, 1862-09-27
Trial of Lucien Cashier.

nier. On Friday evening the three former were
poisoned, and one of the Tessiers died. The 9TH
er brother and Strobel are still sick, and Cashier
has been found guilty of the crime by jury and
sentenced to death on Friday next between the
hours of 10 and II.
will give you an epitome Of the trial that you
may see that the evidence is purely circumstan-
tial, and when | state that mob had prepared
steps to try and take him by force and hang him.
but the jury returned verdict of guilty, and thev
maintained the excellent order and ouietness
which had characterized the meeting tb;ouohont
all its proceedings Nevertheless preindice in
the minds ofjudges Jurors and pecole was very
visible, but as the two prisoners who have been
sent from mere TO TIE Dehes have escaped, they
seelneu ueterpiined Lot to give another the same
SIance' SI' ara haze him in irons, or rather chains.
MESS. 5. Siam & Kelly, counsel for the people,
J. Ind MesSrs. Gray & Pierce for defense. The
meeting was called to order on the 18th inst. by
Mr. E. Stewart and Gen. McCarver. S. Abel
and j. Parkwood were elected judges, and Messrs.
/ Whaling and Margary secretaries a jury of
twelve men were elected, and Mr.. George Hall
chosen marshal.
The court then adjourned until the 18th at
A. NJ. when the indictment having been read DR..
Rackerby was sworn and testified as a medical
man that the deceased died from the effects of
strychnine taken into the stomach that he had
cAdulluCu IIc uOul anu St6u tue SllOCnDlue CfYS-
tails in it that he bad examined the other divided
half of the -four which was said to be part of the
same sack as the poisoned flour was in, that it
was not poisoned and that he had no chemicals
for detecting strychnine. He then stated that a
certain small bottle found in prisoners trunk had
lately contained strychnne, by the appearance of
a milky color on the bottle, and good deal more
Of hearsay and stated the effects of the different
posons, and said he wanted to send the batter
and -four below for analyzation and that the de-
ceased had shown a spirit of hatred and envy to
the prisoner whom he said he believed had poi
soned them.
DIR. Belknap then testified that from the ap-
pearance of the deceased, he had died in convul-
sions or spasms, as if from sranguations He
said, Z" / dropped the bottle in question in my
pocket and found that it had been washed it is
not the kind of bottle that strychnine is usually
put into he was of opinion from what DR.. Rack
erby had stated that the deceased died of strych-
nine, but had no further evidence except the ap-
pearance of the body. This kind of bottle drug
gsts use for Kreosote, and by jewellers, for OIL 1t
is not strychnine bottle"
Mr.. Strobel testified that he was acquainted
with the prisoner at Denver, and crossed the
Plains with him. Tessie and he left Denver TO-
gether in partnership as backsmiths We had
difficulty with the prisoner here and the day be-
fore were poisoned, divided the flour; late that
night the prisoner came to camp, slept there and
went away before we got up in the morning. The
night we were poisoned, and while eating supper
he came and took away his blankets We we're
eating fapjacks !" they tasted bitter, and we
remarked it to each other. | threw some to my
dog aud he soon after took ccnvulsions and died
We had a difference on Thursday about settle
ment; it was arbitrated, and the prisoner was
brought in our debt to the amount of fifty dollars
On the evening he came back our flour was open
in the tent, and the evening before (that was on
the day of settlemenO whilst was away the bows
had a row with him. He was very hard to get
along with, as be has very bad temper. He is
a kind of hOrse-doctor, but do not know of his
having any poison. l knew him at Denver, and
although many there did not like him, he treated
me like gentleman. l know that he shot at a
man at Denver and missed him and hit another
man in the leg. He was to be tried for that, and
as the trial did not come off, he got away and
came here. | went bail for him on a trial about
jumping claim from which he took some things
away, as he said they had no right to Jump the
claim. He stood his trial and got clear. (This
witness was much preiudced in his language
against the prisoner. On the road he said fever
he killed one Of the Tessiers he would kill both
By the jury. There never was any poison that
| know of, and do not know that ever saw that
bottle before l saw one like it at Denver which
he had some gold dust in. We did not use soda
in baking the flap-jacks,' but only water and
salt.
Tessier affirmed that they had often quarreed
! that he had accused the prisoner of stealing
and that he had heard that be had been drummed
out of Fort Laramie for stealing.
! Jacob Fi1ster-I was witness to seve al quar-
res on the road, but know nothing of the poison
ing. Once on the road, about two hundred miles
back, the prisoner said when the wolves were very
/ frOuhl iS NIT laxh hx,o Ja,
and kill some of these wolves, as have poison
that will kill them.
! Mr.. Ducheny-I was interpreter in court at
Denver when the prisoner convicted of lar
ceny, and it then stated that he had been
drummed out of Fort Laramie 1t was for steal
ing money from his own hired hand TO pay him
off with. (The counsel for the defense repeatedly
objected to the introduction of testimony regard
ing his character in times past but the court al
ways overruled it, He agreed to fight duel
was on the ground-he did not fight because he
did rot want to. This was in 1861 at Denver
l do not know whether he was convicted by a le-
gally constituted court or not. This closed the
prosecution
Conglas sworn-I took the prisoner-he ap-
peared to be asleep when | took him. He went
right along with me, and when l told him what l
wanted him for, he appeared very sorry for them
and began to cry, and said he knew nothing of it.
lie had some papers Such as business man would
have, and testified that he had paid his debts.
Mr.. Drynary sworn-I did not examine the
papers thoroughly. Papers were then introduced
and one was a certificate dated 1047, from the
chief of the police in Paris stating that he was a
! blacksmith, and that he had never been charged
with anything against his character or morality
and that he had beer several years following his
trade.
/ After hearing the arguments of the counsel for
and against the prisoner, Judge Abel, in sum-
ming up, stated that the duty of the Jury was
/ greater than usual as they not only were to say,
guilty, not guilty, but-also say if the prison
er if found guilty should be executed here or sent
to the Dalles Judge McCaryer said he thought
the verdict should be final. Judge Packwood
said he agreed with Judge Abel, and was willing
/ for one to put bis hand in his pocket to assist in
defraying the expense to help pay marshal &c.
After an hours discussion the jury returned the
following verdict in writing:
To the citizens of .Altbmn Your jury, ap-
pointed to investigate the case of poisoning in
this place on Friday last, do believe that the
death of August Tessier was caused by the hands
of Lucien Cashier by administering strychnine in
the -four of Messrs Tessier brothers and Joseph
Strobel, and that he be executed at such time as
the judges may determine.
Signed, G. COLLIER ROBBINS, Foreman
FRANK COOPER,
JOHN A. SAwTELL,
l. NJ. KIRKHAM,
G. MINER,
W. C. WILLS
j. A. PENNEBAKER,
JOHN E. BOYLE
7. ]. LONG,
CHARLES BUIUPS