The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-12-07

let wounds in his head, two in his right
arm, which is broken, and one in the
hip. Another is Eliza Pinkston whose
husband, Henry Pinkson, aud whose
baby was murdered by band of bull.
dozers on Saturday preceding the cleo
ton. Eliza was present and saw her
husband cut all to pieces in his own
house, and his body dragged out and
shot full of bullets after be was dead
The baby was killed in her arms. She
has bullet wound in her breast, which
passed through the lung and ont of the
back, deep cash from a knife in her
neck, a bulict-wonnd in one leg, q cut
with knife from the hip nearly to the
knee, and her head Is covered with
wounds, one of which was given with
the but-end of pistol, and the other
with an OK. The cords in one of her
feet are also severed. She was left for
dead, and how she has survived so long
seems to be miracle, as for two OF
thre weeks she has been almost con.
stantly hunted by the Tilden men who
murdered her husband and babe.
Henry Pinkston is represented as a
colored man somewhat different from
the majority in that he seemed incapable
of fear. The bulldozers had been to
him several times to get him to Join q
Democratic club, but he had openly de-
clared that he wonld do nothing of the
kind, and, when threatened, took nc
pains to conceal his contempt for the
bulldozers, and said that he was afraid
OF mono OF them. On the Saturday night
before the election Eliza states that She
heard body of horsemen stop In from,
of their house, and man came TO the
door whose voice she recognized, and
said that he was Brewster, Republican
candidate for the legislature, and that
he had made arrangements to hare him
(Pinkston) safely conducted to Monroe,
where he could vote tho Republican
ticket on eleetion day. She said
"No, you arc not Mr. Brew ster, Henry is
not hero" They then broke in the
door, and one called out, Gag him
God damn him! Gag him And the
room was filed with armed men. who
with their knives stabbed her husband
TIL, as she said, his body was filed with
holes, and tho blood dropped like water
upon the floor. They then dragged HIM
oat, and shot him q great many times
afterwards. A man said to her, "Eiiza,
put down that baby" She said al
you are going to kill mo, kill my baby
too" A man then with his knife cut
the baby's throat at the same time cut.
ting Eiza's hand which was thrown up
to guard the child. She vas then cut
and shot and LETT for dead. When she
came to her senses she had not o stitch
of clothes left on her back, and sho went
to many of the colcred peoples cabins,
but most Of them was afraid TO give her
shelter, for fear of the vengeance of the
buildozers who were hunting hor. Her
story is almost beyond belief, bat her
wounds are there to testify moro elo-
qucntly than words.
Another witness, James Henry Cole
man, colored man, was under the
house when Pinkston was killed, having
jumped out Of a window. After the
men left who killed Pinl1ston, he crawl
ed out, bat was taken on the road by
the Same party. A rope was placed
about his neck, and he was dragged
down to tho river, and he believes that it
was their intention to drown him, but a
shot was fired and the party, tor some
reason, galloped off and left him.
Joe Sheldon has bullet in his breast
and his hand is all shot to pieces. He
states that this course was taken to in
duce him to join Democratic club, and
that he was shot two weeks before the
election. He did finally vote for Tilden
and reform at the Trenton poll. A man
named Willie Howard, who is q leading
Democrat, and who denounced congress
,'ls.n-etect Leonard and Attorney G ener.
al Hunt, the Republican candidates, as
liars at Republican mass meeting pre-
vious to the election. Sheldon had re-
t sed to join Democratic club, and
masked men had visited his house during
his absence. On his return his wife
told him about 1T, and urged him to join
the club, as nearly all the colored men
around hero had done so for fear of los
ing their lives. He left home again, and
when be started back he was met on the
road by the man Howard. 1t was q
dark night, but the lightning occasionally
made it bright. He saw the man fire
into tho air twice, and he was afraid.
The man asked him who he was, and
when he told him, he said: "Don't kill
me, Massa Howard. I'll 90 with ye
right now and jine the Democrat club"
Howard said nothing but commenced to
fire at him until he fell. When reviv-
ed he crawled to a colored mans house,
who was afraid to let HIM come in, and
whom he tainted again he was laid out
on the back gallery for dead.
There are several other witnesses in
the party whose cases arc nearly as
hard, and there are some parts of the
story of Eliza Pinkston too horrible for
publication.