The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-01


On his vessel. was confined TO his bed from illness
durirg the whole time, and knew nothing, II seems,
Of what was going on. The whole meter, We sup
pose, will be Investigated in few days.
The Death OF Loup Mt Fort McfIcnry-Court
or Inquiry.
Soon after the recent unfortunate death of private
Louis Loup. at Fort McHenry, the officer o. thu day,
Lieut.. Casres Griffin, demanded Court OF Ioquiry,
to examine Into all the facts, 80 far as he hlmssf
was tonceined. The court assembled on the 20sh
INST and was COMPOSED Of Lieut.. Col. Francis rAy.
lOr, Major Pinkney Lugeobee. and Capt. Joan Btau-
non, LIST LIEUT.. George w. Hazard acting ss re-
corder. The following Ia given 10 the Baltimore
Patriot az q sketch Of the evidence adduced, ffom
which it appears that Lieut.. Griffin is exoneratsd
from all ceLsure -
FACTS.
At twenty minutes past II o'clock, on the night
Of the llto, or rather tue morning Of tue 18th Of
July, 1866, private Louis Loup, OF Light Company
X, LIST ARTILLERY, while in state OF intoxcstion,
wss, By order OF lst Lieut. Amos Beck wick, Of the
LIT Regime of Artillery, taken into the interior OF
Fort McHenry, Maryland, and direc ed oy Sergeant
then Sergeant Of tbs Guard, to 60 to his room and
be quiet until morning or revei!le. L0up went TO
bis ce mpapy quarters, and LAID down on the upper
plszza with other men Of his com any, but instead
of beng quiet continued to talk 80 as to be heard
at INFER vais az far as the guard house.
The sergeant twice cautioned him to be silent
first while stan ding on the parade, the second time
eoir 9 up to where ne Was lying. Louo still con.
tiDued to talk, and the sergeant then went to him
sgan a. oroered Loup to go with HIM to the
eusre house. After some delay, Loup asked per.
missiou to put away his watch, which was then
granted. He then went into the squad roo a to his
box, almost Immediately took down sabre, drew
IT, assumed menacing position, and said, "now
come on, sergeant, let me Gee the two soIs Of
bitcl es that will take me to the guard house." o.
something OF The came import.
Upon this the sergeant, Who was quite unarmed,
aVyoU in md uot1a Inn, Ia oSadi in rat,
ting Loup down, and attempted to dsarm him, at
the same time striking him several blows in the
face with bis right baud so as to cause the b BOD
to flow pretty freely flom his nose. Almost sim
ultaneously, corporal Patrick Cullen, of Ligat
Company X, First Artillery, VINO was in charge OF
the squad room, interiered, and su ,ceeded in for
c,by twisting the sabre from Loup's hand Cor
poral G,ller, asslsted by the 'Reaut, then took
with some difficulty, as L,up resisted all the time
in turbulent ana dsorderly manner. Immedi-
afely ter Lonp was confieed, the sergeant tried
to induce him to be quiet, but without success.
Lieut. Chas. Griffin, of tie I'd Artillery, called for
the stIjeant of the guard in order TO les,n what
WIS the disturbance, and being informed tina. 1t
was Loup, ard that he had drawn his eaore upon
se'gtant bad given him good bestiDg. The off
Ger Of the day also directed the sergeant to have
that noiee stopped OF to stop that mans mouth, or
to Tie him mp and gag him il ne would not stop bis
UolsEs iutIt ~ uOuUt hh W pTcCIoo OIucE
given to the eeant of the guard the testimony
on tbs p. int is very cor III sing.
AS Lcup still continued to make noise, he was
taken OUT OF the prison room by the sergeant OF the
guard, at a quarter past O'Clock a. NJ, and tied
no 10 The flag staff by his two wrists, at five feet
and quslter IL CD from TIE ground-his height
beLg five feet eight inents in his shoes. While toe
seyg-snt was tying bis wrist, Loup kicked at him,
arc TIE sergeant then tied his legs to the bottom OF
the flag staff.
huriig this time loup was very uoisy and bois
Mous, lis words BENG audible throughout the
eD'Ue foit, and tie sergean. gagged MIN twice with
az or mary wooden gag. Loup succeeded IN get
tifg each Of these mt OF his mouth. He then
balioed tor The sergeant TO go for his watch. TIE
sergeant did 20; took it to Loup, and then told him
in oesteehipg manner II ne would be quiet he
wculd unite him Ia bali On hour. Notwithstanding
ibis prCmiee OF the sergeant Lout still continued
q hoiee, wtereupon the sergeant made thrd
gsg, by coupling piece Of tue flag halyards and
vIauplrg part OF his blanket sycand the middle
of this doubled ro0e. The bankcted part WAS
ats ut Six in he long, AID from one and a quarter
TO Two inches IN diameter, aad was secured TO the
rope by In all cord una spiraliy around AID tied
TO ea, en- 4 OF the blanket.
Toe sergeant then Dlsced this gag 10 L1ups
mouth, tied the ends Of the rope behind his mead,
81 called the sentinel at the guard house. The
SCI eeaDt then directed the sentinel TO return mis-
sabre. take hold of the rope gag and hold on, and
prevent loup from getting 1t out of his mouth
II the Rbg came out the sentinel was die,ted to
replace II. This sag stopped up Loup's mouth
AID The ony no sc he made after il
was put m was suppressed sound, which could be
heard only short distance from the flag stat.
This lsst rag was inherited about twanty mlautss
before two cc'ock, A. NJ, and for about halt an
hour afterwards the prisoner made violent Efforts to
put his head forward and get tbs gag cut by rub
burg it against tfe flagstaff This was prevented
by tie tntine pulling strongly and keeping Loaps
bead back. Loup then became quiet, relaxed
lite, 81 brought the weight Of MS body On mis-
wrists The tentiDel supposed be was asleep.
At hsltpsst two o'clock, A. M.-the time of
posting the next relief neither the ser geant nor
The ccipcral OF ;De gua'd examined Loup, bus sno
tber sentinel took charge CT him aud found his
knees very mnco sunken and the whole weight OF
hia body restlog oo his wis's.
Owing TO the darkness the sentinel could not
observe Loups countenahce, but he did not per-
ceive That Loup either moved or breathed after
this. Towards daSbreak-about twenty minutes
before four o'clock a, NJ. the sentinel disc ,vered
that Ltup vas deadly pale, called for toe corporal
OF the guard. and, on examination, they found
Ltup deed. The officer Of the day was then in
foImeo, tor t. e first time, that Loup had been tied
up and gagged.
TIE body was then removed to the hospital and
examined supericisy by Surgeon Charles dcDou.
Paii. Of tie United States Army, the physician Of
the pest. He was prevented from making q post
MOI TEN examination, BY the arrival OF the coroner,
who took possession OF the corpse. From Surgeon
McDougalfs examination, and his knowle dye OF the
facts, he was OF opinion that Loup had died from
congestion CT the brain.
Toe cororer's jury requested DR.. Henry W. Web.
ster, citizen physician, resident Of Baltimore, to
make o superficial examination Of Loup's body
+, ON that examination Dr.. Webster concluded that
kups int0xication and excitement during the
previous night had produced active congestion of
the brain, which resul ed in apoplexy.
The coroner, DR.. George W. Benson, from personal
observation of the body, thought i. probable tina.
the bad died OF the congeatlon of the b.ain, and
po seibly from congestion OF the lungs also.
TIE csroners jury did not desire post norton
Ia o Ake~ 80
IN the succet ding day. but dec imposition had pro-
ceeded 30 far as TO render 1t impossible
opINIoN.
In submitting the above facts, the Court OF In
curry Is not ausnorlzed by law to express any OPT
mon on the matter, except as to the conduct Of
Lieutenant Griffin, the officer who applied for the
CONT.
In rels ton to bin, the court is Of opinion that
the order he gave was not intended rs punish
meIt but merely TO pre- serve the quiet and good Or.
der othe garrison which IL Was hissduty officer
u the cay to masptain.
The merely tying and gaggipg, in the usual man
xtax Qrd vtn hai r1ar tho