| A telegram
from St. Louis, published on Saturday, announced
the murder of Mr. Joseph Charless, a prominent
citizen of St. Louis, by one of Joseph W.
Thornton, formerly book-keeper of the
Boatmen’s Savings Association, against whom
Mr. Charless gave evidence some time since in a
criminal proceeding for embezzlement. The
excitement produced by the commission of the
murder, rose to a fearful height, and the
military were called out to preserve the peace.
The St. Louis Democrat, of the 5th, gives the
following particulars of the tragedy: Mr. Charless had but
recently left his house, which is situated on the
corner of Fifth street and Walnut, and was
proceeding down Market towards his store on Maine
street, when he was met by Mr. Thornton on the
south side of the street, between Third and
Fourth. Thornton, it is said, was accompanied by
another man who has escaped. Stepping up to Mr.
Charless, Thornton addressed him in these words:
“You
are the s-n of a b---h that swore against my
character.” Simultaneous with the utterance
of the above, Thornton drew a pistol and fired
the contents of one barrel into Mr.
Charless’ abdomen, which felled him to the
ground. As he attempted to rise Thornton
discharged another barrel, the ball of which took
effect in the left side, passing through the
body, and out of the right side posterior. Mr.
Charless again fell, but sprang up and reeled
into the store immediately in front of which the
murder was committed, and which is occupied by
Mr. J.S. Thompson as a lace and trimming
establishment. Mrs. Dunn was alone present, but
friends of Mr. Charless were almost instantly on
hand, and he was conveyed to the back part of the
store, where a bed was made upon the floor, and
the sufferer extended upon it. Messengers ere at
once dispatched for medical assistance, and
others to inform the male members of the family
of the distressing occurrence.
Having thus
consummated his murderous purpose, the assassin
coolly replaced the revolver in his pocket, and
began deliberately to resume his morning stroll!
Several gentleman, among them were Mr. Thomas
Andrews, Captain Morrison (of steamer), and Mr.
Benoit, keeper of the Leviathan Saloon, ran to
the spot, seized Thornton, and demanded his
pistol. He struggled against them, and continued
his resistance until the speedy arrival of A.
Mesner, superintendent of the Market-street
‘bus line, to whom he at once yielded
himself, and surrendered the pistol, and promised
to go with him to the police office. A crowd was
then rapidly gathering, from whom the surrender
was evidently the only course of safety.
At 11
o’clock A.M., by a general understanding the
immense crowd was observed to move up Market
street. At Fourth street a division took place -
a part starting upon a full run up Market to
Sixth street, the balance, at an equal rate of
speed, rushing around to Chesnut street, and
thence to the Calaboose. The Recorder’s
Court was in session, but a messenger announced
the intention of the mob; whereupon Recorder
DAILY adjourned the court, and ordered the lower
door to be locked and guarded. The propriety of
this step was evident, for had the crowd been
able to enter the building, the capture of the
prisoner would have been an easy matter. Several
policemen defended the lower door, and repulsed a
crowd when they arrived and endeavored to press
open the door.
After some
delay, Mr. McLure moved that a Committee of six
should be appointed to visit the jail and
ascertain if the prisoner was in safe custody.
This measure was adopted, and Messrs. Washington
King, J. Walling, Dr. Spaulding, and three
others, were named as the Committee. The
Committee proceeded to perform that duty. We are
not informed that Mr. King was in the crowd -
certainly we did not see him, but it was not long
before Dr. Spaulding appeared upon the wall of
the jail-yard and addressed the multitude as
follows:
FELLOW
CITIZENS: The Committee report that the culprit
is safe in custody. He is securely confined in a
safe cell, and cannot by any possible means
escape. I came here with feeling which I know
animate this vast mass of people, that if ever
there was a time when Lynch law was justifiable,
this is the time. But I am satisfied upon
reflection, to let the law take its course [Cries
of No! No! - hang the foul assassin! - let us
make a sure thing of it. There is no security in
the law. He will escape. They will say he is
insane, and on that ground acquit him. Lynch him!
Lynch him! And other remarks of this kind were
made by the excited crowd]
Dr.
Spaulding - When the people will hear the
Committee Report I will go on. [Cries of “Go
on then! Go on!”] I say upon mature
reflection, I am satisfied to allow the law to
take its course. [Cries of “No! no! law will
let him loose to murder others! And that --- the
governor will pardon him!”] Dr. Spaulding
continued: This, my fellow-citizens, is the
Report of the Committee - “Let the law deal
with the bloody scoundrel; let the hangman punish
the assassin.”
The speech
was received with dissatisfaction by the crowd.
By this
time the Police were in full force at the
entrance to the Jail and also at the entrance to
the Calaboose on Chestnut street. All the Deputy
Marshals and Deputy Sheriffs were on duty
protecting the jail yard wall. Mayor Filley was
on hand to see that the laws were enforced, and
acting in concert with the Chief of Police, and
took such measure as were necessary to protect
the public peace.
At 12½
Major Rawlings mounted a wagon in front of the
livery stable, opposite the jail-yard, and
introduced the crowd Mr. C.D. Drake, the
brother-in-law of Mr. Charless.
Mr. Drake
said: My fellow- citizens, I was in attendance
upon my brother-in-law at the store - [great
confusion ensued] I will wait till you become
quiet.
Order being
restored, Mr. Drake continued: I was in
attendance on my brother-in-law, on Market
street, where he lies, when the Rev. Dr. Elliot,
pastor of the Unitarian Church in this city, whom
you all know, and whom you all respect, came to
me and told me that there was a large concourse
of people here, and that there was reason to fear
there was a disposition to do violence to the
unhappy prisoner in the jail. I felt it my duty,
standing in the relationship I do towards Mr.
Charless - a relationship extending through a
quarter of a century - I say I felt it my duty to
come to you and say to you, as friends, as
neighbors, that no course could be pursued more
terrible to the family of Mr. Charless - more in
violence to their feelings, than for you to visit
upon this unfortunate criminal the merit of his
crime. I simply wish to say here, as a near
family relative of our fellow-citizen Joseph
Charless, that nothing could me more unpleasant,
that would distress them more, than that there
should be added to this other calamity the
terrible consequences of Lynch law.
A VOICE -
But, Mr. Drake, society has something to say. The
law or the Governor will let the assassin loose.
Society must protect itself when the tribunals of
Justice fail to furnish that protection.
MR. DRAKE:
- I don’t know how that is Doctor, all I
have to say, friends, I have said. I have
discharged my duty as a friend of the man so
cruelly shot down, as a member of his family and
a citizen. I do hope that if there is any man who
desire to take the law into his own hands he will
forego it.
ANOTHER
VOICE: - How are we to guard against a repetition
of this for the future. He will take a change of
venue, and under the plea of insanity get clear?
MR. DRAKE -
That I cannot foresee. I simply ask you to regard
some little, the feelings of Mr. Charless’
family.
The speech
of Mr. Drake was received with manifest tokens of
disapprobation, but it had the effect of
restraining the multitude in their desire to
lynch the murderer. The crowd continued in
undiminished numbers during the whole day.
The
Sheriff, Mr. Michael Cerre, thinking that the mob
might attack the jail, in the high sate of
excitement likely to ensue from the expected
announcement of Mr. Charless’ death called
on Col. Pritchard to order out the military, for
the purpose of protecting the jail. Col.
Pritchard promptly complied with the demands of
the Sheriff, and at once issued orders to the
various officers for the mustering of their
companies. The order was not so promptly
responded to by the privates, but they managed to
reach their several drill rooms by four
o’clock.
The origin
of the difficulty was as follows:
On the
night of the 5th of April, 1855, over four years
ago, the safe of the Boatman’s Savings
Institution was robbed of between $18,000 and
$19,000, in paper money and gold. Joseph W.
Thornton kept the books of the Institution. In
the safe in which his books were nightly placed
were also deposited the keys of the money safe.
The robber had regularly opened the locks by a
proper key. Thornton was then salaried at $1,500
per annum. Soon afterwards his connection with
the Bank terminated. He was subsequently accused,
arrested, held to bail, and indicted for the
robbery. A long period of time was, however,
permitted to elapse before his arrest was
resolved upon. Suspicion had early attached to
him, but matters were shrewdly kept quiet, and
evidence was sought for. On the 21st of may,
1858, he was put upon trial in the Circuit Court
for the larceny from the safe. The case was
continued through Saturday, when a verdict of
acquittal was, after brief deliberation, returned
by the jury. The evidence in defence consisted of
testimony to the good character of the accused.
That for the State showed circumstances rather
strongly suggesting the suspicion of his guilt,
but which alone would scarcely have justified his
conviction. After Thornton left the Institution
he commenced making deposits in the State Bank of
Missouri of from $120 to $340 each, and in all
amounting to about $19,000. The these deposits
Joseph Charless President of the Bank, was a
witness. His testimony for the prosecution was to
the purport that in each deposit was a
much-stained, dirty and dilapidated bill of $50
or $100, appearing as if it had been buried in
the earth. On one occasion Thornton presented a
bunch of bills very much stained, very dirty, and
stuck together so that some could not be
separated - in all worth some $1,070. He said he
had them from a boatman who had accidentally
found them under the stump of a tree, at which he
was trying to make a fast cable. These bills were
declined at the bank, for the assigned reason
that they ought to be advertised, in order that
the loser might recover them. It is supposed that
because Mr. Charless gave the testimony he did in
the above case, Thornton took this method of
revenge.
Mr.
Charless was of an Irish family, but was born in
Louisville, Ky., in 1804. He was a printer by
trade, but subsequently studied law. At the time
of his death he was at the head of the firm of
Charless, Blow & Co., in the drug business.
He was closely connected with works of general
and municipal importance, had been a member of
the Board of Aldermen, Director in the Public
Schools, President of the Bank of the State of
Missouri, and President of the Mechanics’
Bank, of this city, and one of the Directors of
the Pacific Railroad.
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