Part 196 (1/2)

While Wilson's trial was in progress, Mr. Gabriel Sibley was stabbed to the heart at a public dinner, in St. Francis co., Arkansas, by James W. Grant. (_Arkansas Gazette, May 30, 1838._)

Hardly a week before this, the following occurred:

”On the 16th ult., an encounter took place at Little Rock, Ark., between David F. Dougla.s.s, a young man of 18 or 19, and Dr. Wm. C.

Howell. A shot was exchanged between them at the distance of 8 or 10 feet with double-barrelled guns. The load of Dougla.s.s entered the left hip of Dr. Howell, and a buckshot from the gun of the latter struck a negro girl, 13 or 14 years of age, just below the pit of the stomach.

Dougla.s.s then fired a second time and hit Howell in the left groin, penetrating the abdomen and bladder, and causing his death in four hours. The negro girl, at the last dates, was not dead, but no hopes were entertained of her recovery. Dougla.s.s was committed to await his trial at the April term of the Circuit Court.”--_Louisville Journal_.

The Little Rock Gazette of Oct. 24, says, ”We are again called upon to record the cold blooded murder of a valuable citizen. On the 10th instant, Col. John Lasater, of Franklin co., was murdered by John W.

Whitson, who deliberately shot him with a shot gun, loaded with a handful of rifle b.a.l.l.s, six of which entered his body. He lived twelve hours after he was shot.

”Whitson is the son of William Whitson, who was unfortunately killed, about a year since, in a rencontre with Col. Lasater, (who was fully exonerated from all blame by a jury,) and, in revenge of his father's death, committed this b.l.o.o.d.y deed.”

These atrocities were all perpetrated within a few months of the time of the deliberate a.s.sa.s.sination, on the floor of the legislature by the speaker, already described, and are probably but a small portion of the outrages committed in that state during the same period. The state of Arkansas contains about forty-five thousand white inhabitants, which is, if we mistake not, the present population of Litchfield county, Connecticut. And we venture the a.s.sertion, that a public affray, with deadly weapons, has not taken place in that county for fifty years, if indeed ever since its settlement a century and a half ago.

MISSOURI.

Missouri became one of the United States in 1821. Its present white population is about two hundred and fifty thousand. The following are a few of the affrays that have occurred there during the years 1837 and '38.

The ”Salt River Journal” March 8, 1838, has the following.

”_Fatal Affray_.--An affray took place during last week, in the town of New London, between Dr. Peake and Dr. Bosley, both of that village, growing out of some trivial matter at a card party. After some words, Bosley threw a gla.s.s at Peake, which was followed up by other acts of violence, and in the quarrel Peake stabbed Bosley, several times with a dirk, in consequence of which, Bosley died the following morning.

The court of inquiry considered Peake justifiable, and discharged him from arrest.”

From the ”St. Louis Republican,” of September 29, 1837.

”We learn that a fight occurred at Bowling-Green, in this state, a few days since, between Dr. Michael Reynolds and Henry Lalor. Lalor procured a gun, and Mr. d.i.c.kerson wrested the gun from him; this produced a fight between Lalor and d.i.c.kerson, in which the former stabbed the latter in the abdomen. Mr. d.i.c.kerson died of the wound.”

The following was in the same paper about a month previous, August 21, 1837.

”_A Horse Thief Shot_.--A thief was caught in the act of stealing a horse on Friday last, on the opposite side of the river, by a company of persons out sporting. Mr. Kremer, who was in the company, levelled his rifle and ordered him to stop; which he refused; he then fired and lodged the contents in the thief's body, of which he died soon afterwards. Mr. K. went before a magistrate, who after hearing the case, REFUSED TO HOLD HIM FOR FURTHER TRIAL!”

On the 5th of July, 1838, Alpha P. Buckley murdered William Yaochum in an affray in Jackson county, Missouri. (Missouri Republican, July 24, 1838.)

General Atkinson of the United States Army was waylaid on the 4th of September, 1838, by a number of persons, and attacked in his carriage near St. Louis, on the road to Jefferson Barracks, but escaped after shooting one of the a.s.sailants. The New Orleans True American of October 29, '38, speaking of this says: ”It will be recollected that a few weeks ago, Judge Dougherty, one of the most respectable citizens of St. Louis, was murdered upon the same road.”

The same paper contains the following letter from the murderer of Judge Dougherty.

”_Murder of Judge Dougherty_.--The St. Louis Republican received the following mysterious letter, unsealed, regarding this brutal murder:”--

”NATCHEZ, Miss., Sept. 24.

”Messrs. Editors:--Revenge is sweet. On the night of the 11th, 12th, and 13th, I made preparations, and did, on the 14th July kill a rascal, and only regret that I have not the privilege of telling the circ.u.mstance. I have so placed it that I can never be identified; and further, I have no compunctions of conscience for the death of Thomas M. Dougherty.”

But instead of presenting individual affrays and single atrocities, however numerous, (and the Missouri papers abound with them,) in order to exhibit the true state of society there, we refer to the fact now universally notorious, that for months during the last fall and winter, some hundreds of inoffensive Mormons, occupying a considerable tract of land; and a flouris.h.i.+ng village in the interior of the state, have suffered every species of inhuman outrage from the inhabitants of the surrounding counties--that for weeks together, mobs consisting of hundreds and thousands, kept them in a state of constant siege, laying waste their lands, destroying their cattle and provisions, tearing down their houses, ravis.h.i.+ng the females, seizing and dragging off and killing the men. Not one of the thousands engaged in these horrible outrages and butcheries has, so far as we can learn, been indicted.

The following extract of a letter from a military officer of one of the brigades ordered out by the Governor of Missouri, to terminate the matter, is taken from the North Alabamian of December 22, 1838.

Correspondence of the Nashville Whig.