The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1904-02-12

ants at Mrs. SpOonerS que
Buchanan was a sergeant under
General Burgoyne. Brooks also served
under the same general, and after his
defeat at Saratoga. they, with others,
were marched into Massachusetts.
These men were entertained by Mrs.
Spooner's instructions, for two weeks,
and liquor was furnished them with
out stint. The husband made feeble
efforts to get rid Of them, but he was
not master of his own home. The
servants were under the wife's control.
The men finally departed, but soon
returned, n after various plans for
poisoning Spooner had miscarried and
schemes for killing him by violence
had come to naught, through lack of
courage, Spooner was finally struck
down by Brooks one night, as ne was
entering his yard, on his way from
the village tavern.
His body was thrown into the well
head foremost.
Lured to His Doom.
1t was the urpos Of the conspira-
tors to make it appear that he had
fallen into the well by accident while
drawing water. Ross, though not I'M
aware that measures had been planned
for taking the life of the man he had
Wronged, was not a party to them till
the fatal night, when he seems to have
been lured into the deed of blood by
lliS d SllCt.
The tragedy over, Mrs. Spooner
opened her husbands strong box, paid
the men literally and bestowed upon
buchanan and Brooks the dead mans
watch and silver buckles, with malev-
client cunning, so hat should it become
known that Spooner had been MUIR
dered suspicion might fall upon the
two British soldiers.
Shortly after Spooner's disappear
ance became known a search was in
stituted. The body was found in the
we'll by ~telltale evidence which the
murderers had neglected to deface, and
it was determined that Spooner had
had gone to Worcester, where they
sought forgetfulness in drink.
While in a maudlin state one of them
displayed S~pooner'S watch. Their attempts
to cxtricate themselves from suspicion by
falsehood enmeshed them the more, and
they finally implicated Ross and Mrs.
Spooner. All four were arrested and their
trial was speedy.
Now, General Ruggles was a tory. When
the congress was held in New York in
October, 177o, he had been one of the rep
resentatives from Massachusetts. Though
he was chosen president and might be
supposed to represent the congress-, he
was the only member who did not sane
ton it's spirit and the result of it's delib-
era tons.
The other two delegates from Massachu-
sets received the thanks of the legisla-
ture, while General Ruggles was repri-
manded
At the beginning of the revolution Cen
eral EuggleS espoused the royal side and
became od:ous to the people Of Massachu-
sets. He never took up arms against his
country perhaps he was a patriot at
heart, but believed the time for striking
for independence had rot yet come. He
was hated where he had been most es-
teamed, though it is claimed that the
British government more than made the
loss good.
Hatred Of the father was visited upon
the unhappy daughter.
Convicted and Sentenced.
While the name of Ruggles was held in
opprobrium Bathsheba Ruggles Spooner
was convicted and sentenced. The case
was a notable one. The court was com
posed of William Gushing, chief justice
and the Justices Jedediah Foster, Nathan
lei Peaslee Sargent, David Sewan and
James Sullivan. Robert Treat Paine was
state attorney and Levi Lincoln of Wor-
cester senior counsel for the prisoners.
The trial was held in the Old South
church, Brooks was charged with the as
sault. 1t was claimed that Buchanan and
Ross aided in the murder and that Mrs.
Spooner i~nstigated and .rewarder the deed.
Circumstantial evidence was sufficient to
fix the crime upon all, except possibly
young Ross. But his conviction was in
cluded with the others.
In ordinary cases the conviction and
sentence of the guilty parties would have
been speedily followed by their execution
But here began a scene in the drama
which kept the convicted in suspense anG
the people in a high state OF excitement
for week. Brooks and Buchanan Were
foreigners, without friends or influence
But the case Of Ross was different.
He was not engaged in the plot to take
Spooner's life. Only on the fateful even
ing was he drawn into the tolls. And he
was a soldier who had done valiant serv,
ice for his country, though only Is years
old. The condition Of his worthy parents
appealed with pathetic force and the pc
tit.on for clemency might have vel
moved hearts of stone.
But the Massachusetts, council wa
made of stern stuff and Ross was sent tc
execution in spite of the fact that he wa
one of the five sons who had all sprung
to arms at their country's call.
Woman Tells of Murder.
Again Bathsheba Ruggles Spooner be
came the principal figure in the drama
The venerable pastor of the Old Soutf
church, Rev. Thaddeus Macarty, FIRE
quently visited her in prison and TO hin
she talked freely. Up to this time sht
"ould iOl all III JuoAlSS VI lCI SCH
tence. The witness had wronged her
she said.
She admitted that she had formed III.
plan, but never thought it would be pu
into execution. Her heart relented, sh'
declared, when she found the soldier:
were in earnest. and perhaps the strang,
men she called into her service, familia.
with scenes of blood and rapine, did taxi
the matter into their own hands, as sh'
claimed. AT least. Bathsheba Ruggle;
Spooner maintained that she was not a
guilty as the world supposed.
But she was brave and neither soueh
nor would accept the sympathy of others
The prejudice of the community agains
her father and his family was known t
her and her pride forbade the manifesto
ton Of any weakness.
Scene of the Execution.
Worcester, then a village, presented
remarkable appearance on the Sd day O
July, ITS, when the murderers were eX
ecuted. In early morning the street
We're black with people and from all sec
ions they poured into the town, a
though to some fete instead of the soleml
climax in a tragedy. Upon a hill, bacl
of where the Union station now stand
was the gallows and from the grim ire
four nooses dangled in the sultry air.
A sermon was preached to the con
demned in the Old South church, wher
they had been tried and sentenced. Rev