn TO carry on this work." That was
! his last expression. We bore him out on the
i bridge with the purpose then of hanging him
ID we had no rope, and none could be found il
pr was moment of wild excitement. Two oi
at us raised eur guns-which one was first dc
v. not know-ard pulled the trigger. Before he
n. had reached the ground suppose some five
n' or six shots had heen fred into his body he
s fell to the railroad track his back down to the
10 earth and his face up. We then went back
for the purpose of getting another one (Steph
ens). but he was sick or wounded, and person.
of around him, and I persuaded them myself to
v. let him alone said, Don't let us operate or
te him, but go around and get some more )" We
ie did this act with purpose, thinking it right ant
iusti6able under the circumstances, aad free
r. and excited by the cowardly, savage manne
It. in which Mr. Beckham's life had been taken.
I'D Mr.. Andrew Hunter-Is that ALL gentlemen
IN Mr.. Botts-Yes, sir. s-frg
J. Mr.. Andrew Hunter(to the witness)-Stan'
= aside. 4. as.s,es.se.
he @ ------------
IN John Browns Body.
e. The friends of John Brown have applied t
,e Gov. Wise, for permission to take charge O
). the body. E,......., ,.F ..--#...
n Gov Wise says: I" The Surgeons aoil
ip claim his body"
A Virgiuian remarked that if the bod