Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-05-18
NO. 20.

other thrust away the guns aimed at him.
Her band was shattered by ball aud five
shots struck one Of her legs. Judge Chs-
olm fell wounded in IL places. The mob,
believing they had accomplished their ur-
pose, left the Jail.
The wife and son Of the judge, aided 10y a
citizen who, for a wonder, showed a spark
of humanity, carried the wounded man to
bis home, few hundred yards across the
commons. A body Of men stopped them
on The way and we're about to Ere at the
Judge, when Miss Cornelia, with the re-
markable courage and self-possession she
showed throughout the whole tragedy, as
sured them that her father was dead, that
he died in her arms in the Jail, and per-
suaded them not to mutilate dead body.
The bleeding and unconscious man was
then got within the shelter of his own
house. Toward evening the murderers
rode out of the town.
Judge Chisolm is still alive, but his re-
covery is scarcely within the bounds of
probability. l visited him this evening.
He said: 81 want TO live for the dearest
wife in the world, for my children, and for
my country. 1 am dying for my country"
The surgeon forbade him to talk more.
The brave young girl, although suffering
pain from her shattered right hand, Is
cheerful and hopeful. The surgeon says
he never saw a woman with such nerve,
and that she bore the severe pain of ex-
tracing the shot from her leg and dressing
her hand without groan. She has a sweet,
intelligent face, dark brown hair, and a
pair Of large, resolute blue eyes. The CHS
olms are people of refinement and culture
exceptional for this part of the country.
There are books, pictures, and piano In
their pretty little cottage, and the flower
garden that surrounds it would be the
wonder and pride of any northern village.
The front window of the room where the
judge lies is boarded up 10 guard against
any attempt TO complete the work of assas-
sination, and five or six Of his kinsmen,
well armed, keep watch every night.
Gilmer is spoken of as an unprincipled
mana gambler and something Of des-
perado. McLeiland was an industrious,
respectable citizen.
From the careful inquiries made by Gov.
Stone, ii appears that the brothers, sons,
and nephews of the murdered Gully were
the ringleaders of the mob. In my conver-
sations with the county officers aud others
Of the principal citizens of the place, have
been shocked to find them all more desir-
Gus Of excusing or pallialing the horrible
crimes of the mob than to exhibit sympa-
thy for the victims. From not single
man have 1 heard expressed an intention
10 aid in bringing the murderers TO justice,
or even the hope that they will be arrested.
A portion Of the community entirely sym.
pathzes with the perpetrators of the bloody
outrage, and those who do not are too much
terrorized 10 enforce the law.
Such is the story of the Kemper tragedy,
in the briefest form in which the facts can
be clearly stated. 1 wish could say that
politics had nothing 10 do with The terrible
affair, but cannot, in face OF the fact that
the asssilants were all democrats, and the
victims republicans, and in view of the Bit
ter feeling against Chsolm and Gilmer that
had pervaded the county for years. Still it
was by no means purely political outrage.
The personal lend between Chisolm and
his adberents and the Gully family had
roots outside Cf party differences, and the
Gullys no doubt believed that Chisolm and
Gilmer had instigated the assassination OF
the kinsman, who was the chief of their
clan. Afler all, the principal cause, under
lying all othere, must be a low grade of civ
iliz,tion-a condition of society in which
the laws are not respected, the sacredness
of human life not appreciated, and in which
personal grievances are often avenged by
cowardly murder, and political quarrels
are held by an ill-educated public opin-
ion TO palliate if not TO justify the shedding
of blood.