The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-04-21

ana ordered one OF the auaros 10 gNe nun
ten lashos with cat. This was done with
such vigor as to cut the back severely, and
cause the blood to flow. After the whipping
no was put back into his cold dark cell, and
in that condition, without bed or bedding, he
passed three days, when WATSON again took
him out, and whipped him severely, himself
Again he was put back, his shirt covered with
blood, to pass three days of suffering on the
ground. The third time he was taken out
stripped, and was told that il he did not con-
fess he had stolen the money, which WAT
son claimed had been stolen from him, he
should be whipped every day till his term OF
imprisonment expired. The negro, during
all these Aoggngs, protested he knew nothing
of the money. He was fogged again, but
for sixteen days in the cold weather, with no
bed but the earth, and not particle OF bed
clothes, he was kept confined in a darkened
CELL and fed on corn bread and water.
The committee had two physicians, men,
bers OF the House, called to examine the
back Of the prisoner, and they report that it
was badly cut up; that twenty prominent
gashes through the skin were apparent; that
his injuries, together with his exposures,
would have been sufficient to have produced
the death Of person of only ordinary en-
durance.
The committse recommend that the
Warden discharge Mr.. WATSON from his
services.
The testimony was voluminous, and its
reading was listened to with great interest by
the House. As basis for operation they
examined the prisoner, under oath, and his
testimony is given in full. He relates the
substance Of the foregoing, and the testimony
of others corroborates him in every essential
particular. As there was a pretence that
he had been whipped, &c., for having stolen
shoes, pair of drawers, a saddle tree, bride
bits, and stirrups, a clothes brush, &C., in his
possession, he was interrogated about the
manner in which he became possessed Of
them. This he explained in detail. The
persons whom he said he had procured them,
and found satisfactory explanation in all
the cases except the bride bits and stirrups.
But there was not particle of evidence to
prove that n single article had been stolen
His history of his whipping, the number of
blows, his exposure, &c., was sustained by
others fully.
Efforts have been made to create the opin-
ion that this whipping was inflicted as a
punishment for having these articles in his
possession, against the rules of the prison;
and the "BIack book" as it is called, has been
made to assume this appearance. But Mr..
PETERS, the Representative from Marion,
testifies that WATSON told him he had punish
ed the negro to make him confess that he
had stolen the money and that he would whip
him till his time was out, if he did not tell
him where he had put it. Other witnesses
testify that WATSON said this punishment
was to force a confession from the prisoner.
In all this investigation there is not a
particle Of evidence to show that the negro
stole the money or indeed that WATSON ever
lost any money.
DrMMocK, the Warden, was sick part oi
the time, and the whipping, he says, wa,
done without his knowledge. There is q
rule that not more than nine blows are to be
given any prisoner without an order from the
directors, and yet WATSON administered
twenty nine, without consulting any one
When Mr.. LENNox returned from Tennessee
he was told Of this outrageous case, and hs
at once inquired into it. Mr. DIMMocK sale
the object was to compel confession from
the prisoner, and WATSON urged that if ht
could give him few more cattings he though
he would confess. When LENNox ordered
bed to be put in the cell, DIMMocK refused
to do 80, and It was some time before tn,
directors could accomplish this much for tn,
relief Of the prisoner. The testimony tend
to show tha. DIMMocK is weak, inefficien
man, not naturally bad and wicked, but easil,
controlled, and that WATSON did so contro
him, and conducted just as he pleased abou
the prison.
The fullest chance was given to DIMMocI
and WATSON to explain their conduct. TIL,
committee expressly told them that they
would examine any witnesses Ethey shoult
see fit to desire, but they both said they had
no more witnesses to examine. Mr.. WATSON
at one time, called Mr.. DIMMocK. The com.
mittes told him lif he had DIMMocK sworn
he must be examined generally, in relation
to this transaction. WATSON desired to con-
fine his answers to one or two points, and
when told this could not be done, he con-
suited with his advisers, and after OBTAINING
the committee an hour he declined to have
Mr.. DlMMocK sworn.
Such are some Of the facts, as disclosed by
the report and the testimony in this extraor-
dinary case. They cannot fail to make q
profund sensation all over the State. The
House recommitted the report to the commit
tee, for the purpose Of embodying some Of
the facts in their report which had been omit
ted. When again before the House, they
will be ordered to be printed, and then the
public can form an opinion of the merits OF
the case from the official records. We re-
serve further comments till some future oc.
casion.
WAR ACTUALLY IBEGUN.