The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-12-16
From the Westport (Mo.) Border Star.
The True Character Of John Brown.
TEE MASSACRE az poTTAwAToMIR cRErK.

get up sympathy for Old Brown, by represen-
! tlng hlm 10 be worthy but misguided man,
ana one whose nature nature had been warned
and emoIttered by injuries he received at the
hands of pro-saveryites. This is all stuff
Brown cane 10 Kansas, not as peaceful settler
but as guerilla fighter. He never was driven
from his property by border rufianS, as he me-
yer had any property TO be driven from. All
the hostility he met with was in retaliation for
his own barbarous and brutal deeds. The first
murders in Kansas were those committed by
! Old Brown. He opened the bloody ball. and
&c more than any one else is responsible for the
terrible scenes that marked the protracted
! political squabbIes of the Territory. OF all
the acts in the "Bieeding Kansas" tragedy, the
| first in order of time were the murders commit
| ted on the night of the cath of MAY, 1856, on
| PoItlwatamoie Creek. In this massacre 3nduc,-
ed by Old Brown, FIVE persons were killed, viz:
| Alien Wilkinson, VIM. Sherman, old Wm. p.
Doyle and his two sons, William aud Dfury.
The heart-broken survivors of this massacre
| the widows and orphans-came 10 Westport
and deposed to the facts of The bloody affair be-
fore Esquire Go:oFth, and the record is now
before US.
| Allen Wilkinson was member Of the Kan
/ sas Lsgisiature-a quiet, inoffensive man. His
widow, Louisa Jane Wilkinson. testified that
| on the night of the 25th of MAY, 1856, between
the hours Of midnight and daybreak, she thinks,
party OF men came 10 the house where thew
were residing and torcibIy carried her husband
away ; that they took him ia the name of the
"Northern army" and that next morning he
was found about so yards from the house, dead.
Mrs. Wilkinson was very Ill at the tine with
the measles. Here follows an extract from her
affidavit
81 begged them TO let Mr. Wilkinson stav
with me, saying that was sick and HELPLESS,
and could not stay BY myself. My husband
also asked them TO let him stay with me, until
he could get some one TO wait on me told
/ them that he would not run off, but he would
BE- there the next day, or whenever called for
| the old man who seemed to be in command
/ looked at me, and then around at the children.
[ and replied, EyOu have neighbours I said. $50
| have, but they are not here, aad cannot 90
| for them The cid man replied. it matters
not, and told him 10 get ready. My husband
wanted 10 put on bis boots, and get ready. so as
/ to Be protected from the damp and night air.
| but they would not let him. They then took
my husband away.
"Atter they were gone thought heard nv
husbands voice IN complaint. Next
morning Mr. Wkinson's body was found a.
bout loO yards from the house, in some dead
brush lady who saw my husbands BODY
SAID that there was cash in his head and in
side. Others said be was cut in the throat
twlce.'
MI Wilkinson was poor man of course bis
widow was left destitute =; out regardless of this
tact, they took away some property, including
the only horse they had Mrs. Wilkinson was
presented at Westport, Missouri with the me-
cessary means to 60 to her fathers IN Tennessee.
She had two small children. Mrs. Wilklnson's
description OF the leader OF the men who mur-
dered her husband suits Captain John Brown,
we'll known character in lhe Abolition party,
She says that her husband was a quiet man. and
was not engaged IN arrssliag or disturbing
anybody. He took no active part in the pro-
slavery cause, 50 as to aggravate the Abolition
iSts but he was pro-slavery man.
The circumstances attending William Sher-
mans assassination are testified to by James
Harris, OF Franklin county, Kansas. Mr.. Sher-
man was saying over night at the house
oil Harris, when, on the 9th Of Nav, about , !
O'Clock, Capt. John Brown and party came
there. ,and after taking some property and
questioning Harris and others, Sherman was
asked 10 walk out Mr. Harris. in his affidavit.
says; sold man Brown asked Mr.. Sherman to
60 out with HIM, and Sherman then went On,
with Brown. l heard nothing more for about
fifteen minutes Two OF the 1Northern ARM, ,
as they styled themselves, stayed with II, nn,;I |
we heard cap burst, and then these two me-,
lett. Next morning, about 10 O'Clock. fopnd
William Sherman, dead, in the creek near ror |
house. | was looking for nm as he had M, |
come back, thought he had been murdered
took William Sherman body out Of .ha |
creek and examined it. Mrs. Whitem,p was
With me. Sberman's skull was split open in |
two places, and some of his brans were washed |
out by the water large hole was cut in his /!
breast, and his left hand was cut off, except a !
little piece OF skin on one side"
In relation to the assassination of Jas. p |
Doyle, ard sons, the affidavit of Mrs. Mahala |
Doyie, the widowed mother, is as follows - |
MAHALA DoYLE's DEPOSITION.
The undersigned, MahaIa Doyle, states on
oath am the widow Of James P. DoVle.-
We moved into the Territory, that is nv hus-
band, myself and children moved INTO the Ter |
rItory OF Kansas some time in November. A. D, |
1879, and settled upon Musketo Creek. ab,nt
one mile hom its mouth, and where it e,nnt;as |
into Pottawa!omie Greek in Franklin comfy |
On Saturday, the 9th day of MAY, A. D. 1856 !
about II o'clock at night, after we had all re-
t!'ed, my husband, James P. Doyle, myself and
SIX children five boys and one girl. The
eldest rs about twenty-five years Of age his
name IS William. The next is about twenty |
years OF age; his name is Drury. The next IS |
about seventeen years of age his name IS John. |
The next IS about thirteen years of age his
name is James. The next is about FIVE years
OF age his name is Henry. We were all in