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Journal of the Senate of the State of Missouri November 17,
1865
EVENING
SESSION.
The
President laid before the Senate the following communication from the
Governor:
STATE OF
MISSOURI, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
CITY OF JEFFERSON, November 15, 1865. Senators and
Representatives:
I have the honor herewith to transmit a communication signed' by Robert P. Faulkner, John D. Brutsche and E. G. Evans, a committee in behalf of the citizens of Rolla. From this,
and other reliable information, I am satisfied that bands of desperadoes
are infesting the counties south and west of Rolla, all of whom are rebel
outlaws who have never surrendered to the authorities of the United States
or of this State,and are now banded together under the lead of James
Picket. Joseph F. Gifford, Duke Summers, Dick Watson, Gibson Martin,
Josiah Westlake, Thomas S. Yates, Peter Sanders, Ishmael Copeland, Joseph
Apsley, Dick Kitchen, --Keely, Peter Smith, Anthony Wright, Archie Allen,
F. H. Chambers, John S. King, Wm. S. Ball, Riley Huddleston, Marion
Huddleston, Joe Shelton, Sam West, Jesse Huddleston, Josiah Haze and --
Sypes, for purposes of robbery and murder.
. The civil authorities in the sparsely settled counties on the southern border of the State are not able to subdue this organized banditti. I
respectfully ask the General Assembly to authorize me to offer suitable
rewards for the leaders of the bands referred to, and to make an
appropriation for that purpose, and likewise to make an appropriation
subject to my order as Commander-in-Chief of the militia of the State,
which will enable me to put in good repair the arms of the State, and
subsist and pay such militia force as it may be necessary to call into
active service from time to time, for the protection of the people of the
border counties, and the extermination of robbers and
outlaws.
I avail myself of this occasion, to call the attention of the General Assembly to the fact that the State Treasurer reports to me that he has received from the United States, through the efforts of Colonel Charles E. Moss, Swamp Land Agent, the sum of five thousand two hundred and twenty three dollars and sixty-seven cents, on account of the Road and Canal Fund. I respectfully recommend that this sum be credited to the State Interest Fund, the amount being so small that it will make very unimportant and useless dividends to the counties. Very respectfully, THOMAS C. FLETCHER. The
accompanying letter from the committee, as follows, was
read:
To His
Excellency, Hon. Thos. C. Fletcher, Governor of Missouri:
HONORED SIR: At a meeting of the citizens of Rolla and vicinity, held at the court house on yesterday, the 8th, the undersigned were appointed a committee to address you upon the subject of the recent murder of two more citizens on the ridge between the Big and Little Piney, in the western edge of our county. About one month ago, on the same ridge, and near the same place, a Mr. Culp and a Mr. Desherly were murdered, and Culp was found several days afterwards, together with his and Mr. Desherly's wagon. Tho latter was the father-in· law of the former, and has not been found or heard from. They were engaged in the business of freighting between Rolla and points west. Their teams were turned loose and came home. On the 1st
inst., Wm. Schuler and Edward Dowd, both respectable citizens of Pulaski
county, loaded their teams here with merchandise for Springfield, and on
Thursday afternoon were brutally murdered within about one mile of the
place of the former tragedy. The wagons of the two men, together with the
body of Mr. Dowd, were found on Tuesday, and that of Mr. Schuler on
Wednesday, about one mile from where Dowd and the wagon were. Mr.
Schuler's wagon was loaded with valuable merchandise, which was thrown out
on the ground, the boxes broken open, trunks smashed to pieces, and quite
an amount of goods carried off. Under this state of affairs, it is unsafe
to travel over the road; our mercantile interests are jeopardized,
destroyed, and society demoralized.
The question
naturally arises, Governor, how long are these brigands to be allowed to
thus prey on our commerce, destroy the lives of our citizens, and be a
justly dread and.terror to the traveling community. What can be done to
stop their hellish work? What are the best means to be adopted to bring
these outlaws to a speedy extermination? We have confidence to believe His
Excellency can and will devise means for the accomplishment of this most
desirable end. Would not a large reward, perhaps, induce some of their
number to betray the rest? Many of our best citizens think that a mounted
constabulary force properly organized by your authDrity, and under the
control and leadership of a good man, with authority to act upon
information of depredatioDs, as well as to aid the civil authorities in
the enforcemen t of the law, would be of great utility. We feel that the
existence of well ordered society, the pr.osperity of our people and the
commerce of our place, all depend on the action taken in the cases - We
would most respectfully appeal to His Excellency, as good, law-abidiug
citizens, to give us such assistance as he may in his wisdom and judgment
think best.
And as in duty bound, we will ever pray. Very respectfully, Your obedient servants, ROBT. P. FAULKNER, JOliN D. BRUTSCHE, E. G. EVANS, Committee. On motion of
Senator Frost, the message from the Governor and accompanying documents
were referred to the Committee on Militia, with instructions to report
& bill in accordance with the recommendations.
On motion of Senator Snidow, The Senate adjourned until to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock. |
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