Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-03-11

Quant-eil, the FreebOOte-.

The iIawr. nee IAN. Journal gives
an interesting account of the antece-
dents aad euv of the Kan as rebber
aud guerilla, Quantrell, from the lips
of one who had personal acquaintance
with him. His grandfather was a
professional gambler in Wash n ton his
uncle went to the Maryland peuiten-
tiary for twersy years for stealing; his
father, however, was an honest nan, "a
coppersmith by trade in Hagerstown,
Md, where W ,lliam Chasles Glantrell
who made the name famous, was born.
The family "loved Into Dover, O.,
where the senior Quantrell abandoned
his trade and used his good educatio q
in teaching, being at his death In 1881
Superintendent Of Schools there he
also published a book on the mechanic
arts, and purchased the first paszu
right tor tile practice Of the dasuer-
rean art viii QuantrelI lett homo at
his fathers death, for Kansas, and
speedily fell into reckless and dis
honest life Robblng and pilIaging in
the true bGrder- uhian style. made the
youth notorious during the long Kan
sas troubles, and when the war came
he entered into it with zest. After
running a gang Of bandjtti on his own
account II was easy to get the slight
couatenance OF a rebel commission.
and he became known as ''GooneI'
sQuaatrell. The JonrHoIs informant
says bis first exploit was ge.;ing to-
.gether band OF Eve to rob farmer of
kans City, Mo, go,nS ahead to "re-
~conuojter" and revealing the scheme
to the farmer, who ander Quantreiis
direction ambuScaiad them. and every
one was killed, Qaaolrell was vel
paid Tor this treachery, and While stay
ing at the farmer seduced a youn-
woman who dweIt near, who became
his mistress aud accompanied him on
snost OF his raids. QnantreIl u~ed to
explain his betrayal Of his comrades
by saying that they belonged to Jen-
nison's jayhawlSers, aud had killed fwo
Of his brothers ID lie, pure and simple,
QuantrcIns deels, during the war are
Familiarity known, and no hstor All
will omis to record his daring and
merciless raid, aud slaashters Ills
sackin4 laurence Was one Of the most
terrible events OF the rebellion 5 th;rd
wear; 800 men attacked a deEenseles,
and and uasu>picious toWn; broae
open aud robbed banks, stores and pr:-
vate dwellings, burned lSo buildings
aud killed 40 mea and made Il place
in history for the Quantreil massacre
Alter this, the guerrilla and his band
fed across Missouri into Kentucky
without molestation, and near Colum
bus hao shirmish with Union troops
In which Quantrell was wounded IN the
knee He was sken 10 the Hospital
of the Sisters Of Charity in Lexington,
where he died, about 80 years old !;
and Of the s. 500 on his person ne
gave half to the Catholic priest who
confessed him, and half to his filth
ful mistress, who used her share to
start bagnio which she still keeps in
St Louis.
THE QUINCY BANK ROBBERS
KEoKUK, Ia, March 1.-The Quincy
bank robbers had very narrow escape
from being captured and, and but for
the stupidity Of the Quincy detectives,
they would have been captured. At
ter the robbery some few days two OF
the robbers arrived at Warsaw, in
Hancock County, H., and put up at
the Adams House over night. One
of them was large man, and the 9th
er rather small Both had black leath-
err valises, which they clung to, never
letting them get out OF their hands.
Their nervousness excited the suspi-
cions Of the landlord as to their char
acter, and in the morning, when he
heard that set of new harness had
feen found in the river, and the horse
and buggy near by, it occurred to him
that they were the Quincy bank rob-
bers. He Immediately telegraphed to
Quincy for the detectives to telegraph
ahead and stop them on the train at
Peoria and Logansport, which was not
done; but after the train had gone
Mr. Adams telegraphed for minute
description of the men. The conduc-
tor says that when they got upon the
train one took seat near the door at
one end, the other at the other, and
they remained in these seats all the
way through.
See Your True Friends.