Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-06-11

From the Monroe la Telegraph. Nay ssh.
Mystery amd Retribution IA
Wlmm Parish.
The recent lynchiDg Of q NUM-
Der Of d~esperadoes, murderers aud
robbers-nine in all in the south
eastern portion Of VIM parish
has led 10 the disclosure Of q num-
Der Of bloody deeds which hitheF-
TO were enveloped in q mystery
that deAed the sharpesT and closest
scrutiny Of the law. These men
headed by a man named West,
have been operating IS highway
men with unvarying success ever
since the close of the war, aud per-
haps before lis close, and have sent
unheralded aud ~unprepared into
eternity the soul ofmany an inno-
cent victim, stimulated thereto
solely by an ungOdly greed for
gain.
Among these victims, It now
turnes out, was q Lieutenant Butts
of the Federal army, whose mac.
countable disappearance In 1865,
i. while en- route from Natchitoches
to Vernon where be was detailed
az q Bureau agent, excited At the
( time the Virtuous Indignation OF
i, the people of Jackson parish, and
was the cause of Calumny In North.
. ern prints upon the reputation Of
@ that people, the New York Tri'
bune taking the lead in the work o
: denunciation. Mrs. West and Q
man named Dean, one Of West
accompliccs, now clear up tn
mystery Of the LieutenAnts death
D He was killed by West not faI
from the Saline Mills in VIM par.
ish. Information had been con
: veyed TO West that the Lieutenan
IT had darwin $2,7W at Natchitochei
IS and this sum West desired to OBJ
tain and did obtain from the Lieu
tenants person after his murder
West, Dean and another man over
ia took Butts on the road, and 10 allie
suspicion told him they were hunt
L. ing cattle. Riding on, they cam
le to y point near which there Is a fin
=, spring. Butts was induced to tur
of to the spring TO get some wa
q ter. While drinking from tn
Y. spring, West deliberately shot th
- u~nsuspecling nan through th
- head. His bones were some tim
it after discovered, but until now th
te manner Of his death was q prOfoun
mystery.
Still another victim Of thei
m lends was u Texan, named Jone
~ who had been TO Alabama and WI
: returning home. Going, he ha
. shared the hospitality Of West, an
rs returning, In compliance with
pressing invitation, he spent al
other aud his last night on earl
to with West. He had told West IL
CO object OF his journey east, (whiC
-, was 10 collect some money! an
VI West set the snares into which h
in confiding victim, weeks after
r. unSuspectingly fell. Mrs. JON
subsequently, made diligent SCARF
for her husband, travling over Il
&c, route he had travelled, but no !
nd genuity could trace him OIL his +
turn beyond Vests house. II
es reason is now made plain.
.ly II is also stated the same bal
MI murdered the families Of tv
: movers, said to be from Frank
Ie' parish, NOT leaving OF the two faI
ell ilie., composed OF men, womi
ii. and little children, Il single 50
:, living. 1t is thought West died
he the possession Of $4,000, the acc
", INFLATED earnings Of fifteen yea
y OF crime, aud that half OF his da
~ deeds will never be told.
Ter The good people of Winn ha
vi. displayed q comprehension Of I
or rights Of society aud Of the males
ofthe law which puts to shame t
rulers Of our State