The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-19
ALIBI FOR LYNCHERS.
Soldiers Stand By Comrades on
the Witness Stand.
couRT-MARrIAL FOR COMPTON.
Cemmander at Fort walla wa1Ia. whose
Negligence Caused Gambler Hunts
Death, To BE Tried.

morning large crowd assembled to lis
ten To the testimony. The first witness
called by the state was Deputy Sheriff +.
M. Colt. who testified that on the night Of
AnriI "a. about $50, he was sitting in the
corridor of the Jail with the sheriff and
several of the guards, when he heard foot
pteps on the walk surrounding the jail,
then loud knocking at the door, when
several persons demanded admittance to
the isiI. The sheriff asked who was there.
Some one replied, I'VE want Hunt" The
sheriff told them they could not have him.
They again demanded admittance, which
the sheriff again refused, when they said: :
ave will blow up the courthouse with
DYNAMITE The sheriff then opened
the door and about ten or fifteen
soldiers came in. A guard and the wit
ness went outside and six soldier guards
were placed over them They were told TO
keep quiet or they would be killed, and at
the same time the muzzles of carbines were
thrust into their faces. In five minutes
the men who went inside the Jail came out
and shot him. All the soldiers then ran
sway in the direction Of the garrison.
George Thomas, who was the guard at
the Jail the night of the trouble, was the
next witness. He corroborated Colts
testimony. He said further:
lam acquainted with Private Mueiiar / saw
him At Byrd's saloon that night about 30 or S
O'Clock. There were three other men with
Nueilar at the time whom J did not know.
Nueiisr and others went out the back door OF
the saloon. followed them as had heard
report that the soldiers were going 20 lynch
Hunt. thought Would watch them. IL was
twenty minutes after / saw Muellar in Byrds
saloon when | heard footsteps outside the Jail.
Ihe soldiers / saw in the saloon were not
armed, and could not have had time 20 go to the
garrison 70 secure arms. and get back when
beard the footsteps outside the Jail
DR.. W. f. Russell was called next. He
testified that he held post-mortem ex-
Summation on the body of Hunt and found
that death resulted from sixteen gunshor
wounds in the body and head. Sheriff
J. n. Mcfarland was the main witness for
the prosecutor, and in consequence more
attention was paid TO his evidence by the
defense. His direct testimony was sub
btantially as follows:
In the esening about O'Clock I went 10 the
garrison and informed Colonel Compton of my
1ears and about O'Clock started TO get guards
] was sitting Ia the jail corridor when the
manded that Hunt should be delivered. re-
fused. On the threat that they would blow up
the courthouse with dynamite / opened the
door and also Hunts cell The shooting oc-
Cured outside while ! was held prisoner in
side.
The sheriff stated in answer TO the
question of the counsel for the prosecution
Is to whether he could recognize any of
the defendants as being among those
present at the time that Hunt was killed.
He recognized all the six defendants,
Privates Evans, Mnellar, Charles Trun-
power, Joseph Trumpower, Cutter and
Clinton as being in the crowd that lynched
Hunt. On cross-examination Mcfarland
stated that the first time he recognized the
men was when he was sent TO the garrison
By the grand jury to subpoena witnesses.
At the time he served subp9nas upon the
six defendants who were examined as
witnesses by the grand jury, he did not
know them by their names. The grand
jury gave him list Of names to subpoena
from the garrison. When he recognized
the men he told the prosecuting attorney
OF his suspicious that the men had
been in the mob. The first man
he recognized was Charles Trumpower.
He had been in the habit of serving sub
penas himself and having his deputy.
Colt, make the returns. He served sub
pnnas upon Colonel Compton at the same
time. He had served subp9nas through
Colonel Compton but the returns were
made that he had served them personally.
He was sure that ali the men were served
through Colonel Compton and not person
ally. He stated that he only acted under
the d4~artf0r1 If he - -. L.. L
done and that he had offered reward be-
cause he thought an outrage had been
committed and he was willing 70 give
money out OF his own pocket 10 bring the
offenders to justice. He would not posi
lively testify that the men were cub
ponaed before the county commissioners
offered reward of $500. He took no
steps before the soldiers were sub
p@naed 10 ascertain who committed the
murder, although he had offered
reward of $50 for the apprehension of
the perpetrators. He was considerably
excited at the time the trouble occurred
but was more so after the trouble was
over. He testified that he did not recol-
lect that he was asked at the eoroner's in
quest whether he could identify any of the
soldiers and would not swear positively TO
10. He had not stated since that he could
identify any of the men. He knew Walter
Alexander. He did not employ Alexan-
der TO assist in ferreting out the perpetra-
tors. He went on:
Alexander came 70 me one evening and asked
the privilege of stepping with TURNOVER one
night l refused. l gave him some money
Monday evening. The day turned him out of
Jail gave him 81 Cor some triukets that he had
In his possession / gave him $40 at Daniels
saloon and he told me what he was going to do.
He said that he was going to meet a woman TO
try and ind out something about TURNOVER
He came TO the Jail with something that lady
had sent TO the boys and wanted TO 20 in with
them, but would not let him When I heard
that the county commissioners had offered
t,S0 reward for the conviction of the
murderers l told q reporter that | would
oier reward OF $3.50 for the same
purpose. saw all the defendants when I sub.
rnnaed witnesses at the garrison, with the ex.
ccpsion OF Irumpower, who was in the guard.
house at the time. ! saw Trumpower when he
was brought TO town 10 testify before the grand
Jury. do not remember how long after served
the suepsnas IL was until told some one I
had recognized several OF the men ! Erst saw
Nuellar when he was witness before the grand
tury. There were four or FIVE mere soldiers in
the witness room when I nrss saw Muellar.
saw Trumpower on the night of Aurti n turinc
the attack on the jail l don't think saw him
after that until he was brought 10 as witues,
before the grand jury
After Sheriff MeFarlsnd's testimony the
state rested. The defense wanted tho
state 90 be compelled 10 call the rest Of the
witnesses Endorsed APP the information.
The motion was overruled Private Evans
was then called for the defense. He said
ON the evening of Apsl "a | Was at my guar,
tiers playing cards IN the library, Was not Gown
~ - IL