Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-12-05

| leave you for the present, gentlemen, and
let my friends speak for themselves. VIII
be before you again. ] will then tell you
why | made this confession. (Here he thank
cd tho audience for their attention and retir-
ed.)"
Aaron Long then came forward and said
a. am about to be hung fora crime Of which
| am innocent. | always lived at home with
my parents and worked hard. Last summer
| went down to Nauvoo with John, and there
| supToie he saw Fox and the rest, and they
wanted him to go up and help rob Davenport,
and the only difficulty was TO get John sepa-
rated from me. So Fox said he wanted TO do
some business up the river, and he must take
John along as a witness. So they went up
and left me at Nauvoo. | am as innocent Of
this crime as the farthest man in England
When John left me at Nauvoo, | gave him all
the notes had against men in Indiana, and he
gave me all his against men about here. |
am entirely innocent of the murder. | have
nothing more to say.
Granville Young next came forward
Ladies and Gentemen-You behold me a.
bout to be launched into eternity. (The pris-
oner was much affected, and it was with dii-
fculty he spoke.) | am about to be hung for
the murder of Col. Davenport. L am inno-
cent Of that crime. | am to be hung on the
testimony of Mr.. Bonny. He says that he
saw me on the Wal Eagle, and that | a per-
feet stranger, approached him, and told him
that | knew who the murderers of Daven-
port were, for ] saw them as they were COM
Ing up the river, and offered to Join them.-
Does it look likely that a stranger would APP
proach him in that way! No! 1t is said
that Bonny's name ought to be written in let
tiers Of gold on the corner Of the streets; but
l think it should be written with the blood of
innocent men. became acquainted with Ed.
Benny about twelve months ago, and previ-
Gus to that time | led an innocent life. He
was the man that first induced me to commit
crime. / leave this matter with you. l am
willing that God should be my Judge.
Having taken his seat. John Long again
advanced and addressed the audience
Ladies and Gcn!lenen-My friends have
made quite short speeches. | will now state
why | came out as l did, with a confession of
this affair. While l lay in my dungeon,
chained down with my fellow prisoners, |
could hear on the one side the most awful
curses, and on the other | could hear these
men who are now on the scaffold, calling on
God to have mercy on them, and asserting
their innocence. Could | end ure that! mol
gentlemen, / knew that they were innocent,
and | was guilty; and | determined to tell
the truth about the matter. did so. wrote
q confession, showing the innocence of these
men, but it was not permitted to be publish
ed. Why was this! The people here did
not want those abroad to know that they were
going to hang innocent men. wish you all,
and especially the young men who are with
In the sound of my voice, to lock at me and
take warning for | have been for the past S
years a very bad man. Up to the year 1910
never wronged a man out of a dollar. But
since that time l have not been taxed.
The way | first came to commit crime was
this. In the year 1910, l became acquainted
with Alison Hodge. He prevailed on me to
circulate some counterfeit money. l contin-
ued this business two years. In 1912, there
was a general breaking up of the business
/ could not think of returning to work for a
living, so / went to robbing. Since that time l
have robbed many. l have made a business
Of it. lama robbery profession, gentleman;
but | am true to the cause. You have heard
it said, most of you that John Long is a very
cruel fellow. But | solemnly declare, that
the murder OF Davenport was the only time
when any person was hurt in any of my rob-
berries. And when | have stood before men
with my pistol cooked to prevent them ma
king any opposition, they have been as safe
In my hands as though had been appointed
Il guard to protect their lives. So far from
being SO cruel as you may think, my accom-.
plices will say that | have always been on
the side of mercy, and in the robbery of Da.
venport, (after he was accidently shot) | my
self went down and got a pitcher Of water,
and gave him drink, and placed it by his side,
l consider that my friends here, Aaron and
Young, have been peculiarly unfortunate
They have been prosecuted, and have moi
had justice done them. | also have not had
tie rights which tho law allows me. We
have all been tried and convicted without hav-
ing the rights which the Constitution guar.
antees to US. In the first place we were
brought hero and tried, without giving III
time to get witnesses or anything else. The
counsel who were assigned us by the Judge
and who, / must say, came forward and dit
their duty most nobly, asked for a %coniinu,
ance in order 10 procure witnesses, which
was denied by that inquisitorial Judge, FOL
what else can ! call himl
Next Mr.. Young requested a separate tri-
al which was refused. We also made an af-
fdavit stating that we believed that we could
not get justice done in that County, and pray,
ed for a change of venue, which was also de.
MED. All these things were denied US, and
we were hurried on to our trial, with an over
whelming amount Of talent against us. A:
far as | am concerned, | do not mind it,
Would to God that my three ~accomplices in
guilt stood beside me instead of these two In
nocent men. How can you consent to lei
two men be hung for a crime of which they
are innocent, 1t is your duty to take these
two men from the scaffold, and rescue them
from an unmerited death. / tell you, gentle
men, that what | say is true, and | feel it my
duty to stand up here as long as the law al
lows me to live, and attest to the innocence