, 1861-08-22
MELANCHOLY AFFAIR,
In Omcer Fatally Stahs a Citizen,
THE TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COR
oNER$ JURY,

nHrna s:sw fhh WIN
""shs 'VAt'
a most melancholy and tragic affair toel
place Yesterday afternoon at the Chicago ali
Northwestern Railroad Depot, In which
young man named Frederick Kra.tz, In th,
employ Of the company, was fatally stabbst
with sword, BY Capt. Crofton Of 1eth q. s
Infantry.
This 1egimont u ROW recruiting IN this cit,
and feclou' and yesterday Maj. Coolidge, til,
ofhcer IN command ordezed Companies L ant
TO 60 into camp at the new location At Dea
PLANES etsuon, sixteen miles from this city
On tne q. d N. w. r. R. Captalne Crsfto,
an 11iden, In compliance with tbis o,5ar
marched their companies to +he de,o+ .~..,
Of Kinzie street briaoe an ~. W. 80 "
take tha osre NV D'30'
Afauad vaa ,oe+nd ~ 49,
IN lean al t.,,-.-s1 s&~ N0~' VI tae e*f'
s,ma A. +h,s +.r neoae WV VI 1a
ho+-ua,,, -. - AN'e. eA'4o1 sovA plac'
,1o,aa. - ~ A 'A'o WY W VIZ eta
ro-e5 .ooao company hratz' aooV'
- Nv '1'4 u e4'a1se LIE care ARG Clean
-, s ~ o e'ss' aau "eas upon the train tt
Nv. ~ LUG o'sa cora. "nas happened snd IT.
eois ts741' We pfeter 20 leave to b.
4a,so ~ tle testimony tans 1af taken, be
.o.s " in4ness.
:" Il eoans- ana contradictory. Enough
II appafsnt 10 atattp u as most painful at1ail
"unea tn's1t eaaoy asse oee1 avoided b.
se@.e, 4o4u14'e @ho prudence, snd whict
1nn Ts ..ss 81. W ., "a1up 70 = al our officers
aa,,,,s,ss NV se1 .e oeen IL lae employ Of the
s..s , soa'e n1 sessS OF more ana wa
sae~, ee1s ~ lae'a' ne Is $50 % aase
a.s T. ~ 14' 44es4,e1e't soa1 4s:, .-...I,
3 w . Anpute1 ~ ~. IL 'no 1ess. Ns..
o" s'f'Ase Iuose "Ao ~" n. 49, Gs 49,
eulpl:se ~ 10 Da'1t ~ sa;t,sd ~ The 1onne - ae;
- ,sru a,snv ~ xsr, ~ 4rfsnds here and thew
IN -, 1s."<n ~ Lis heha,f The ras,,t. of +b;s
t.asts stFs;r
~ ,u5 . ,;,a .1.. e-a
n,trrtas a4ts~ ha,no st,n.,~ an5 f,om +ha so
vas beyond medical aid. The scene at the de. de-.
friends Of the deceased gathered sbout hlm
His aced mother md hro,her fhe same wbosa
. A.oA.@A Auo o4osA1e1' 1h0 1o11'e ~ neso
testimony is given below, came just after the
urfcrtHnsts mon had hrea+had His 1aot
A largo c-ogd Ind gather,5 IN see tho eo,-
aiers off: and among these the nera craatad
prta1 and ST one time threatening eyc;tazoa,t
CAPTAIN Crofton n1d two no1;cem a. 49,
:; tempted to take him into cnztodv 49,
te wished to carry out fra cr3ar, ~ ~.
cf,cer ana 600 49, aat.-I
'uto&'4 SIN oee tae ae1acaDent IN
pup ~1eh ne pleoged his word to return
ha LET, for no,.,a;.. 1'&> ''A' "1->'sA>
=. -. ~ "etae'
AZ LIE no1I OF bis promised return last
:yen3Dg, On the r. II. train, large crowd
surrounded the denot sd r,s,,;eoata.
,,~,....~s ~-. '1stea Al"cn
'aellenaent' Hnate7ef dlssrderly outbreak
night have taken place WAS happily thwarted
5y the police, WHO stopped the train aerero1
n1oc1s va.4 ~ Ch;o,,ra s~annaa- 49, 81. ~ a.
- 80. ~ aao eneAce,
anoeE st1ohg escort, tooh C5pt.l0 Crofton
10 Jail, where he now lies.
Coroner James Yesterday arona,aroa ~
caro.c s11e
'stto"a a -
TIE doRf-
Tey;s ~ < Rrovn hi hea6sq Gleyeiend, j,
P.J: Hueander, c. q Beers, II
LEV II" Il Mas1in;e 1enils' e 6,y. =; Fsy.
SeWers. Mm 49, stegssx. -
nost 1,o,+e,, or.s bo,a 49, .'e~af'
,,o;at ~ - ~ ~ tueeounss Fny-
mcny before the jury. The evidence xs far a.
deyeloned il aa follows. ~@'% 'o
- 81 4oAio"e+
THE TESTIMONY.
Dr. Gcae s1norn-Am county physician !:
made post mortem examination Of q bodv
in the N. ". r. r. depot; found no wounds
obvious On the body, except one punctursd
wound Oh the backside Of tie hip s inches to to
the righ. OF the hack. bone and 5 inches ahove
the lower point Of the back bone. The uonnd
passed the notch in the bone into the cavity
Of the pe1vis, and severed the inte nal iIliae
artery the man died OF hemorrhage of that AZ
terry; come Of the blood escaped throurh
ihe wound, but the most Of it in The cavity of
the pelVis and abdomen: the cavity nf the
pelviB was full, nearly five inches deem. forcs
required to push sword through this portion
of the body would be slight: Derson tEon,d
live but short time after receiving the Wound.
made no examination further; ns7e M dsuh;,
but that the wound caused his deatb: vii,
make an examination of the brain Of the de-.
ceased, fThe bsdy iB living a. the cnrner of
4fh and Ha]6tead streets,l
The test;mo,v of 4he no,sor ,, a.e,.s1
,.,, Aset'N' ~ ''o ooeHof @as oelstreo
I'LL another occasion.
Capt. Harvey 1Nde, saoru-Was at fhe N
". r. r.; took charge OF Company B. 1Gfh Ree.
iment, took charge Of them for the purpose 3
Of taking them to CAMP; Compalfes 4 and 4
were marched TO the depot: guarde wera
placed upon the steps Of the cars with orders
to allow no one to pass; Capt, Crofton waa in
command of Company A; halted nv Com
psny and stepped on the platform Of the car
where the affair took place stepped into fhr
car and heard some little disturbance and
md In =
deceased standing on the platform !.
asked him what he wanted: he told
NE it WAS none Of nv businrss: told
lin orders were that no man ehould nsss The
guard. He said he didn't care Whetber the
orders had been given by ANYBODY or a
sen Of bitch like me, This was tis remark
IS near as I can remember. seizsd him
tesripg his linen coat, called for the corao,
raj ct the guard, He struck me txice fni
lowed him and he struck ,ue ara;n. win 1hat
Cart. Crofton ran cat Of the ear and md.
Eene remarks which cannot remember n
ca1ue from The car next in iront CrofGon ask,
I'd w1a Was the matter, The nan Gated to
Capt C., 'you eon OF bftch.' Capt Croftsa
then struck the man wixa the flat OF his sword
o. the side Of his hsad: it YES onlv a lieht
tsp; deceased then struck OF the Captain
don't know if he hit him Crotton then csuEht
hin, ard tore his coat he then stood inside
the car, Crcfton said, swlu ycu p}eaaa to
lesve the car ~ the fellow said. una4 vou son
of bitch" shaking hia fat and wa1tinT s1ov'
ly backward Wos standing Mt fhs 1nnr
locking in Capt, Csofton Was murh src;t ID
he drew bis sword and etruck the man sta ~
birg at him. He held tie sword t.. .ree frgers
alcd g tie hllt; no one vas in the car exsent
Us The naaA te11 forward cnd strneL his hs ad
agaiust the stove or seat; he staggered ont Of
the car; we1:t and !etmed my company and
got 1h. N into their car; q few mjnnfqs 1ater
l heard the man was dead; did not e hlm !:
ssw him fall and strike his head the Gao,
sair's name is Robert T.. 4, Croflon. AfIer
first striking him with the dat OF nis sword.
dou't know what the Captain did with bis