Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-10-16

4
Il was rather q secluded place. We could
not be seen from the st1re. He commenced
talking after we got there. He said he had
o paper he wished me 10 sign. He Wisht
me to sign without reading. / told him !
wouldn't sign anything without / knew
what it vas. | can't read. He said il was
to keep from mobbing, from volunteering
and drafting. He explained this without
reading. He said also something about an
oath or obligation, which he read 10 me. He
swore me and put my name TO the paper.
The District Attorney then read The first
obligation of the published oath Of Knights
of the Golden Circle, to the witness, who
thought it was the same as had been read
by Fletcher, not being able to point out any
difference. The second obligation being
read, the witness also said he could not see
any difference in this either
| consented that he should put my name to
to the oath; the signs were then explained
| to me (Witness illustrated the signs used 10
ascertain members;) he said he had some
/ thing TO show me when he saw me again; I
learned by means of them, some other mem
bers Of the CFder' MI. Court introduced Mr..
Dugan to me as higher brother; l was
acquainted with Mr.. Dugan before; had
known him year and a half perhaps;
met another whom Mr.. Porter told me be-
lcnged TO tho order.
Cross -Examined.-I work by the month
on farms. | am a housekeeper; own
farm live 4 or miles from Courts resi-
dence. live about two miles from the mill
yard The conversation took place this
summer. Squire Yeo keeps the store.
came out of tho store and saw Court stand
S,,rr -, -, 81. Il A. 4
SAID, "Come out-I have something to say
to you" When l got out, he said, "come
on" and we went down TO the mill yard
and sat on some saw-logs. There was no
force about the mill. The first thing Court
said when we had sat down, was that he
had something he wanted me to Join. He
had q piece of paper. He did not give me
the paper. I can't tell whether it was writ
ten or printed, having seen only the back.
l did not see my name signed. / did not
ask any questions about it. he explained it
to me, and said he wanted me to Join the
Knights Of the Golden Circle. About the
paper, he said it was to prevent volunteer
ing, drafting, and to keep down all mobs.-
He wrote my name on that piece Of paper
with pencil. He had two papers both
were written. When he asked me to sign, /
asked him 10 explain the paper. Haven never
filed the affidavit. He explained what the
Society was. After l told him 10 put my
name down, he wrote something on the
first paper. The contents of this paper are
what was read by the District Attorney
The first man who came to me to ask if l
knew anything about the Order, was Mr.
VIM. Fish. He asked me if had my name
to the Knights Of the Golden Circle. No
one else ever spoke 10 me about it until l
made the affidavit. Court administered an
oath 10 me. Judge Bowen wrote my aft la
Wit. repeated the oaths to Judge Bowen,
and he wrote them down. went down to
Burwick on that day to buy some things at
the store. 1t was on Saturday. made the
affidavit week ago Monday. I went to
Marion in the morning. Mr.. Martin and
Mr.. Peters came for me. was in bed when
they came. They said they wan ed to get
me out of the Golden Circle, but did nottell
me in what manner.
Direct Examination resumed.-Lsst Fri
day l went over 10 my fathers to cut some
corn, and about 10 o'clock three men came
to me and wanted me % go into the woods
with them. They said Court was supposed
to be lost, having been gone since the
Wednesday previous, and that I had better
go out and help hunt for him. I refused to
go, as was busy at work.
--Cross-Examination resumed.- The names
of the Wen were Thos. Jones, Jep Pi:kand,
and Jno. Abbott. I know them when I see
them. They live in Gresncamp township.
Mr.. Jones is As or so years old. Mr..
Pickand is a young man, and Mr.. Abbott is
about 30. Mr.. Court, who was missing, is
an uncle of the defendant. Some men, it
is said, went to his house for him, and he
ran off.
Some people saw Court is crazy.
VIM. Bradshaw Sworn-I live in Green
Camp township, Marion county. I know Of
no order called knights of the Golden Cir
Gle. There is an Order, but wo do not call
it that name. l got paper from Jacob
Honiker. l think the one shown is the one
| He read it over to me and tod me to take
it. He didn't say why he gave it to me-
He asked me if belonged to the Order, and
l said no. While had the paper l showed
it TO two persons and read it to them.
don't know whether they considered that
\ this made them members or not. I kept the
paper about two weeks and then gave il back
/ to Honiker. / received it again about three
weeks after that. got it last, week ago
| last Thursday evening, and gave it to Dick
| erson. Honiker gave me grips and signs by
| which | might know how to distinguish a
brother. The first method Of proceeding
was to ask the person if he was out last
night. If he said yes, to ask him what he
saw. He should answer the North Star. 1
then was to ask which way it was travelling,
ard he would reply, "towards Bethlehem" ."
Also the hat must be raised three times with
the right hand. told the men to whom
read the paper what the signs were.
Cross examined.-The answer to the sign
! with the hat, was, to raise the hat with the
left hand. HOniker gave no name to the
Society. He said that the Democrats con
sti.uted it, and its object was to prevent mob
violence. He didn't allude to any particu-
lar threats of mob violence, but said there
had been threats. Honiker did not say
where he got the paper.
He asked me if 1 belonged to the order,
and when I said no, he said he Folud leave
the paper with me and explain the signs
| l never saw any bylaws, or heard Of any
meetings or anything of the kind. What
! understood was that the Democrats had or
| ganized the society. l took no oath nor
signed my name. I did not hear of or see
any books or papers, nor heard OF any Of
feers or other members. l do not know oi
auy list of members or record cf proceed
ines in existence, l never heard of any
other object or purpose of the organization
than the suppI ession of mob violence.
Direct examination resumed-The object
I had in going was to protect persons from
mob violence. was willing to go with the
order, but did not suppose it had any other
object than what was explained by the
paper.
| 4 To the Court do not think I ever gave
the signs to any individuals to ascertain
whether they were members or not.
At this stage of the proceedings, thu
Court adjourned until o'clock this morn
ing.
oA criHtb +bo Elooptionist. vii