The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-12-17

beyond THR MISSISSIPPI"
BY ALBERT d RICHARDSON.
visited Leavenworth again On the 29th
Of June believing the MUNICIPAL election Of
that day could MT paes sitbout armed col
liei0n. Nor did it. Lsie At night. when
our steamer landed watch fires blszed on the
levee. drinking Falcons were crowded, ex-
cited men bearing guns and receivers were
gathered in little knots, or walking TO and
fro. A friend whom met pacing the side
walk with . Sharpe's rife upon his shoul-
der. explained the cause.
Most Of the Pro slavery men, satisfied that
their rule was over. refraIned from voiing.
The entire Free State ticket was elected BY a
vote Of three hundred and eighty five to
seventy.
james T. Lyle, the City Recorder, was
young Georgian, Who, during the early
troubles. a.si-ted in tsrrinr, frssherins and
shaving the head of Phillips, . Free
Soiier. aherwsrd waDtonly killed 10
Leavenworth. He vas also pres
INT at the strocious murder of Capt. L. p.
Brown, Who VAS literally chopped TO pieces
with ha,chets, 1t Eas.on, X aIsls, in Janua-
~. 1856, and his bleeding corpse flung be-
tore hi. young wife, who was made . mani
&C by the horrible tragedy.
At the poll., on the day Of my arrival, .
Border Rufiian ballot was offered to Ger
man He tore il TO talterr, a-kiDg:
do you srppose would vo.e that DID
Pro-+l,very ticket ?"
1hs instsntly provoked an affrsy, in
.hich ali the by-standers took part; and
upon both sides several rsvolvers we've fired.
William Hsller, young Ohioan, whore
property had orce been burned by Pro-siav-
cry men, urged the German to stand hi.
ground. Lyle turned upon Halter, asking:
"What is it to you" and
raised knife. But before
be could strike, Halter stabbed him 10 the
heart, and he fell dead.
Hsller was arres;ed, and strongly guard
ed by the police; but they were inies.ely
Pro-slavery and Ly les friends we're arming
and threatened to lynch the prisoner. So the
Free Safe men, with rifles and revolvere,
were on duty to protect their comrade and
vutek the officers. The Pro-siavery party was
also gathering and bearing weapons
Through the long night the streets re-
sounded with tramping Iest. aud five hun.
dred men were under arms, in drinking "a
Icons, at street corners, in front Of the
guarded building, in which H -ller was con-
hned, and around the little Office where rest
ed the white, fixed face and rigid form OF
Lyle; but no further outbreak occurred. Tue
q. It morning preliminary inves:Igs ;iOnwas
held before . relic of Border Ruffisn rule,
| Who had ri.en from livery sable to the
ju,tice's bench. 1t was in the unfinished
stone court house, with unhewn walla, rough
benches and single table. The cigar, Of
the lawyers darkened this temple OF Justice,
and the magistrate heard the testimony
while reading . newspaper. Many Witnesses
we're examined, and, a in all ARRAYS, per.
sons who looked on from the same point, a
| the same moment, sW0re to exactly oppo-
site s,atements- Once an attorney for the
defense took cigar from his mouIb, and be-
hind huge puff Of smoke, objected TO cer-
tain testimony On the other side as inadmis-
sible. The ju.tice ersvely replied:
"rhe coun sustains the objection and ruler
that the question cannot be asked al this
stage Of the game"
The inference Vas ".hat the CUT played
poker. Hsller was held for trial; applica-
ton for his admission to bail was argued
before Judge Lecomp,e, Chief Justice Of tie
Supreme Court of the Territory. His deci-
sions had been % uniformly and asgraDuy
partisan. that be was named ''Jefflies L.
comPse." Under the "bosus code, framed
BY his own party, all degrees of homicide
we're bailable, and Lecomp,e had released
notorious criminals. charged with the
murder Of Free State men, upon their Civ
ing bonds for appearance At trial.
But this was his own OK that had been
gored. In summing up the testimony, he
called Lyle's bowie "a small knife which he
did not purpose to use oaensivey," though
witnesses had sworn that it was
nom eight 10 twelve inches long,
and that deceased had raised
it to strike when he received the mortal
wound. He refused to admit Hsller to bail,
ordering him to Fort Leavenworth for safe
keeping. The prisoner WAS taken from the
court room in the custody. Of six United
suppressed breathing Of the Free State look
ers-on. Who, despite their reverence for the
Federal Uniform, wanted only . leader to
rescue him " force, iat Lsvrence. one morn
ing, the following winter, encountered sew
eral mud, stained nen, Who during the pre-.
vious night had escorted Halter from the
Fort, whence he escaped byMibing the guards.
He reached Ohio safely, and six months
later resumed his residence in LeavenWorth,
where he was never again disturbed.
Leavenworth vas the scene Of frequent
violence. On July evening. upon the river
bank, stranger named james Stevens. was
murdered, and his body roohed of
one hundred and eighty dollars. Quarlea
and Bays, two of his friends residing in The
city, tes flied before the corones's jury thai
they we're walking With him, when robbers
attacked the parry and murdered him, whils
they ran for their lives. But ''conscieuce
10 = thousand Witnesses" their sta,emen,s
were 90 contradictory and improbable, that
the jury returned verdict charging them
with the murder, and they we're At once h.
ken into custody. Then Qu.rles made
full confession.
Hitherto, every homicide in Kansas had
resulted from the slavery controversy. Ac
cording to historians, the remoneless Marats
AID R0bespierres Of the French Revolution,
Who shed blood like water, did not take
piece of money or . watch from their burch-
cred victims. They even euillotined their
own vretched agents detected in plunderipg.
They would have life, not gold. So the
Kaneas conflict had witnessed no mercens-
~ element in all j . atrocious crimes.
But here Sas . cold-blooded murder for
money. Free State and Pro-slsvery men,
alike hopeless Of the laws meant to punish it |
Two Thousand people gathered at the Jail,
Judge Lecomp.e addressed the mob, dspre-
eating violence, and asserting On that all |
Who engaged in it would be liable to indict- |
ment for murder. This was answered with |
the how'll: "Ipdict snd be id"
Leccmp,e attempted 10 20 On,
bat be only ELECTED boots, and II |
last omlDous sueesssioos about making IN |
example Of him, for permitting and aiding |
criminals to escape; 20 he wisely withdrew. |
Then another speaker sprang upon . box |
and commanded the peace. announcing him |
self % the United States Marshal for Kan
~; instantly roee q storm Of cr;es:
"Dovn With him." ''hei the creates
ecoundrsl in the Territory" Lets hang
him."
The officers voice grew husky and his face
bloodlefs. and he, to-, disappeared in the
crowd.
The mob picked up tie city marshal and |
police - if they had been children, carried |
them few yard, and there held them; bat
tered down the iron door Of the Jail, With . |
dick Of timber; dragged forth Qusrlss, and |
49, . l.