A Grand Hunt For The Murder.
LEAVENWORTH. The awful murder at the Fort was the principal topic of conversation yesterday. Nearly all the police were at once set to work looking for the murderer, who is supposed to be a soldier named John Malone, who deserted from the arsenal a few days ago. He was not seen afterwards until Friday afternoon, when he went into Moore’s news depot, and told the boy that he was going away and should not come back, but that he had a little account to settle with Col. Buel before he left. It appears that he also made other threats, the cause of them being some severe punishment which he had suffered for violation of regulations, drunkenness, &c. Malone has been at the Fort for several years, nearly all of the time at the arsenal, and was for a time orderly for Col. Buel.
As regards the details of the murder we have little to add to our account published yesterday morning. The shooting took place on the east side and near the house. Persons who are familiar with the grounds at the Fort, will remember that there are two gates to reach the house, one opening into the arsenal grounds a short distance northeast of the house, from which there is a walk leading to the gate entrance to the door yard. It was a little inside the last named entrance that the fatal shot was fired. There is a sentinel whose beat is the walk between the two gates, yet he reports seeing no one come near the house, and the first warning he had was the report of the pistol. Col Buel’s orderly was on the east porch until nine o’clock and saw no one about. There are some suspicions that more than one person was engaged in the crime. A man employed at the arsenal says that a few moments before the murder he heard a shot in the direction of the Sutler’s store, and some think this was fired by an accomplice of the murderer to warn him that Col. Buel was coming.
There are of course a thousand rumors and speculations afloat. All the police of the city and many officers from the fort were on the hunt for Malone yesterday. He was in the city at seven o’clock in the morning, and was seen by a man who knows him well, and with whom he tried to trade watches and get ten dollars to boot. He said he had a furlough for two weeks and was going to St. Louis.
The following circular has been issued by the officers at the Fort, offering a reward of $500 for his apprehension:
REWARD.
The officers of the garrison guarantee that a reward of ($500) five hundred dollars will be paid for the arrest and delivery at headquarters, or for such information as will lead to the arrest, of the murderer of Bvt. Lt. Col. D. H. Buel, U.S.A, who was assassinated at Fort Leavenworth Arsenal, about 11 o’clock p.m., on the 22d inst.
His murderer is believed to be a deserter from the U. S. Ordnance Detachment, named John M. Malone. His description is as follows: Aged about 35 years, 5 feet 10 inches high, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, speaks slow in common conversation, had on when he deserted black pants, gray coat, citizen boots, has an ulcer on the side of his left knee, and sores on his hand.
Col. Buel will be buried at Fort Leavenworth and the funeral will take place at the Arsenal at 10 o’clock to-day. Gen. Slidell, Col. Schofield, Capt. Phillips, Col. Penrose, Major Bell and Adjutant Moylan, will act as pall bearers.
The Leavenworth Weekly Times, Leavenworth KS. Thursday July 28, 1870. Page 4. (c) Transcribed by Darren McMannis for the Kansas Council of Genealogical Societies, Inc.
