Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-01-10

counties of Missouri has become SO serious,
that we devote considerable space to the details
of outrage and bloodshed heretofore briefly no
ted by telegraph. To 60 back to the beginning
of the re-opening of the war, we quote from
letter 70 the New York Tribune, dated Barnes
Vile. Kansas, Dec 18th. The writer says:
have already several times noticed the i'm
prisonment of a young man named Benjamin
Rice at Fort Scott, on charge of having par
ticipated in the difficulties of Southern Kansas
asst Winter. He was arrested by Capt John
Hamilton on the 10th of last month. He was
then arrested on charge of larceny, OF which
charge all knew him to be innocent Rice knew
at the time of his arrest that an indictment had
been found against him by the late packed
Grand jury of Bourbon County for killing pro
Slavery man named Wasson, IN tight between
two small parties of Free State and Pro-Slayery
men during the war of last Winter, and sus-
pected that the other charge was trumped up
for the purpose Of entieing him into the Fort by
the prospect of an easy acqulttal, whence ne
MIGHT be taken and held on the old charge
He told Deputy Sheriff Hamilton what his sus-
picions were, and declared that ne would not be
arrested on-any charge of offenses committed, or
Claimed 10 ndNc DcGh SOAAAAA'eeSNi F-tOA = 49,
compromise made by Gov Denver. The Sher-
if and posse-some eight or ten in number
solemnly assured Rice that no treachery was
meditated, and that if he surrendered himself he
sboald not be held or tried on any other charge
than the one named in the warrant On these
assurances being given, Rice surrendered. He
had hardly done so, however, before the posse
tainted him with his greenness, saying how
easily he was tricked. They at once told him
that he was to be hung, and some drew their
revolvers upon him, threatening to shoot him
down at once, and would have done SO in all
probability, hadSnot others prevented IT. When
tbey reached Fort Scott, he was told that he
would never 90 out again, and a warrant, issued
under the old Indictment already spoken OF,
was served upon him. A general jollihcatlon
was held over this breach Of the compromise, In
which Marshal Campbell, Judge Williams, j
E. Jones, editor of The Fort Scott Democrat,
the Lyttles, ex-Gov. Ransom, and others, par
ticipated.
Soon after this, meetings of the people were
held at MapIeton and Usage City, called by the
Pro-Slaverv men themselves. AT one of these
the people demanded that Rice should be un-
claimed aud released on parole. At the other,
the Denver compromise was readOPted, and the
full release of Rice demanded, the otiense al
legged against MIN being one of the by-goHeS.-
The Fort Scott people bOlted these decisions,
and held a meeting of their own, at home, COM
posed exclusively of slavery men, at which
il was declared he should not be released, and
that he should be killed if any attempts were
made t. rescue him J. E. Jones, editor OF
The Democrat, declared in a speech on the oc-
casion, that ''hell should cape open before his
release" and the Fort Scott people apPlauded
the sentiment.
All the men of the town were placed on duty,
and a strong guard continually kept about the
place. They boasted of being able to defend
the town and hold their prisoners against 5OO
men Montgomery had already proposed to the
Free State men of the Little Ossage to take the
place by force of arms, and rescue Rice; but a
few of the most conservative men prevailed up
on him to desist for time, and until they could
try all peaceful means at hand. All these
peaceful negotiations proved to he of no effect
They resulted in nothing but the closer cOntine-
ment of Rice.
The excitement of the people continued to In
crease, and their clamor became louder for the
release of the prisoner. Day before yesterday
Montgomery took up his march for the Fort
with 70 men, gathered from the Little Sugal
and Little Usage. The Free State forces reach
ed the Marmaton one mile above the only ford
able point the California Crossing, and three
miles from the Fort, about 10 o'clock OIL
Wednesday night. Here they encamped, and
rested until tour o'clock the following morning
when they again took up their line of march fol
the Fort They crossed at the California Cros
sing, and advanced upon the town from the
sOulh. Montgomery ordered halt about {
quarter of a mile from the Fort, where the mer
| all uismounted Ten men were drafted for {
gsargi for the hoFses aRd ts ~ pound eoytEsffEt Esft
town without resistance-even without awak'
| eniur the inha itants. The first division eharg
ed upon the Fort Scott Hotel, in which the
prisoner was kept The kicking down OF the
doors between them and him was the first no
tice which the citizens had of Montgomery:
presence. The door of the cell, which was il
the third story was heavy one, land locked witt
a large lock. An Ak was procured, and the dool
cut into pieces. The prisoner, with cries of joy
seized the AK. and cut the heavy iron staple oy
which his chain was fastened to the floor. TheI
grasping the long, heavy log-chain, still fast to
| his foot at one end, with one hand, and prof
tered revolver with the other, he leaped forth a
free man, and Joined his rejoicing rescuers be
low. The place, the danger, everything wa:
| FORGOTTEN; and each one hastened to greet hin
and shake him by the hand.
About this time two shots were fired from
Lyttle's store, which adjoined the HOlel-ont
of item wounding Benz. Semans, the other jus
touching Mr.. Haslett, neither being seriously
injured a guard was Immediately thrown
around the store TO prevent the escape OF any
one who might be in it, and the howitzer was
sent for. Semans had promptly returned the
shot fred at him, but without effect Both the
shots from the building had been fired by John
Iyttle. This man acted as an officer unde1
! Clark in his Missouri invasion in '56. He wa:
also the Deputy Marshal who, at times, with
possess composed of such men as Bracket
| Hamilton and Hardwick, and again with Capt
Anderson's Company of Dragons, made uE
mostly of Buford's men, SO haTassed the peo
ole of the Little Usage Valley last year. Hi:
notorious attack upon Fort Balm, where some
fifteen or twenty of the Free-State people haC
assembled for mutual defense, and his disas
trous retreat therefrom, occurred just one yeal
AGO Yesterday. His father was Blake Lyttle, {
member of the Lecompton Constitutional Con
vention.
He twice afterward attempted to fire upon
the guard and building, but he was both times
fred upon by the guard before he was able tC
shoot The cannon on arriving, was loaded
and brought to bear diagonally upon the build
inc. The old man Lyttle, and man named
| Crawford, then surrendered, when 1t was found
that the last shot fired at young Lyttle had
proved fatal, having struck him in the centre Of
the forehead, and passed directly through his
head to the base of his brain.
1t had been agreed upon by the Pro-Slavery
men OF Fort Scott, that in case the Free
State men should be able to enter the town un-
known TO them, and take it by surprise, they
should all bar their doors and open fire from
their houses Lyttle's store had been used as
a gu1rd-house, and Lyttle supposed his shot
would be followed by volley from the other
houses. But his comrades seemed to forget
this, as but one other shot was fired; that was