The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-01-01
THE RADICAL WAR.
The Fuc,. Of the Missouri Troubles.

The unvarnished facts of the recent
fights in Lafayette county, Missouri, are
as follows: The county went Conserv-
ative at the last election. The court
records show that since the spring of
1865, no armed resistants to the laws
has occurred. The Sheriff, Mr.. Poole,
enforced perfect order in the county,
and neither asked nor wanted troops.
The citizens are peaceful, loyal and in
dustrious. General Vaughn, late OF. the
federal army, is the Revenue Assessor,
Jacob Price is Deputy Sheriff, and May
or John L. Ryland is member of the
Legislature from that district. These
are all Conservatives, and defeated for
the several positions the Occupy-CoOly
for Assessor, John Adamson for Sheriff,
and John Baty for the Legislature. These
defeated candidates went to Jefferson
City, saw Gov. Fletcher, and told him
the story of their griefs. Fletcher
at once ordered Montgomery and
squadron of State militia to Fayette
county, saying there were certain Con-
servatives i'll LeXingtOn-naming Cen
eral Yanghn and several others who
had taken an active part in the late
election i'll the cCunty-that he re-
garded as pestifcrous men, and intimat-
ing that they should be attended TO.
Entering with ball and bayonet this
peaceful and unsuspecting community,
the first act of Montgomery and his
band was to sieze the office and house of
Mr.. Bowen, the Clerk of the County
Court, and drive him from his house,
on the threat of death did he return.
Next day the United States Express
Company's office in Lexington was en-
tered and robbed Of $4,000. That night
the following highway robberies oc-
CURED: Alexander Mitchell, James
Starbuck, Robert McPhceters, Walter
Mansfield, Union citizen, and
Arthur Apple United States
soldier, were all knocked down
and robbed, being fearfully beaten. The
following murders also occurred the
same night Mr.. Clemens and Mr.. Ma
son, both fatally shot, only for the
crime of having no money on their per-
sons, after they had been knocked down
with the butt end of muskets. The fol-
lowing arrests were made with every
incident of violence and outrage, and
the parties were imprisoned at once in
the county Jail; John Pool, found gull
ty of being Sheriff; Jacob Price, con-
victed of being his deputy; General
Vaughn, for the crime of being United
States Assessor, ordered to be taken
"dead or alive" as Montgomery said he
''wauted to kill somebody" Judge Ry-
land, for being chosen, Consorva-
tive, to the State Legislature, and
a large number of other citizens,
convicted by rumor of voting for
him. All these were put i'll Jail
ut the point of the pistol, set free the
next day, and by threats of their life,
compelled to flee the country and leave
their families and homes. The next af-
ternoon the Missouri Freeman, the only
Conservative paper near by, was guttee,
and the editor, Mr.. Berry, Assistant
United States Assessor under General
Vaughn, was driven of at the point OF
the bayonet No charge Of "disloyaP'
autecedents could be predicted of the
Journal since, till this year, it had been
the Radical organ. This is the plain
record thus far. and completes the
round of unprovokcd invasion, high
way robbery, grand larceny, arson,
murders, and unlawful imprisonment
as the punishment for being Conserva-
tive in sentiment.