Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-04-11
Plumb and The Record.

| Ihe investigation begun by MI
| Murat Haistead into the character ant
atecedents of Senator Preston B
Plumb of Kansas has already yielded
the most substantial results-resul,s
from which it appears" the Cincin.
malta Commercial Gazette says, "thai
the affected solicitude of certain Sena.
tors over our legation at Berlin may
| well give way to strong suspicious o
damnable unfitness in their own
body"
This is strong language. In justifi
cation of it, Mr.. Halstead presents the
official record of Major Preston B
Plumb's connection with the robbery
of A. H. Crenshaw of Independence
Mo-, as shown in the report of mill.
tary Board of Inquiry and of Judge
Acknowledgement joseph Holt, unde
date of December %, 1864.
Major Plumb was then Provost
Marshal, with two detectives, VIM.
Logan and George Kingsley, in his
employ. Crenshaw was a licensed
eattle-dealer, and the Board reports
that he had lever been an unconditon-
al Union man, Mr.. Halstead, too,
makes strong point on this, though
most people now are apt to think that
the guilt of the thief is less because OF
the opinions of the person he robbed
But being an unconditional Union
man with a large herd of cattle, he was
arrested and kept in prison for the con-
venience of Major Plumb's two detect
ives in driving trade with him.. 7 he
military board thus describes one of
these trades:
On the following night, September 9th, at
3 O'Clock, W. Logan, government dectiye,
came to the guard house with an order from
Major Plumb, Provost Marshal, for his de-
livery. He went with him. Logan ques-
TONED him about his money, his purchases
and sales of stock, and what he had done
with the surplus, all of which he noted down
in a book. Logan was joined at this moment
by ''John Hampton" and "Audrew Ham
mond" (alias Cloud). One seized him by
the right hand, another by the left, and one
at his back, and with drawn pistols attemp-
ed to force him through deep cut into the
commons west of the city and beyond head
quarters, where they professed they wanted
to take him. He resisted and halooed;
they threatened to kill him if he did not
cease to make noise. They then tried to
force him into deep rayne in the east part
of the town where there were deep hollows;
he again resisted ana they again Threatened
TO Kill him. They then asked him how many
cattle he had. He said 100 head. They Of
fered him 500 for them. He told them
they might have them for nothing if they
would not kill him: was then returned to
the guard house or cell, as they said "for
this time"
After this, Crenshaw was twice
taken out on Major Plumb's orders.
The second time, he was forced to sign
bill of sale for 100 cattle. 33 hogs, 120
mules and II head of horses, besides
being made to to sign an order for So
mules in Butler County. Permission to
live was the consideration in the trans
action. No money changed hands in
it.
This all took place in Kansas City.
When Plumb was relieved as Provost
Marshal, he left to his successor all his
prisoners except Crenshaw, whom he
carried With him to Independence.
"TLe fact that in leaving his post he
took Crenshaw, still a prisoner, away
with him. says Judge AdvOcate-Gen-
eral Holt in his report, furnishes
strong Inference that he designed to
keep him as long as possible under bis
control and apart from com mmunication
with others, and if he had really been
in completely with Logan and Kings
ley, his conduct was precisely such as
might have been expected from a
criminal desirous of suppressing the
evidence of his guilt"
The finding of the military board in
the case was that it twas one of tx q
most remarkable cases Of conspiracy to
rob and murder loyal m an that was
ever known" and that "the testimony
of the witnesses makes it plain to the
board that Major Plumb was in the
conspiracy to rob Crenshaw."
Judge Acknowledgement Holt recon-
mended that major Plumb should be
at once brought to trial by court-mar-
tial if still in the SERVICE" but as he
was not court-martialed the CONNER
ciat Gdzette's inference is that he dis
appeared from the service, though not
at that time with view to entering
the United States Senate.
The record as it is presented is NEST
serious. 1t demands full ADMINISTRATION.
for if Senator Plumb cannot fully clear
himself from these charges, the pro-
priety of his expulsion from the Sen
ate will be plain to all decent people,
regardless of .--RepuCtic.
The Samoan Disaster.