The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-17
a TEXAS DEsPERADo.
Tho Case of John n. Pratt. at Kew
York.
HIS Crime, HIS Victim and hts Ante.
eedentB.


ccdentS.
The case Of Pratt, In New York, has
attracted much attention during the
past week. on account OF the threatened
collision between the judiciary and the
military, arising from tho determine.
tlon Of Judge McOunn TO set the rutiian
free, and the equally.Hxed purpose Of
the United States authorities 10 hold him
for punIAhment. The Detroit Pos. Of
the 10th furnishes the following partIc-
ulars Of one Of the many horrible
crimes OF this VlllaIn:
The arrest OF John II. Pratt, OF Tex.
as, In New York city, charged with
being one OF the ringleaders In the
murder OF Captain George W, Smith,
In October last, will Interest o good
many people 10 this State. Captain
Smith was q Michigan man, He had
been an officer In the army during the
war. After the war he remained Ia
He was Republican, and, at the time
OF hls murder, was Radical candidate
for an office.
The Ku.Klux Democrats hated Capt.
Smith most bitterly, and made several
attempts 10 assassinate him. AT one time
party Of them surrounded a house
where he was lodging, and attacked It;
but the Captain escaped through rear
window, mounted his horse, which was
concealed near by, and escaped. In the
hunt for him, however, a squad OF Ku-
Klux came upon him 10 the woods, and
attempted 10 shoot him, but he returned
tho fire with his revolver, and wounded
four OF the disguised ruttlans. Afier-
ward, while Captain Smith was In JET.
fersonville, the Ku Klux procured his
arres; upon false charge, with the de.
sign OF numbering him in the jail, or on
his way to or from the court. Captain
Smith, knowing his danger, applied to
the commandAnt Of q small squad OF
United States soldiers stationed near
by for protection.
The officer III command thereupon
sent a squad 10 surround the jail and
secure the safety OF the inmates. John
II. Pratt, a man arrested In New York,
was member and leader OF q secret
Democratic Ku.Klux society, styled
knights OF the Rising Slar.' In the
night, u body OF about i've hundred
armed rioters, led by the Knights, made
a sudden attack upon the jail and upon
the United States soldiers guarding II,
They overpowered the guard, broke
open the Jail and murdered Captain
Smith ana several negroes. Captain
Smith made q desperate defense, and
sold ills life as dearly as possible. The
towards dared not enter Smiths cell,
80 they threw lighted hrebrands into 1t,
and, when Smith finally became visible
his body was rIddled with thirty
bullets.
THIS affair was not only a murder and
q riot, but 1t was also treason, for II
was an armed assault upon United
States soldiers by asecret society whose
object was inanrrecu0n against the
United States, and the breeding OF
fresh rebellion In Texas. General Rey-
nolds at onca took active measures 10
secure the riuglgaGers In the affair. He
frat, however, was compelled to spend
some time IN making his military oc.
cupation oi the State secure, and In
establishing the authority OF the Uni
ted SIales and heading Oft the designs
OF the Knights. He then put q skilliul
detective on the track Of John II. Pratt,
the leader OF the Knights In the affair,
with an order for his arrest at all haz.
ards, wherever and whenever found, on
charges OF murder, riot, robbery and
treason, The detective was Instructed
to hunt his. man down II he followed
him I'll he was gray. AT llrst Pratt
WAS secure In Texas, among his friends
OF tho Society OF Knights. But IL soon
became too hot for him.
He was first compelled 10 abandon
his public defiance OF the United States
military, then to take to rapid fitting
from placs 10 place; then 10 cultivate
close privacy; then 10 leave the State;
and finally, after wandering from point
to point to escape the pursuit which
ever followed upon his trail, he turned
up In Now York, hoping to lose himself
10 the vast crowd Of the metropolis.
But the Staunch pursuer was on his
trail like u bloodhound; and neither
water, nor distance by land, nor dis.
gulse, nor loneliness, nor crowds,
could baftls the avenger OF blood. The
detective found and arrested Pratt on
Friday last, on warrant charging him
with murder, riot and treason.
The prisoner wasa Major In the Con.
federate army during the rebellion, and
was not unnoted for his fanatic cruelty
and crimes. Ifhe IS remanded to the
custody OF The detective, and taken
back 10 Texas, It Is probable that hlS
life will pay tho forfeit Of Ills crimss on
the gallows, and thus the cowardly
murder OF poor Smith be partially
avenged.