Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-09-09
THE MILITARY MURDER AT HARTFORD.


We find in the Hartford papers reports of
the testimony before the coroner's jury at Mer-
iden, in relation to the death of the young
man, Banks. A portion of it shows us dis
tinctly how the murder happened and who did
it. 1t was said by some of the Connecticut pa
pers that it would doubtless be impossible to
know whose bayonet gave the fatal wound !;
but this was mistake. Quite a number of
persons knew very well who did it; the right
man has been arrested, and we trust that he and
all others responsible for that atrocious and
most ruffanly crime will be punished to the full
extent of the law. We hope also that this af-
fair will lead the people of Connecticut, and
some other people, to reflect carefully on this
whole military business, and learn to make it
less pretending and expensive. Joseph Viii.
son, the man arrested at Hartford, seems to
have acted partly on his own responsibility. A
portion of the testimony is as follows ;
81. w. Newcomb, Jr., reporter for the Cou-
rant testified that he was present-that the
whole Guard did not charge bayonets, but he
says II saw dozen, or fifteen, or twenty
men belonging to the Colt Guard, rush from
the ranks and into the crowd. They ran in,
in couples, two or three together, into the
crowd anywhere, thrusting and stabbing with
their bayonets. My attention was called to
young man sitting on the back of buggy
saw him throw up his hands and heard him
cry out. Saw one of the Colts Guards throw
this young man over the wheel of the buggy,
with his bayonet; it was more like throwing
fork full of hay than anything else. The
young man seemed preparing to jump from the
hfIfrfr hon tnt lloa Hl,o~a
chance for an accident from the nature of the
attack. | could not identify the man who
stabbed the young man l speak Of
Richdrd E,OinS-Was OIL the ground at the
reception of Gov. Seymour. l saw young
man on wagon, we were about 90 feet from
the line blocked up so we could neither go one
way nor the other. | did not hear any order
given to charge bayonets. a man named
Green was standing near me talking with some
ladies' The firemen made charge apparently
in good humor. By and by there was
charge of the military bang through the peo-
pie who were next the line. We were seated
where the Marshal placed us, out of the way.
l should say dozen rushed through the
crowd The rush knocked the young man on
the wagon off, and as soon as he was knocked
of, one of the military men stabbed him in
the side. Mr. French was on his horse. AS
soon as the man had stabbed the young man,
ne I ran 10 MT. french morse ana staDpeu IL.
ne Prlckeu II once ana then thrus Tue Dayohet
Iur,her IN linen the man rushed at my morse
anu my son Jumped out Oh tne wagon ana ran
bayonet aside. Then the man made a thrust
at my son to run him through the body, when
some of his comrades took his musket from
him. After his gun was taken from him,
the man struck and kicked my son. Capt,
Green did all in his power to prevent his
uoing anything more. nave seen young
man IN prison at Hartford. lie is the same
man VINO staDpeu the man on the wagon VINO
stapoeo MT freneh morse ana maze the as
sauit Oh me. ioilo"eu nun WIN my son uur-
ing the uay' ana recognized MN repeatedly
curing the day' ana again since ne mas Deen III
jan saw the young man VINO was stabbed
was taking win mr.. french ABOUT ms morse,
wheh the young man came up anu saiu, ne
s'iiie man tiiat staooed your morse mas staDpeu
me- asAeu nun ne was nult ilu 1:a ne
saiu ne uiuh know tiat ne Iounu uiinculty
IN Dreaming ADVISED nun 10 get meolcal
auFice' anu ne "aikeu on l shoulu say inc
wagon ne was on must nave pee4 twenty-five
OF thlrty 1eet from the stand. am positlve
ne was staDoeu on the ground !or saw Inc
iuah put tne Dayohet lhto ms slae' MY wne
saw 1t ana cried murder. Inns man was the
91iy one VINO ran OUT anu USED tne payonet'
h14o" this' lor 1 saw tiem All: everything
was orderly ana quiet amongst the crowd;
U. " C"GPnedh-l was IN command OF The
company. ana not know OF any INJURY nav
ing peen uone that Gay' tlll the next morning
1ew ON OF my men qua charge INTO the RANKS
saw wilson Iar aneau OF the others III the
cro~a. wv. went 70 him' lie mad no gun.
said 10 wilson, Il am very giad you threw
GOWN your gun lor you might nave injured
some one: supposed ne dla throw u uoWn;
L
some one llau lnsulted MN. toid MN not 10
nilhu ABOUT LnaI at an, Dut 10 60 pacK ana take
MS pIace' %hlcn ne ma ana not suppose, at
tna1 tllne, tllat ne Iad injured any one saw
:,