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Page 3 Raid Into
Outrage
by the They “Capture” the Circuit
Court and Murder an Innocent Citizen of We are informed that on
Tuesday, the 10th inst., and during the progress of the Circuit
Court in our neighboring County of Fulton, an armed body of men, some twenty
in number, who claimed to be Missouri Militia, entered the little town of
Salem, charged upon the Court House at full speed, with drawn pistols, and
surrounding the house, held the entire Court, Judge, attorneys, and citizens
in attendance, under guard for some time.
An explanation of their conduct being asked, the lieutenant in command
stated that they were in search of horse-thieves, robbers and desperadoes
generally. After the lapse of half an
hour or thereabouts, Judge Powell asked and obtained leave to go out of the
line they had formed, and take with him the attorneys in attendance, vouching
for their good standing, &c., of the latter. The citizens in attendance were retained
under guard for some time. The party, after remaining
in town for several hours, mounted their horses and taking with them Judge
E.C. Hunter, an old and respectable citizen of the vicinity, a prisoner, left
the town. One Tuesday night, the same
party, having with them several citizens under guard, charged upon the
residence of Mr. A.J. Smith; who lived some four miles from Salem; and on
approaching the house about midnight, either intentionally or accidentally,
it is not know which, one or two pistol shots were fired by the party-which,
with the noise, it is supposed, alarmed Mr. Smith, who sprang from his bed
and attempted to make his escape from the back door, when he was fired upon
by the whole party, some ten or twelve shots taking effect. Smith ran a short distance and fell
dead. One ascertaining whom they had
killed, those ruffians pretended to be quite sorry for what had happened,
saying they had no charge against Smith, but were expecting to find at his house
another man, for whom they were searching. Judge Hunter and other
citizens under arrest were released the next morning, without one word of
explanation as to the cause of their imprisonment. And this band of murdering Militia took up
the line of march eastward through The above statement of the
affair may be relied upon as correct, as we obtained
the particulars from persons in attendance at the time it occurred. We are quite sure such
conduct is wholly unauthorized, unwarranted, and is certainly outrageous in
the extreme. Is a band of
irresponsible cut-throats, claiming to be militia of a neighboring State, to
be allowed to invade our State, arrest and imprison our good citizens, murder
unarmed and helpless men, and run rough shod over the country with
impunity? The affair certainly demands
an investigation, and that the guilty parties be
brought to justice. |
North Arkansas
Times-092167.doc