The Samaritan, And Total Abstinence Advocate

Temperance Almanac.

Rum And Murder.—The following is a synopsis of facts connected with the Murder of John Bingham, as developed in the trial of the parties before the City Court of Baltimore.

On the 5th day of July, 1841, the above party, since denominated the 'Swingletree Club,' were seen first banded together at Murray's tavern on the Falls road, in the suburbs of the city, between the hours of 11 and 12 o'clock. Here they had been drinking, and were, apparently, somewhat intoxicated, not actually drunk, but boisterous and reckless. A few minutes before twelve, the party, seven in number, left McMurray's and proceeded down Howard street towards Franklin. While in Howard street, north of Franklin, a man named Davis was accosted by two of the party, viz. Griffith and Curran, one taking hold of him by one side of the throat, and the other by the other side, exclaiming at the same time, (without Davis giving any provocation,) that they could "whip any -- police man."

Davis had an axe-handle, and upon informing them that he was 'no police-man, but an axe-man,' they desisted, and changed in their disposition towards him, but still persisted, as though determined to chastise the conservators of the peace, that they could whip any police-man. Though but two were about to perpetrate violence upon Davis, yet the remaining five of the party were hard by, and seemed willing to aid in any enterprise, however outrageous, that might be entered into by their fellows.

The next point to which the "Swingletree Club" is traced, is at the Golden Horse tavern, at the corner of Howard and Franklin streets, the scene of the bloody tragedy—it makes its first appearance there about 12 o'clock. While these at the tavern were at dinner, a noise was heard in the street, seemingly like the dashing of a stone against a wagon. This was succeeded by the barking of a dog. The noise aroused the attention of the inmates of the tavern. Mr. McCoy, the proprietor of the hotel, spoke to Mr. Burns, owner of the wagon as well as the dog chained under it, and informed him that he thought it probable that some one was beating the dog. On being thus informed, Burns jumped up, ran to the bar room window, looked out and saw an individual beating his dog unmercifully with a swingletree. He immediately repaired to the animal's protection, and was knocked down with a club. Burns being paralyzed was crawling on his hands and knees towards the sidewalk, when Henry, an hostler belonging to the tavern, ran to his assistance. A slight struggle ensued and Henry was laid prostrate by a blow on the back of his head; here his recollection closed. Bingham, the deceased, seeing the prostrate Henry, interposed in his behalf, when he received the blow on the head with a swingletree, as testified by some from Gettier, by others from Hanna, and another blow with a jockey club from Griffith, which felled him to the earth.

While thus prostrate, struggling as if with the agonies of death, Curran went deliberately, got a stone weighing from twelve to fifteen pounds, returned, stood over the head of the prostrate Bingham, wielding it with both hands, and with a demon-like ferocity threw it upon his head, mashing in the skull of the unfortunate deceased. Even after this, Konig as if not satisfied with one death, picked up a smaller stone and deliberately cast it too upon the head of the dying man, thus putting the indisputable climax to the horrid scene. Hanna was also conspicuous. In the heat of the combat he drew from his pocket a pistol, snapped it at the breast of a man named Hake, and upon being told by one of his companions, "kill the --rascal," fired it off, the ball missing the contemplated object, striking the house, glancing from thence, taking off the thumb of a man named Lowery. Hanna is the green coated individual about whom there has been so much discrepancy in the testimony.

Six of the ruffians concerned in these wanton and murderous proceedings, have been tried and convicted of manslaughter.

Balt. American.