Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-11-08
nxecuilnr n Prisoner without Judec,


Tho trial of Capt. Drown developed how Che
frightened aud blood thirsty "chvalry' at 1lar-
per's Ferry murdered ono Of the prisoners with
fcrocity which would have dsgraced the wild
Apaches and then hunted for more victims
The witness who testified 70 the murder Of the
prtonor Thompson ty his own hands, was
Hcrr lTunter, aged about 22 years, and the
son cd Robert Hunter, the prosecuting ofIiooro Of
Broau aud his associatcs-both gentlemen f.
F. V's Mr. Bcckham, who had been killed
by a shot from some of the insurgents, was
grand-unclo of young Hunter. Mr.. Thompson,
the prisoner, was guarded in the parlor Of the
Wager House Hunters testimony is as fol
lows:
After Mr. Bcckhsm was killed, Mr. Chm
bcrs and myBelf moved forward to the hotel for
the purpose OF taking the prisoner out aud
hanging him; we were joined by a number Of
other persons, who checrcd US ON in thay work,
We went up into his room where he wns bound,
with the undoubted and undisguised purpose of
taking his life; at tho door we were stopped by
persons guarding the door, who demonstrated
with u.s. and the excitement was SO great that
persons who demonstrated with Us one moment
would cheer us on the next; we burst into the
room where he was, aud found several around
| him, but they offered only feeble resistance;
/ We brought our guns down to his head repeat
edly, myself and another person, for the purpose
of shooting him in the room.
| There was a young lady there the sister Of
/ Mr. Foukc, the hotel keeper who sat ia this
mans lap, covered his facs with her arms and
| shielded him whenever we brought out guns to
| bear shu SAID to us-"FOr Gods sake wait and
y .l.. 10.
ed to kill him; "Lct us shed his blood" were
his words; all around were shouting, "Mr
/ Beckhan's life was worth ten thousand Of these
vile abolitionists; was cool about it, and delib
crate; my gun was pushed up by some one who
seized the barrel, aud then moved 20 the back
part of the room, still with purpose unchanged,
| but vita view to divert attention from me, i'm
order o get an opportunity, at some moment
/ when the crowd would DO lees Dense to shoot
him; after a moments thought, it occurred TO
me that was not the proper place to kill him;
We then proposed TO take him out and hang
| him; some person Of our band then opened
way to him, and first pushing Miss Foukc aside
we sluug him out OF doors; gave him push
and many others did the same; We then showed
him along the platform and down to the tressle
work of the bridge, he begging for his life all
the time, very piteously at fret.
By.,Ec by, before we took him out Of the
[ room | asked the question what he came here
for, be said their only purpose was to free the
slavcs-that he C, mo here to free the slaves or
die Then he begged "Don't take my life--a
prisoner" but put the gun to him, and he said.
You may kill me, but it will be revcBged;
there are eighty thousand por5Ons sworn to car
nv out this work" That was his last cx pre- 3sion.
We bore him out on the bridge with tho pur
pose then of hanging him; We had no rope, and
none could be foI nd; it was q moment of wild
excitement. Two of us raised our guns-which
one was first | do not know-and pulled the
trigger Before he had reached the ground !
suppose some five OF six shots had been fired
into his body he fell to the railroad tr ok, his
back down TO the earth and his face up; we
then went back for the purpose Of getting
another one, (Stcphcns) but he was elck or
wounded and p,rsOns around him, and per-
suaded them myself to let him alone; said
"Don't let US operate on him, but go around ana
get some more;' we did this Gct with pur
pose, thinking 1t right and juslifablc under the
circumstances, and fred aud excited by the
cowardly, savage manner in which Mr.. Beck
hams life had been taken.
Mr.. Andrew IIuntcr--Is that all, gcnilemen'
Mr.. Botts-Ees, sir
Mir Andrew Hunter to the witness)-Stand
aside.
Who has forgotten the touching story o
John Smith, one Of the first colonsts of James
town, Virginia! When taken prisoner aitel
having slain three Of the enemy, brought be-
fore the great Chief Powhatan, and condemne
to death, the Chief flvorito daughter, Poca
hontas, rushed between the dusky oxecutoner
and their victim, and by her passionate entrea
ties induced the sayages to suspend their blow
/ and suffer Smith to depart Such was the ole
red Indians humanity.
e Virginia Christian slave Hunters arc NOR
cowardly and mcrciless. Woman's appeal ant
woman's sheltering arms could not soften the
hearts of these modern sayagcs, as the words
, Poeahontas soltened those Of the ancient braves
Yet the landlords humble sister of Harper
Ferry will live in history with the noble daugh
, ter ofPowhatan, for she displayed equal hu
! manity and true heroism.
Gov. Wise we'll remarks the Post wept io
the cowardco of the Virginians at Harper
Ferry; and well he may have wept; for a COW
, ardcc so susceptible of panic that it turns men
not into savages, bat wild beasts, is indeed t,
be deplored.