The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-09-16

The First Lynch Law Trial.

In the autumn Of 1889 the settlement
in Ohio, at Columbus, contained less than
score of log cabins. Most of them
were near the bank of the Ohio. short
distance below the mouth of the Little
Miami. The most prominent of the set
tiers were General John S. Gano, VIM.
Goforth, John Riley, Francis Dunlevy
afterwards president Judge, Jacob
White, Ephraim Kirby, Luke Foster
afterwards judge, the Nev. John Smith
afterwards United States Senator), John
Brown, James Finn, Thomas Hubbell,
Colonel Oliver Spencer, Major Benjamin
Stiles, Hezckiah Stiles, Elijah Mills, Ed.
mund Buxton, Peter Smith, James Sc.
ward, Thomas G. Wade, Benjamin Shoe
maker, Evan Shelby, Allen Woodruff,
Joseph and BEN amin Cox. One of the
most useful men in this new colony in
the wilderness was Peter Sken Smith. A
shrewd and skillful artisan, he only,
among them all, could repair and keep
in working order the only hand mill in
the settlement used almost constantly for
grinding their Indian corn. This he did
by soitening the steel, filing it sharp and
then hardening it. A trader from Red
stone Old Fort (now Williamsport), on
the Monongahela, arrived with small
Kentucky boat laden with flour and other
produce, Of which the pioneers in their
new settlement were much in need. So
welcome was his arrival that they lent
him willing aid to carry up his dozen
barrels of -four and pile them between
two trees, that they might be safe from
the perls of the river. Next morning it
was found that one Of the barrels had
mysteriously disappeared during the
night, to the surprise of the trader and
indignation of the villagers. They speed.
ly assembled together, and were not long
in coming to the conclusion that one Of
their own members had stolen the flour.
1t was Immediately determined, mem con,
that general search should be made,
some of the principal citizens proposing
that their own domicilcs should be ex.
amined first. This was speedily done,
but not until the fourteenth house was
searched was the lost barrel found, in the
cabin of Peter S. Smith, who proved to
be the Achan Of the village. They un-
hesitatingly arrested him. lie submit.
ted with very bad grace. When in
formed that they would proceed to try
him for the felony, with great Sang Jroid
he demanded their warrant, well knowing
that from want of civilization there could
be none. Having no leader with supreme
authority, like Joshua of old, they formed
themselves into a Lynch law court, and
sentenced him with forty stripes save
one, according to Hebrew law, and thai
he make restitution Of the stolen -four t.
the owner Smith now dared them te
indict so ignominious punishment with
out authority Of the law. They procured
a stout cord, with each end of which they
tied his thumbs, and then carrying tn,
line over heavy thorn bush. proceeded
to execute the sentence of their own cour
with good will each of the thirteer
giving him their stripes with bickory
with. With this degrading punishmen
all boldness and daring forsook him. H'
+ repaired to his cabin, but was never af
terwards seen in the settlement. 1t wa
supposed he found his way to the Fall
of the Ohio, and there enlisted in tn
United States Army. This statement i
made on the authority Of one of the mos
respected member of that primitive court
the late Judge Foster. 1t has been re
vised by the venerable Major DAME
f Gano, a native of the place where it oc
Cured, now in his eightieth year
american Historical Record.