Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-17
The McCabe Murder In Kansas
Startling Developments.
10 Fort Scott Monitor, March 81

From the Fort Scott Monitor, March 81
About two weeks since, Mr.. McCabe
an old gentleman upward of sixty years
of age, and father of James McCabe, OF
this city, went South to the Verdigris,
near Liberty, to hunt up a piece of land
to which he hada just claim. He found
his possession disputed by one Shaw, a
notorious desperate, of whom more
hereafter Upon agreement Of both
parties the dispute was to be settled by
number of citizens under the " club
law" and was decided in McCabe' s
favor; but Shaw refused to relinquish
possession, and the next morning
McCabe was found dead in his cabin,
shot through the head.
The matter was Immediately placed in
the hands of Mr.. Bawden, of this city,
assistant United States attorney, and a
party started south, the son of the de-
ceased among them, to arrest the muir
derers. They arrived in the nick Of
time, for the whole country had gathered
taken possession of Shaw and his two
brothers, conducted them to the woods,
and we're proceeding to deal summary
justice by lynching them Upon inter
ference Of the local authorities and earn
est speeches by lawyers of the district,
they were delivered to the sheriff and
placed under heavy guard.
The authorities then refused to deliver
them over to the parties who arrested
them claiming that they should be tried
at that place instead of this Young
McCabe sought the assistance of the
troops located at that point, for they
were unable to aid him without requisl-
ton from higher authority.
Upon examination before the Justice
on the following morning (last Friday,
one ofthe parties turned State S evidence,
and the following startling information
was ELECTED: The three Shaws--J ohm,
Thomas and William-had been driven
out of Canada for their nefarious doings
had come to the Verd girls neighborhood
and had formed secret organization
composed of some twenty members, with
oaths and bylaws, whose proiessed OBJ
ject was to jump all remunerative claims,
to put any one out of the way who inter
fered with them, and to commit murder
whenever it was lucrative and safe. They
were, moreover, to support each other in
all conflicts with the civil authorities, to
swear to whatever was agreed upon, and,
in case of necessity, to resort to open
violence to free parties of the club who
we're arrested
A Mr.. Hall testified before the Justice
that one of the Shaws had come to him
the morning before the murder, and or
iered him, upon the authority of the
club, to shoot McCabe; that he Hall
had refused, stating that MeCabe was an
old and inoffensive citizen, and not with
in the terms of the organization oath
After a warm contest between the attor-
neys pro and con, the nature of the oath |
was given in testimony. The day after
McCabe was shot, and there is little |
ioubt but that the Shaws are the guilty /
parties.
Mr.. Bawden states there is no doubt
hat jurisdiction over the matter lies in
,ur court, and he purposes sending down
o-day a detachment of troops to secure
he three Shaws and one Calep, who are
low under a heavy guard at Liberty, and
emove them to this city The only
ear is that they will be lynched before
he arrival of the troops