, 1866-12-25
TRAGIC AFFAIR NEAR YORKTOWN.

4 Soldier Shot Dcnd by An Omccr-Hts
Throat Cut After Death and other Al
legged Rarbarfttes Committed on the
Body-Enqu3saiion By Military Cons-
mission, and ConAletinE Stories asto
the Fac1a and Finding by the Court OF
Inquiry. DC.
tcos1espondence OF The New York Hesald.l
FoEtnxss MONROE, December 20, 1sdd
On the 11tl instant. Lieutenant Eghert o.
cut, Of the Twenty-nlntl United States In I
Autry, shot private George King, Company |
u, Of The same regiment, through the head |
with a revolver while on on the road from
Yorktown to Warwick Court House, killing |
him instantly. Intelligence OF the tragic oc.
curreucc rapidly reached here, and, as usual |
iu euch cases, with varied and conflicting |
stories regarding II.
On the day succeeding the homicide, Q mil
itary commission, consisting OF Major Y. II.
tenant Hawley. Twelfth United States In.
iantry Major Il. Il. Putnam, Twelfth United
States Infantry, and Lieutenant Hill, Fifth
United States ARTILLERY, left for Fnrktown
and commenced an investigation. On Satur-
day they had concluded their Inquiry, and
on Sunday returned here.
It being four days now slucc their return,
and no sure prospect Of any time when their
report will be made ont, and courtesy hay.
ing given way to impatient waiting. shall
proceed TO give the facts as reaching me
living In yorktown, where tue company to
which Lieutenant Olcutt and the deceased
belonged Is stationed, and another having
beep there during the iuauisitiou, to say
nothing Of the abundant corroborative state-
1nents Of other parties, leaves but little
ground, think, for doubling the general
correctness Of the recital as here given.
On the 11th Instant Lieutenant OIcutt, with
two young men named Shields and Jones,
starred tor Warwick Court uouse, to car
r1age drawn by four Government mules.
| Colonel Shipman, commanding the post at
| Yorktown, furnished the mules, and private
King. who for some time previous had bad
The care and driving OF the mules. as driver.
gallon ct whisEey was ln the vehicle.
Ing freely before they left forktown--s0
| much 50 aS to excite attention and comment
onee on tho road; , The distance to Warwick
sumed they induleed In further free l1bations.
The dsiyes had never been 10 Warwick be-
fore, and rot knowing the road lost his way.
Turning about to fork Of the road they bad
passed, negro was eeen by The parties In the
wick, and on bis saying be did was told to
take the drivers place. The driver renon-
stratcd. and on the negro trying to get on 10
the seat and take the lines be knocked the
latter of into tho road. Shields aud Jones
WITH rough hanaling. Lieutenant olenti
asked the negro If be bad gun or revolver
at hte house, which was close By; and on oe
, ing told thet he had revolver. lcaptd ftou
the carriage. olcntt ran to the house. got th'
, ! revolver from tho nerrors wife, hurried back
: aud presented II at King, With the question
"K~oll't you LET that negro drive ~ NO.
wou't,' replied King; ~ was placed her,
col99el sepna and d 1ssn s,, e esey n,
!. oieatt, and he pulled thc trigger: 50 e'os
+ he held it 10 Kings head that the hashln
;. powder blackened his face. The ball cntere
= = the left eye, penetrated the brain. md hin
q fell dead. The tmsely did hot end hert
; was dragged to one side Of the road, hi
head beaten With rails and his tugniar sci
severed with kuifc, As thus he lay he va
buried.
II may be that consciousness Of his dreat
fal crime sobe1ed Lieutenant o'cutt. Al q
events, he shortly after maac known th
homicide. claimed thst 1t was toue Ia aei
defence, and demanded an iuvest1gatso.
which resulted in the eou1mIfsion nasac
above being sent, as stated, TO Yorktown.
will be understood that the, story glvtu.
E. Military Court It Is said to hare been give
be In evidence that King was Intoxicated, tn:
IN be upset the carriage once in consequences {
bis incapscIty to dive; that continuing BIZ
as a1iSer endangered the lives Of tho
>; tempt to change drivers he becau
I'd sa1age'y violent, and threatened II
lives Of ali with him II they persisted
~ their interference. The parties making the
It statements were, of course, the compan;o,
nr motive Of such evidence and other testimnI
sc- Is to change the criminal phase Of the adai
r. although the suspicion may be tinloundcd
IL and 1t Is 10 be hoped 1t may oe-is readl
nd apparent. as only by such statements tn
from the accusation Of partie<ps. .erimiais. {
ia | the dfsihfcrm Of King was discovered I
Of emitting Of his throat. This, Dr.. Gray. ph
trs siclan OF yorktown, stated was done aft
ss9 IL II .,sts III: that aessct
was subsequently eivcn tho deceascd.
~ the fact Of his death becoming kuoSn, q
Cd, the circumstances attending IL, there v
% manifest strong excitement among the me
NY dIgnation that Lieutenant Olcutt was not
ed etFuined at all In his liberty, and threats Il
ast unlcss some ehuw were made Of bringing b
to Justice he would not he allowed TO euj
na his liberty long. 0ne member OF bis co
70 pany, who wns more boldly demoust rat
~ ~ IL bis tlreats, Is said TO have been tied
n, By the thumbs as punishment for
1yc | temerity. -
and The deceased was only-tEenty:two ye
esn old. lie enlisted In the Twelfth Gut
ON States Infantry, one battalion Of which
since been changed to the Twenty III
urs. United States Infantrs fourteen months
rs Among his fellow soldiers he had The re
tat'ou Ct having eGen s,ssiS r tepHe
Hi derby and quiet demeanor. He vas In
In. | army during the war, and then, as since
hiaI PORTED himself IS an obedient and taitl
'nt.. soldier. He has mother living In II
a ~ ~ ScE York, and I've pfo'heea IN 'de s.
I}cutrnant O1cutt has always hsd the
ped utation If being an exceedingly quiet, !
$ II. ienslye and EentlemAnls person, as well
10Th. good and efficient officer, except when e1
as vicious and unmauageahle. It Is re-,
.des ,hst only short tiu,e since, while Ri
Ran. through The streets Of Yorktown, be N
c,Iored preacher, an old and pas'is;u, ~; !
pcaeeablc man. riding on @ m muie' ;raaas' ana
wa. bis mule, and subsequently,; willie sttl
onS. hin hoEsc, charged aga'nss sae ,
last ut house where the darkey
care | .er lad taken refuge, bFcaktng
most the door, which set happily wound NJ
'ng.' bc1ligrrent demonstration: Only W.
and three dsya before tho murder, wl'ie =
lozenn intoxicated. le is said to bare stopped
:, arc ~ 6v tie ub,ant 10 question. "Do you mes
mas insult me*'' The pegso denied any
Trim :hought or intention, *hlc', did not =
e be- on him, AZ thonca. determined on takiu
tcncc nfe- 4 sergeant intertercd before he
avrnt- md thus prevented. the
b fhr rcAchinr 4 tsasica1 end. Number
scded, such stories ssc at1uat which It Is nse'
Indies recaritnlate In short, his aulnnslty
,raolr 10 hare vented itself on negroes Int
taken late occurrence OF the shooting OF King
eyond reported IS haviog ,gcnesatlE behaves
zen OF | sjdcrately and Ecatlcmauly toward Il
Id be | IIers under him. During the var he Z
= long with honorable distinction. he =,
IRENE. pointed, from civil life, and owes !
oehold poiptrnent, II Is said. 70 co!9aei =
nsities Special Commissioner OF The war
~ IA t9Ra | u.ent, who Ia his brother.
- ~ Tho rrsult Of she military ln4uisitts
'''o ~ Of tv.--e only be divulged through
quartefs rsshin9ton, whence the
..n.,e uit .ha pc nie1ant atolaRmittsd ff1n 1. 9
general inference ~ thss ;tAeis and
favorable to him, net leH :.tci
l. 1854, doubt rom the natural olsPoSt,oaa an W
,.nncn. TO shield fellow ofaeet, ana hnos
Eer i now little consequence Ncaueu.
tsrnoon life OF a simple private IS !esas,
~. INN Them. intimate = beNt1 q Z Rfns,al
:. - Tho | washiug Of the afalt.-Ihe hien aEu no
.inr .nd chaructcr Of the officers constIu.l
Hnnsr coort vrcclutae ART snch snppossuVou, Vo's
a., uE - sre sworn to Act iurasttallJ and 1ns
s. $. xrsnt- ~ II their fndlng proves 10 p u y
IL isI,-.1E I3rntrnapt Olcutt, the puhiir may
uI insan,, surri It will be based on good nna
smh tcsf,rn3ny. IN Justice to mysen
- =, snv that have given the general lnt
i'm Of the affair. II there 9
't,;na to counter to this, and showing a'lo