EXTRAORDINARY OUTRAGES IN AMERICA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 61, 10 April 1869, Page 5

EXTRAORDINARY OUTRAGES IN AMERICA.

James A. Keith, formerly a colonel in the Confederate army, now in gaol at Raleigh, North Carolina, has been accused and does not deny the commission of one of the greatest outrages ever perpetrated. In 1863 the loyal people living in Laurel Valley conceived that the Confederate authorities did not give them their fair share of salt. Joining with the Confederate element, they proceeded to organise a raid upon the Kanawha Valley Salt "Works, which proved successful, under the lead of Captain Kirkof East Tennessee. Captain Kirk's men were fired with liquor furnished them by the people living near the works, who were seized with terror upon the approach of the raiders. They committed a number of outrages. Disappointed in not obtaining a sufficient quantity of salt, they sacked the town and retired. Colonel Keith organised a party, and in his turn proceeded to Laurel Valley, surrounded a portion of the valley where he knew his game was safe, and without being overparticular as to whether those he captured were concerned in the salt raid or not, proceeded to whet his revenge. Capturing thirteen persons who were assembled at the house of a man named Chandler, he deliberately took them to a secluded spot, and m spite of the appeals and imploring cries of old and young shot them to death. "Women, old men, and boys were murdered without giving them permission to say a prayer. Standing his victims in line, this monster of the nineteenth century ordered his command to fire upon them. Nine fell dead at the first discharge, but the four little boys were not killed outright. They were shot a second time while trying to clasp the knees of their murderers. Keith ordered the dead bodies to be covered with stones, and thus they were left. Nothing was known of the horrible occurrence for gome time, but the facts finally reached Governor Vance's ear, who immediately demanded of the then Confederate Secretary of War, Saddon, the arrest, trial, and death of Keith. The trial was a farce. Keith was free after a time, and immediately putting himself at the head of a band of outlaws, terrorised over the country. Visiting the honse of a Mrs. Franklin, he shot her eldest son, dragged her boy of fifteen from under the bed where he took refuge, killed him also, then shot and killed her third son, who had, in the meantime, run out of the house. For this and similar atrocities he has been formally indicted, and now that he is secured in gaol, the authorities experience considerable trouble in preserving his life until the day of his trial, which will at once take place. — American Paper. -

Not so Bad foe, New Zealand. — A correspondent to the " New Zealand Examiner" (London), speaking of the manufacture of the native flax, says : " A sample of prepared flax worked up into a halter had been sent to the editor of the " Lyttelton Times," and been duly praised by him, but the next day the paper contained no leader. Whereupon the " Press " — the rival paper — complimented the flax manufacturer on having made so wise a use of the first fruit of his industry, and also complimented the "Times" that its editor had so justly appreciated the gift, as it appeared he had done by the absence of his usual leader."

The Late Aechbishob Loxgley. — It is related of the late Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Longley) that he once received a severe shock at Somerset House, whither his Grace had gone to -execute a deed. "What name?" said the clerk. " Longley," answered the prelate. " Gro to "(a place which need not be further described), rejoined the clerk ; and some explanation was necessary before ifc became evident that the official had no radical hatred of episcopacy, and had only unwittingly aspirated the L of the department (arranged alphabetically) to which he wished to direct Dr. Longley. " One of our Townsman." says the " Pastoral Times," " who has just returned from England, had repeated interviews with De Castro, or Castro, by which name he was known at Deniliquin. Castro was very glad so see his old Deniliquin friend, and anathematized most heartily the " Postoral Times " for writing against Castro's pretentions to the baronetcy of Tichborne. We can only say that we wrote according to the information supplied u» by Mr. M'Kenzie, who alleged here that he was sent out by the Court of Chancery to gather evidence for both sides, and that he was therefore neutral. Castro (as we must still call him) states that ' M'Kenzie was an imposter, and he (Castro) would yet put him in gaol.' Our townsman also had a long interview with Colonel Lushington, who, it appears, was three years in the same regiment as Tichborne, and the Colonel has fully identified Castro as the lost Tichborne. I ? urther, the Colonel has lent Castro £6,000 ; when the latter comes into possession he is to return £12,000 to Colonel Lushington. Castro has confronted the sisters of Arthur Orton, who, it is said by the Tichborne family, is identical with Do Castro. The Ortons declare that Castro is not their brother, who is pitted with the small-pox. If these facts be true (and we believe our returned townsman is truthful) Castro bids fair to be Tichborne, the lost heir,"