The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1872-06-06

Springs; l didn't see them after dark; ii
was dark when I saw them; there was an
other boy along with them, but ! don't know
who he was; saw Chas. Spring walking
out with his mother between and O'Clock
this was before he went to the alley with
Ernest Taylok / heard a report Of pistol
tina. evening; think about dark, hall
hour or hour after i saw Ernest Taylor;
was at the store, sitting On the porch
the shot sounded in the alley
on the other side Of the street; / didn't SEE
the flash; it sounded to me like it was al
the Back end Of Springs lot; | saw where the
body lay; the shot was not where the body
was found; these boys were together FIRE.
quently and seemed friendly; ! live abou,
thirty yards from Springs.
Fred. eraser sworn and examined: know
Ernest Taylor; saw him the day before the
decoration near Turner Hall, about six
O'Clock in the evening; no one was with him;
he had some cartridges in his pocket; he
showed me his pistol, said he gave four dol
lars for ii; it was q small pistol, turned to one
side, had cartridge in it the box was paste
board, filled with cartridges, oblong shaped
box; don't know Chas. Spring.
Mrs. N. K. Haynes sworn and examined:
/ didn't know Ernest Taylor; saw him once
or twice; live in Arkansas, on the st. Fran
els river, at the Brown plantation; am here
visiting Mrs. Spring, who is my mother;
Charles didn't leave the house that evening,
excep, to go with his mother down Fifth
street; they went away about four O'Clock and
returned about five O clock; Charley remained
in the house or in the yard after that; mother
was furnishing him for disobedienee, keeping
him as it were a prisoner, that is kept him
in the house or yard until six clock / went
down town at six O'Clock and came back at
about nine o'clock; Charley was then in bed,
undressed; do not know whether he was
playing with Taylor's boy after six O'Clock
Charley made no statement to me until the
body was found, then he said lac did moi
know Ernest was dead ); / knew nothing OF the
dead body until negro boy told me; this was
about : O'Clock Thursday morning. The
boy said she lies very still. believe he is
dead" Then l thought it was Charles, and
ran and told mother, and mother came down
and found it vas Ernest Taylor's body; the
place where the body was found was not used
as passage way; We keep Light burning
every night; my mother is an invalid; i did
not know that the pistol was under the floor
! am Charles Springs sister.
Deputy Marshal VIM. Roberts sworn and
examined Major Taylor came to the Police
Office and reported that his son was missing
about s O'Clock; about fifteen minutes after 8
a boy came down to the Office and said that
Ernest Taylor had been found dead; ! went
up there, but found no pistol; went in the
house and found Charles Spring up stairs;
had him come down and questioned him; he
said he had not seen Ernest since about 4
O'Clock the day before; that he nc and Err
rest were int;mate-were sworn friends; a
Smith & Wcsson pistol was given 10 me by
the family; the pistol had no cylinder in it;
l sen, Charles Spring down to the office;
there were three pistols found altogether
two single-barrelled pistols and one cylinder
the pastor Of thr NJ. F.. Church South found
out from Spring that one of the pistols had
been secreted under the floor of the second
story of Mrs. Springs house; DR.. Van Duyn
found the other pistol.
Officer Mat. Malone sworn and examined
Major Taylor called at the Police Office
and requested me to look for his boy; said he
was missing; coming down l met Charles
Spring who said Ernest Taylor had been
found, and was dying or dead;
the boy walked along with me, and We met
Maj. Taylor, who took hold OF my hand and
said, MY. poor boy is dead" said this boy
says he isnot desdyet; eyes heis dead, says
Maj. Taylor, ''the doctors sen says so;'
We went together in hack TO Maj. Taylor
house; ! then went to the house Of Mrs.
Spring, and made inquiries of the three
ladies whom found there about the body
being found ! gained very little informa-
ton from them; Last night about . O'Clock
the Minister Of the NJ. E. Church South,
cane TO the Office and talked to the boy, and
the boy told him that the pistol was under
the floor. up stairs; We went to the house,
the Minister, Shehan and /, and found the
pistol with an exploded cartridge in it under
the floor; The Spring boy did not 60 up to
Taylor's in the hack with us; found The
shell Of an exploded cartridge in the pistol
that was found under the floor.
Chas. n. Spring sworn and examined
knew Ernes, Taylor; saw him last on Wed
nesday evening before supper, but did Lot
see him after supper, Or after l came back
from the wall; with mother; have been &C.
quain.ed with Earnest q long time, and We
were together a great deal; Earnest's pistol
went of when I was at the palings Of the
fence; did not see him when The pistol vent
off; did not see him go away; did not look
for him, but picked up the pistol and
went up stairs. Ernest kept the pistol in the
day time and ! kept i, at night; l would not
tell where the pistol was yesterday because l
was frightened; am not frightened to-day ;
Ernest had me keep the pistol at night be-
cause he had no place TO keep it; We were
playing before went out walking with my
mother and didn't see Ernes, after came
back.
The testimony of the lad was quite lengthy,
but the above is about the extent Of the real
information contained in it. Almost every
one believes that young Spring knows more
about the affair than he tells. He tries to
convey the impression that they were play
ing, and Ernest being ready to go home fired
of his pistol and threw it hack over the
fence. The surgeons present, all agree in
the opinion that Ernest never moved step
after the ball entered his head, but died in.
stantly.
The following is the verdict of the Coro-
ner's jury:
STATE OF KANSAS,
Loavenworih County.
An inquisition held a; the Corone.'s office
in. said county on the 30th and 3lst day OF
May, 1872, before me, A. C. Van Duyp,
coroner of said county, on the body of Ernest
Taylor, found lying dead, by the jurors whose
names are hereto subscribed, the said juros
upon their 0aths do say that ON the e9:h day
of May, 1872, between the hours Of and 2
O'Clock p. m, Ernest Taylor was killed BY
the accidental discharge of = single barrelied
nis>nl II, TIE -hsnda of C1anx4ea n. Spring.