Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-12-06

SuSu eOGItLy Lam uOG' hIe you III i
any way directly or indirectly connected |
with any society ofrnGn opposed to aliens
or Catholics? lam not. Are you in
any way connected with body Of men
called in common speech f" knownoth-
ings," by whatever name in fact the So
ciety may be called / Answer without
evasion or equivasion. ,sIcannot answer
without eliminating myself.
Counsel.--I insist pom an answer. III
the witness has heretofore answered truly
that he vas not member Of that order,
be then can answer without eliminating
himself. And beside,' he has chosen al
ter he was instructed in his rights to an
sWer he was not connected with such go
ciety, in so far exculpating himself, but "S
belief, in an evQSivS manner. Now, he can
not be allowed 10 answer to the matter SO
far as may tend TO exculPate himself, and
when the question is pressed home then
refuse 10 answer; but having answered
part he must answer all. 1t is most
strange that a man lcanacriminnte himself
by swearing that he docs not belong to IL
secret society.
. The Court.-WitDcss you have said
that you cannot testify whether you be
long to the society called know nQthings
without eliminating yourself, and yet you
testify that yout do not beloDg-to them
Can you explain how that can be?
=" Witness.-I am not know nothing. 81
Counsel submit that after this he
shall answer the question in the form l
have put it.
The Court.-Pu! your question in wri-
tirgt. j GsaiIe~e - q 9...,.1At-~--
80 aS@1 7'fF1fTrt e1r,,Il, 0Have you been in
any way connected or do you now belong
to any body Of men who are called BY
any persons know noIhings as a term OF
designation ply whatcvername, in TACT;
such h,,dy Of men may 10 called by them
tsolres or whatever may be their organl-
cation ?"
Ans. 81 decline answering that ques
ton it may criminate me-"
The .Court.AI think, under the cir
cumstances, you must answer IT,
dN.51 do:2' long have Yo:: belonged Il,
such society ?" GFopr or five III >,,,ng y EsI )
it secret sociesy?n TT 20; =. Is there any
obligation Administered to the rDember5j
SF"cr% ls. SIS it in the fvrm Of an oasn;?
do not know How vas it administer
ed 2 Odd you hold up your hand as you
did here%"I did. did ycu cali on God to
witness the ,bligaiion"''q think did ;
the words so help me God" were apart
of t.'' " Are there different degrees in
that society ?'''rhere are. 5ow many ?
fTwo. 'eHave you seen John a. Gardner
taking part in any meeting ?? 4 have!1
fAFhat part WAS he taking p E'Was he AN
Othcer?"ilt WAS in lown- meeting where
l say him: "Why do you answer in that
manner? When said meeting did you
suppose | meant torn -ueeting?" III did
not know but that you did" tIHaye you
seen Gardner taking part in such NEE
ting of society such as bare described
TO you and if SC, what part" Il do not
know what part XII, y ur society =
password ?" 1t has" i4las it a grip or to-
ken by which you gain admit; sioa ?'EI!
has but l will not disclose it::' tFNhat did
you mean when you te 'i!cd that you did
not belong to amy s4ch society lis lha,
called T. know nothin5a?' "a said | did
not belong to the T. kno&.noshin IS. -
kWhat did you mean when You said that
you did not belong to any secret society
opposed to aliens, when you now admi.
that YOU do, and take an oath to keep it
sccrctm 4 think it's not Euch Of Il Sc
crst sucicty when AL the doing8 get into
the-newsE apers.' rs that all your answer?
PIT isk
THE witness was then examined on
ether parts of the case, and
A. NJ. George was then recalled, and
testified that he was member of the OF .
der Of "know-No'hings;" had joined them
about three months ago ; had nothing to
do with them since; that he believed
that the oath taken from the Pennsyiva-
nian and ropublished in the Boston Post,
us read to him, was about the obligation
substance that he had taken but could
not exactly remember that since he
joined he had not taken much notice
about it.
Norman Smith was then called BY the
government, and on s5-examination be
testified, among ether things, as follows
Are you member Of a Secrst society
opposed to aliens? | am Il member .!
such society for political purposes. Is it
not opposed to aliens in a social point OF
view? Perhaps it is. Does it not also
exert q religious influence? Some think
y uoeS. Dlu you take m pbl9 alton in
the nature of an oath when you Joined
that society? do not know what It's ma
ture isl call it s. promise. Did you not
cal! on God to witness the promise? l
"Hn't remember whether did or not. Are
you an officer in that society? l can't an
syer, ~ it might criminate me. Were
you not founder Of the society in Gro
ton? was not. We're you not instru-
mental in getting it up? l 90 not know
but that WaS. can't answer, as it
might criminate me. Are not the mem
beers of this society sworn in all things to
obey the will of the ma ority lawfully ex-
pressed as against aliens, either religious
~ socially, or politically? Is not this
part Of the oath or obligation, i'll substance.
which 20" have taken? can't rsmem-